Doctors Embrace Facebook, Twitter

 

 

Hospitals and healthcare facilities all over the U.S. are integrating Facebook, Twitter and even mobile apps into their work, in an effort to improve patient-doctor communication.

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Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic, which established the "Center for Social Media" on its campus, is training healthcare professionals on how to use social media to improve patient care. For example, doctors and nurses are learning to use Facebook and Twitter to set up appointments and answer questions with the goal of putting patients' needs first.
At Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Florida, patients simply tweet their doctor when they have questions about their care, while physicians at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center keep tabs on patients through Facebook so that they are notified of their recovery.
Social media has even helped the medical profession spread awareness and education of their work. During real-time brain surgery in March 2009, doctors at Detroit's Henry Ford Hospital answered questions via tweets, broadcasting to more than 1,900 followers. Twitter allows students to participate in rare surgeries, making the live-update service a great resource for medical schools.
Apps have also been boosted in the healthcare industry, taking advantage of smartphones' ubiquity among patients as well as doctors. "ER Extra," a free app, allows iPhone or iPad users to learn the current emergency room wait time in several hospital networks, allowing patients to go to the least busy hospital in the area.
These are very early days in the use of social media, and there are risks as well as rewards, especially in such a highly-regulated field like medicine and healthcare. Doctors must take care to protect patients' privacy. A recent study found that tweets published by doctors breached patient confidentiality in three percent of cases, indicating that medical professionals still need to be trained to respect patient rights in social media.

Sprint goes on the record to say Froyo update for the Epic 4G is coming February 21st

Well that certainly didn’t take long, but now we have official word from Sprint pinning down February 21st as the roll out date for the Samsung Epic 4G’s epic Android 2.2 Froyo update.

In a recent Sprint forums posting, one of the Sprint admins put up a statement that mentions February 21st as the expected day when the Froyo update is going to be made available. Furthermore, it states that the process should take around 4 days for it to completely end up in the hands of owners.  And of course, it mentions some of the exciting new features expected to come along with the much-anticipated software update – such as Flash 10.1 support, Bluetooth dialing, and the ability to install apps to external storage.

Lastly, Sprint will be posting some additional pieces of information on Monday regarding the update. Finally, owners can circle that date now that it looks pretty clear that the inevitable is finally going to arrive shortly.

Phones, Social Media Converge

 

 

Facebook and Twitter usage has increased on smartphones, transforming social networking into a real-time, on-the-go activity.

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Last year, around 58 million people in the U.S. used their phones to access social networking sites at least once a month, according to marketing research firm ComScore, marking a 56 percent surge from a year ago. Nearly 40 percent of tweets were sent from mobile devices, according to Twitter's chief executive Paul Costolo, speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week.
Facebook and Twitter, which have been on apps for several years, are increasingly becoming important to carriers and handset makers, and new social media players arrived at the Congress earlier this week, which had previously focused on wireless carriers. For instance, newcomer Foursquare, sent one person to the conference; this year it was a team.
Social media has even found its way into smartphones as handset makers seek to differentiate their products in the crowded market. Earlier this week, Taiwan-based HTC released two new Facebook phones, the ChaCha and Salsa, which feature a dedicated button that allows users to easily access all their online information.
INQ Mobile, meanwhile, has been working with Facebook since 2006, recently introducing Cloud-based smartphones that can access Facebook's news feeds and chat, without having to go into an app first. While social media sites are looking to boost mobile use with these "preloaded" apps, some carriers, like Sprint, prefer not to.
"We prefer to suggest, rather than 'preload,'" said Farid Adib, Sprint's vice president for product development.
However, the dance between mobile devices and social media sites will continue, especially as tools like Facebook and Twitter expand beyond social networking and become platforms in their own right.

Toronto New iPhone app of the Day: Next Streetcar

A new app has arrived in the Apple App Store that’s perfect for anyone living in (or visiting) Toronto that takes the TTC Streetcar. It’s aptly called “Next Streetcar” and the app informs you of when the next streetcar will arrive at your stop… for that matter it informs you of when the next 4 streetcars are coming. It’s an incredibly easy and intuitive app that you can choose your stop and also make it a favourite. Probably the best feature of this app is that they’ve built-in VoiceOver for the visually impaired and “users can enable vibration alerts, especially assisting those who are deaf or hard of hearing”.
It’s a cool app and well thought out, however it’s not free and it’ll cost you $0.99.

Chicago Motorist Accused of Facebook-While-Driving

 

 

A Chicago motorist is facing a wrongful death lawsuit after fatally hitting a pedestrian while allegedly updating her Facebook status from her phone, fueling the debate over distracted driving.

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Araceli Beas, 21, allegedly struck and killed Raymond Veloz, 70, last December. At the time of the collision, Beas told police she was temporarily blinded by the sun and didn't see Veloz. She was subsequently ticketed for striking a pedestrian.
But earlier this week, Veloz's daughter, Regina Cabrales, filed suit, claiming Beas posted to Facebook at exactly the same time Veloz's cell phone records report a call being made to 911.
Should it proceed, the case is almost certain to be mired in logistical and technological details. Beas's mother, for instance, asserts that her daughter was on Facebook while warming up her car a few minutes before the accident, not while she was driving. Veloz, meanwhile, had a minor altercation with another motorist prior to the fatal crash. The first driver also blamed the accident on poor vision on account of the sun.
The incident is a high-profile entry in the emerging debate around distracted driving, especially as mobile technology finds its way into all aspects of life. Several wireless carriers, led by T-Mobile, are responding to increasing concerns about distracted driving by bringing to market technology that automatically blocks calls and texts when a phone is in a moving car.
Federal regulators are also considering mandating such technology in cars, and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has devoted much energy to the issue. Studies have increasingly shown that communicating via phone while driving quadruples the risk of an accident, making it on par with driving drunk.

Motorola Xoom units hit Verizon stores already

Looks like it’s going to be a good weekend, as we’re hearing that Verizon is beginning to receive Motorola Xoom units already. Initially only dummy units were spotted, but it looks like the real deal is hitting some stores to make way for its official debut next week.
The pictures show a Motorola Xoom dummy unit, but real units have apparently been spotted as well, according to Droid-Life. With the official launch less than a week away, we can’t say that we’re surprised. No matter how outrageously priced the Xoom will be, it’s still one sexy piece of hardware, and the world’s first Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet.
We honestly don’t know what to expect to see on launch day of the Xoom. While it’s gained quite a bit of fanfare in the past couple of months, many interested parties may want to wait and see what the reviews say before they drop close to a grand on a tablet. The price point of the Xoom is a sore spot, and while it may be superior to the iPad in a handful of ways in terms of specifications, we’re having a hard time believing there will be a huge line for this tablet come launch day.
Nonetheless, the Xoom will be available starting Thursday next week, and we can’t wait to see who will be showing up for this thing. Even though the Xoom is oozing with high-end specifications, the real story is about Android 3.0 Honeycomb, the tablet-optimized version of Google’s mobile operating system. We’ve seen 3.0 ported to a couple of devices already, and once the full SDK and source code are out, and custom ROMs begin hitting existing, cheaper tablets, it’ll be interesting to see if that will change the minds of some would-be Xoom buyers.
I’m still very happy with my ViewSonic G-Tablet, which has a hefty amount of high-end specs (Tegra 2, front-facing camera, large community behind development) under $400. It may not have the specs to match Motorola’s tablet, but it has enough of them for the price. Plus the G-Tablet is currently the only tablet that’s officially supported by CyanogenMod.
Those who don’t want to hack their tablets may have to wait a bit longer, but rest assured, cheaper options will become available. That said, other than the price of the Xoom, it’s the king of Android tablets already, and may retain that lead for a good chunk of the future. However, if competing high-end Honeycomb tablets can significantly undercut the Xoom’s price, then Motorola’s tablet may not make it into as many hands as they would like.
Are you going to grab the Xoom come launch day, or will you be waiting for the reviews to hit first?

INQ CEO: The cool kids in town have an iPhone or BlackBerry, Android is for geeks

It's not very often that we see a manufacturer of an Android phone bash other manufacturers of Android phones, basically telling them that they have no idea what the general public wants, and that Apple and BlackBerry are, like, so much better for the cool kids.

But that's exactly what INQ CEO Frank Meehan has told Mashable:

"If you go to a nightclub in any city in the world, the pretty girl has an iPhone or a BlackBerry. She doesn’t have an Android phone. She has no emotional attachment to an Android phone. It’s too complicated. It’s a geek device, it’s all wrong."

He goes on:

"Android manufacturers are all just focused utterly on the tech, because they’re all hardware guys. They don’t get software. They’ve tried to outdo Apple with hardware, but the problem is the customer doesn’t care. The Samsung Galaxy has done pretty well, but it’s just price-driven. It’s not desire-driven. There are no lines out the door to get a Galaxy. They’ve done all this work on branding, but the name doesn’t mean anything to consumers. It’s like calling a phone ‘Alpha Centauri’ or ‘Uranus'."

Is Android only for geeks?

Sonim makes claim of world's longest talk time

Sonim, makers of some seriously ruggedized phones, have made an announcement at the Mobile World Congress of a new phone that they claim has the world’s longest talk time of a whopping 22 hours.

The phone is called XP3300 Force. Powering the phone is a large 1750mAh battery. The reasoning behind this absurd amount of talk time might have to do with the fact that this phone is really, well, just a phone. It does not pack WiFi or 3G data services, but you probably wouldn’t need them anyway for the excursions that this device is intended for.

It has a 2-megapixel camera on the back of its husky body and a 2-inch display on the front. It looks very similar to some of Sonim’s offerings from the past. Furthermore, this phone can be operated in extremely freezing temperatures as cold as -20°C and can deal with water submersion. Oh and if you don’t use this phone to talk all that often, its standby time will get you about 33 days’ worth battery life. That’s pretty impressive, right? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Android users with Froyo or higher can now get Netflix, Hulu, CNN and more streamed directly to their phone

It has long been a dream for many Android users to be able to access Hulu on their phone; even those with Flash on their unit have been unable to use the streaming service. But now, there is a solution. Those using an Android device running Froyo or higher can sign up for PlayOn. With this service, you will be able to watch streaming video from CNN, PBS, FOX, ESPN 3, Comedy Central, Spike, Netflix, Hulu and more. Video can be streamed through 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi.

The service costs $39.99 for the first year and $19.99 for each additional year. Or, you can pay $79.99 for a lifetime subscription. The PlayOn app is available for free in the Android Market and new users can get a free two-week trial. Now you might never put down your Android phone.

UPS iPhone app now available in Canada

The UPS mobile app has already been available for BlackBerry and Android for a few months and has been downloaded over 2 million times. Good news for iPhone users as the UPS app is now available in iTunes. The same functionalities are there: users can calculate shipping rates, create and track shipments, find the closest UPS location via GPS and the ability to log-in to their UPS account. The app is free and is available in English and French.

Globalive appeals Federal Court ruling: “We disagree with several aspects”

Globalive has issued a press release that as expected will appeal the recent Federal Court ruling by Justice Roger Hughes. He stated that the 2009 decision to allow Globalive to operate their Wind Mobile brand “was based on errors of law and must be quashed” (mainly over the amount of foreign ownership they have). Earlier this week Industry Minister Tony Clement and MP Steven Blaney also disagreed with Justice Hughes thoughts and are appealing the case and “believe that our decision was the right one for Canadian consumers and we will vigorously defend it.”
In the Globalive statement they have asked for an extension past the “45-day stay of judgment”. Anthony Lacavera, Chairman of Globalive “Like the Government, we disagree with several aspects of the Federal Court decision, and we are confident that the Federal Court of Appeal will overturn it. Our biggest priority is to put this regulatory gaming by our competitors behind us, so that we can continue to focus on bringing wireless innovation and competition to the marketplace… But this courtroom fight is for the lawyers. Our fight is about providing more competition to Canadians for better value, better choice, and better service.”
It seems like based on what’s happening that this issue will last a few months. What do you think the outcome will be?

Sony Ericsson Xperia Play has a retail value of $397.36 CDN

Late last year before the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play formally received it’s name there was rumours that this PlayStation phone would have a price tag of under $500. Last week in anticipation of their Mobile World Congress announcement of this gaming device Sony Ericsson created a Facebook contest where 10 lucky people will be the “First to Play” with the Android Xperia Play.
For us Canadians Rogers is the carrier that will be releasing the Play. The only date given is “this Spring” and no word on pricing… but according to the terms and conditions the contest “ends 11:59:59 pm ET on March 21, 2011″ and “The Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of the Prize is $400.00 US/$397.36 CDN.”
Clearly this is unconfirmed dates and pricing for Rogers but could start the speculation of when and how much. The Xperia X10 was released at $549.99 so what do you think the no-contract price of the Play will come in at? $599.99?

Google: “Please tell Canadians to send their CVs in”

If you’ve ever wanted to take your love of Android past the device and work for Google, SVP and CFO Patrick Pichette says 2011 will embark on “the biggest year ever” for hiring. Google currently has 200 employees in Canada, this has increased by 50% since last year and is expected to increase by 50% this year too. The hiring will be taking place in 3 cities: Toronto (sales); Waterloo (mobile applications on other products); and Montreal (engineering and sales).
Pichette stated that “Please tell Canadians to send their CVs in… We’re not really tied by a quota – anybody who’s a great fit, we’ll hire them… We are an unconventional company… And we’re looking for unconventional people.”
Google currently has 22 open positions and you can check them out here

Confirmed: Motorola ATRIX 4G launches on February 22nd

Following our report from earlier this morning suggesting the Motorola ATRIX 4G would become available on February 22nd, AT&T has reached out to clarify launch details surrounding the anticipated device. Motorola’s ATRIX 4G will indeed launch on February 22nd in AT&T stores across the country for $199.99. Pre-sales of the Motorola ATRIX 4G began earlier this week on February 13th, and customers who pre-ordered the phone for home delivery will see their orders ship on February 21st. Customers who pre-ordered their phones and opted to have them shipped to a local AT&T store will be able to pick them up on February 21st, one day ahead of general availability. The Motorola ATRIX 4G, which BGR reviewed earlier this month, features a dual-core 1GHz Tegra 2 processor, a 4-inch qHD touchscreen display, 1GB of RAM and version 2.2 of Google’s Android operating system.

Obama to Meet With Jobs, Zuckerberg

 

 

U.S. President Barack Obama will meet with a list of technology executives today in California, including Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg.

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The president will also likely meet with Google head Eric Schmidt and Jeffrey Immelt, General Electric's chief executive, at the event, although the White House has not released an official list of attendees.
The closed door meeting is part of an event for business leaders in tech-friendly Silicon Valley. The point of the meeting is to discuss how the technology industry can help with the economy and job creation, something Obama said in his State of the Union speech last month.
"All the smart graduates today want to go to Google and Facebook instead of Wall Street," said Mark Warner, a Democratic Senator. "Without innovation and a growing economy out in Silicon Valley, we're not going to be competitive."
In a year when not much improved in the U.S. economy and hiring was still about as sparse in most areas of the country as it had been in the two previous years, Silicon Valley hiring increased in 2010. The area added 12,300 jobs last year.
The president will not arrive in San Francisco until this evening. He'll spend the rest of the day meeting with Democrats for lunch, holding a meeting on education, and signing a bill.

iPhone 4 battery explodes resulting in horrible user video recreation

Motorola Mobility's CEO explains the $800 price tag for the Motorola XOOM

Ever since we reported that the Motorola XOOM would cost $799.99 for an unsubsidized model, and $600 for a Wi-Fi only version, you have been wondering why the 3G version will cost you 8 Benjamins. Well, who better to explain the XOOM's pricing than Motorola Mobility's CEO Sanjay Jha.

According to Jha, pricing the XOOM $70 more than the Apple iPad with the same amount of storage is ok because, "We felt that our ability to deliver 50Mbps would justify the $799 price point. It is 32GB with 3G and a free upgrade to 4G. Being competitive with iPad is important. We feel that from the hardware and capabilities we deliver, we are at least competitive and in a number of ways better."

Another interesting note is that those who purchase the 3G model will need to pay for at least one month of 3G service in order to unlock WiFi connectivity. That will bring the price of Motorola's 3G tablet about $100 higher than the cost of a similarly spec'd iPad. Jha also noted that the Motorola XOOM will be upgradeable to Verizon's 4G pipelines which should be worth paying a premium price to Apple's 3G tablet.

The executive did have some worries about the tablet business as a whole, calling Samsung's problems selling the Galaxy Tab and the large number of returns that the Korean based firm suffered something to be concerned about.

TELUS Goes Live with ’4G’ Network in Manitoba

For the life of me I have no idea how long the good folks of Manitoba have been waiting on a network update from TELUS. The update was a critical one for many, because without it such hallowed devices such as the iPhone 4 have remained unavailable. That is, unavailable until now. The network update has finally been completed, and the iPhone 4 (among other devices) is now well and truly available from the carrier in Manitoba. Hurrah!
While TELUS bills their ’4G’ network as live in Manitoba, when you take a look at their updated coverage map, you may come to a different conclusion. 4G coverage now blankets the Manitoba capital (and surrounding area) of Winnipeg… with projected coverage extending south-east to Steinbach, and as far west as the Brandon area. While the good folks in Winnipeg are now rejoicing (maybe), folks in other areas of the province no doubt remain stewing in their boots.
For what it’s worth, I’m pleased that TELUS has finally updated their network, but it’s a darn shame that more Manitobans aren’t covered in the initial launch… especially when you consider how long folks have been waiting.
At any rate, this is a solid first step, and more coverage is no doubt to come (keeping my fingers crossed). If you would like some more information, take a few minutes and pop on over to TELUS.
Note: While the iPhone 4 is no doubt the marquis device now available on TELUS in Manitoba, other wonderful devices such as the BlackBerry Bold 9780 and HTC Desire HD are now available as well. Finally, some next-gen device pickin’s for the good folks in Canada’s gateway to the west.
One last note: If you were wondering, the big ‘T’ has the iPhone 4 (16 GB) up-for-grabs at $159 on a 3-year contract, or $649 off contract.

Warner Bros. to distribute movies as iOS applications

Warner Bros. announced today that the studio was releasing select editions of movies as iOS applications. The new distribution method will kick off with the release of the app editions of The Dark Knight and Inception for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The movie apps will be available for free and include the first five minutes of a feature film as well as bonus content such as games, trivia and soundtrack information. If you like what you see, you can buy the full movie as an in-app purchase that lets you download the movie and stream it.
The apps will be available for free in 30 countries including China, Brazil and the Netherlands. With its international flavor, each app will feature customizable menus in 16 languages and subtitles in 34 languages. The apps are also socially aware and let you share movie quotes with friends on Facebook and Twitter as well as view a live-stream of chatter about the film that you are watching.

WARNER BROS. DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION LAUNCHES GROUNDBREAKING “APP EDITIONS” OF FEATURE FILMS “THE DARK KNIGHT” AND “INCEPTION” AVAILABLE FOR iPHONE, iPOD TOUCH AND iPAD
“APP EDITIONS” ALLOW WBDD TO OFFER FILMS IN OVER 30 INTERNATIONAL TERRITORIES, MANY FOR THE FIRST TIME, THROUGH APPLE’S APP STORE
Studio Leads the Way with Fully-Loaded, Connected Viewing Experience Offering Downloading, Streaming, Bonus Content, Music, Games, Soundboard and Seamless Social Media Integration
BURBANK, CALIF., February 16, 2011 – Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD), a market leader in video-on-demand and electronic sell-through, today announced the groundbreaking launch of the “App Editions” of feature films “Inception” and “The Dark Knight,” giving consumers around the world an entirely new way to own special edition movies with the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The “Inception: App Edition” and “The Dark Knight: App Edition” are now available on the App Store.
App Editions provide a fully-loaded, connected viewing experience that gives consumers the first five minutes of a feature film and a portion of bonus content that can include games, trivia, soundtracks and soundboards. The entire feature film can be unlocked via an in-app purchase, which enables downloading and unlimited streaming, as well as access to the entire array of bonus content available within the App.
The “Inception” and “The Dark Knight” App Editions are available in over 30 territories, including some which previously did not have access to films through iTunes including China, Brazil and the Netherlands. They contain fully customized menus in 16 languages including Japanese, Greek and Russian and also provide consumers movie subtitles in 34 languages ranging from Arabic to Ukrainian (streamed via WiFi). While watching the film, fans can also connect with friends by sharing their favorite movie quotes through Facebook and Twitter and watch a feed of social networking chatter directly related to the movie in real-time.
“Warner Bros. is bringing more than 100 million Apple device owners a highly innovative new way to experience their favorite films,” said Thomas Gewecke, President of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. “For many, watching a movie is a social activity and App Editions are the first mobile product to deliver this capability on a global scale. They offer a fully connected experience, allowing viewers to engage with others around the world in real-time through Facebook and Twitter. In 2011, Warner Bros. will release a full slate of App Editions including new release and catalog films.”
“Inception: App Edition”
Nominated for eight Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “Inception” stars Leonardo DiCapiro as “Dom Cobb,” who’s a skilled thief in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception.
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, “Inception” stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Dileep Rao, and Michael Caine. Nolan also produced the film with Emma Thomas.
“Inception: App Edition” will not only allow fans to download or stream the blockbuster film, they can also enjoy exclusive bonus materials including three never-before-released tracks from the Academy Award® nominated score composed by Hans Zimmer that can be streamed via Airplay. The App also includes concept art, productions stills, movie poster artwork, bonus video showing a behind-the-scenes look at how Christopher Nolan’s unique vision was brought to life, and copies of “The PASIV Device Instruction Manual” and “The Cobol Job” comic.
The “Inception: App Edition” is available for free through the App Store on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore. The entire feature film and bonus materials can be purchased through an In-App Purchase at an introductory price of $11.99 (US).
“The Dark Knight: App Edition”
The follow-up to “Batman Begins,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight” reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of “Batman/Bruce Wayne” in his continuing war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective, but soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante.
The film also stars Michael Caine as “Alfred”; Heath Ledger as “The Joker”; Gary Oldman as “Jim Gordon”; Aaron Eckhart as “Harvey Dent”; Maggie Gyllenhaal as “Rachel Dawes”; and Morgan Freeman as “Lucius Fox.” Nolan directed the film from a screenplay written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer. The producers are Charles Roven, Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan.
“The Dark Knight: App Edition,” protected by Widevine, allows consumers to download a permanent copy of the film to their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, or stream it through the App. They can watch over three hours of bonus clips; explore a rich gallery of photos and trailers; test their film knowledge with interactive video trivia; listen to memorable one-liners and export them as ringtones; post Twitter and Facebook updates; and monitor relevant movie buzz in real time.
“The Dark Knight: App Edition” is available for free from the App Store on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, or at www.itunes.com/appstore. The entire feature film and bonus materials can be purchased for $9.99 (US) through an In-App Purchase.

Two cool BlackBerry PlayBook concept apps by TAT

Bell Class Action lawsuit seeks payback of Early Termination Fees

Yet another Class Action lawsuit against Bell Mobility has been brought forward. This time it’s spearheaded by Quebec resident Denis Gagnon who is representing all customers “who are domiciled or were domiciled in Québec, who have been charged early termination January 1, 2007”. Basically stating that Bell should pay back $200 with interest to all the customers who were wrongly overcharged for paying early termination fees when they canceled their Bell cellphone contract. The suit is also looking for Bell to “pay a lump sum of $2,000,000.00 as punitive damages”.

Motorola Xoom to retail for $799 from Verizon, WiFi-only for $600

Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha told Reuters that the Motorola XOOM will retail for $799 unsubsidized from Verizon. The WiFi-only version of the Android tablet will be priced around $600. These price points are slightly higher than the pricing for the Apple iPad which is the XOOM’s major competitor. The 3G version of the iPad is priced at $729 for the 32 GB version while the XOOM will be priced at $799.
The WiFi-only version matches the iPad prices with both models available for $599. Apple, though, undercuts the XOOM with its 16 GB version of the WiFi-only iPad which is available for $499. This 16 GB model is reportedly one of the top-selling iPad models presumably due to its lower price tag.
When the XOOM finally launches on Verizon and in Europe, it will be interesting to see how it sells. The tablet will be one of the first true competitors to take on  the iPad. While other tablets like the BlackBerry Playbook, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and the HP TouchPad have been announced and detailed, these competing tablets are not yet available.

T-Mobile to slash the prices of its "Even More" unlimited plans even more

In a move that prepares for the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S 4G, which is coming February 23rd, T-Mobile is rumored to slash the prices of its Even More and Even More Plus plans.

The Even More Plus, which is hard to come by these days, unless you beg for it in the stores, will go down to $69.99 from the current $99.99, while the Even More contract customers will get $20 shaved off their monthly bill, down to $79.99.

It is not entirely clear if existing customers will be automatically included, they have to call, or what's the deal here. We'll know more in just a week's time, when the Samsung Galaxy S 4G gets delivered to the shelves with its 21Mbps-capable HSPA+ radio.

iPhone 4 wins “Best Mobile Device” at the Global Mobile Awards

Even after all the controversy behind the Apple iPhone 4 – Antennagate, Glassgate… last night at the Mobile World Congress the GSMA hosted the Global Mobile Awards and the beloved iPhone 4 has taken home the top prize of “Best Mobile Device”. The judges stated the reasons are “Great screen, sharp design, fantastic materials, and phenomenal ecosystem for app developers. In a tight race, the iPhone 4 built on the success of its predecessors to set the pace for smart phones.”
Since the iPhone launched in 2007 there has been over 90 million of them sold around the world.

Best Buy “Free Phone Fridays” will see Bold 9780 hit $0 on 3-year

The Best Buy Mobile “Free Phones Friday” has been revealed. An email went out to Reward Zone Members that the February 18th deal is that the BlackBerry Bold 9780 from Rogers, Bell, TELUS and Virgin will all be priced down to $0.00 on a 3-year. In addition, not much of a discount but Koodo has also jumped into the deal by reducing the price of the BlackBerry Curve to $0.00 (on the Tab). Good deals if you’re into signing a 3-year contract

LG Optimus 3D Hands-On (Video)

The world’s first 3D Android smartphone is now official. The LG Optimus 3D sports a 4.3-inch glasses-free 3D display, Bluetooth 3.0, WiFi (b/g/n), HDMI out, DLNA support, a 1Ghz dual-core processor running under the hood with 512MB RAM, and best of all, two stereoscopic cameras at the back to allow users to record their own 3D content. Here’s a hands-on video of it.

Apple Discovers Child Workers at Factories

 

 

Apple today published detailed responsibility audit, revealing that it found 91 children working for its suppliers last year, up from 11 in 2009.

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The Cupertino, Calif.,-based company also found that 137 workers were poisoned at a Chinese firm making its products, and that less than a third of the facilities it inspected were complying with its code on working hours. The report concluded that some facilities charged exorbitant recruitment fees for jobs.
Apple instituted the annual audit back in 2007, after receiving complaints about worker mistreatment. This year, it examined 127 facilities that make components for its products, including the iPhone and iPad, covering health, safety, working conditions, education and hiring practices.
In addition, the report details the steps Apple has taken to remedy the problems, noting that suppliers using underage children were ordered to pay for their education costs. It also fired one supplier for using 42 minors. Meanwhile, health and safety standards and transparency issues have improved at the facility that poisoned workers, while further training for staff and management is underway at factories with excessive working hours.
Lastly, Apple had forced companies to refund $3.2 million in unfair recruitment fees. Since then, compliance on wages and benefits has improved to 70 percent from 65 percent in 2009.
To further address problematic working conditions at its suppliers' factories, Apple is actively pursuing preventative measures, such as running a "Train the Trainers" program, which educates workers, supervisors and management about health, safety and workers' rights. The company maintains that the training is working, noting that last year, 93 percent of assembly-line workers were confident that they could provide feedback without fear of reprisal, up from 53 percent in 2009.
The program has reached 300,000 workers since its introduction.
The greatest efforts were directed at preventing a repeat of the multiple suicides that took place at Foxconn facilities in China. Then Apple COO, now chief executive, Tim Cook, took a team from Cupertino to the factory and interviewed 1,000 workers. They then made a series of recommendations, including better training for counselors and a 24-hour care center.
These were in addition to earlier Foxconn initiatives, including safety nets on dormitory buildings at the factory and a 30 percent pay raise. Foxconn organized dormitories on a regional basis, in a bid to create a greater sense of community to combat loneliness that many migrant workers face, and it even ran a rally, attended by 20,000 workers, to boost morale.
The report is a testament to the determined efforts by Apple to prevent supplier conduct from damaging their brand, but it also reflects the increasingly high standards that consumers demand from their favorite brands -- standards that will only become more demanding and rigorous as companies like Apple set an example.

HTC “Flyer” tablet to be released by TELUS

HTC was rumoured to be releasing a tablet and today they have officially announced the “Flyer”. In their official press release they stated that the “HTC Flyer will be available to customers globally during Q2 2011″… but thanks to one of our tipsters we’ve been informed that this will be released by TELUS in the coming months. No word on specific dates or prices… just that it’s coming soon.
The Flyer has a aluminum unibody and weighs in at 415 grams with the 4,000 mAh battery, a 7-inch touchscreen display (resolution of 1024×600), 1.5GHz Qualcomm single-core processor that runs Android 2.4 Gingerbread with “an all-new HTC Sense user experience that has been reimagined for the tablets” (will be upgraded to 3.0 soon after launch). Part of the new HTC Sense is the 3D home screen and the ability to use a stylus for their “Scribe Technology”. HTC says “people can rediscover the natural act of writing” which allows you to “take notes, sign contracts, draw pictures, or even write on a web page or photo”… then sync them wirelessly to Evernote.
Other specs of the Flyer have it with overall dimensions of 195.4x122x13.2mm, 3.5mm headset jack, Bluetooth, WiFi, microUSB port, 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera, 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot.
We’ll have more info soon.

Wind claims a 3-year savings of $6,129.95 over “Robelus”

Wireless competition is more rabid than ever – it happens all day every day. All the carriers go after each other to claim who is the fastest, largest, most reliable, who has the fewest dropped calls, cheaper plans, more affordable handsets and best customers service. Recently Mobilicity stated to potential customers that they shouldn’t be “screwed” by “Robelus” (Rogers, Bell and TELUS) and now WIND Mobile has created a chart that shows a total savings over a 3-year period of $6,129.95 when compared to Robelus (with a plan and the Bold 9780).
This chart also promotes the new $45/month “My Unstoppable” plan and compares it to a $100/month “Robelus” plan. The My Unstoppable plan has Unlimited Data, Canada-wide calling, Canada/US picture messaging, Unlimited global texting, Voicemail, Caller ID, Missed call alerts, Call Waiting, Call hold, Call forwarding and Conference calling.

RIM lost an #1 opportunity with Nokia. Nokia looked to partner with RIM before selecting Microsoft

According to reports circulating overseas, before deciding to partner with Microsoft and its Windows Phone 7 operating system, Nokia attempted to work out a deal with RIM. And while it seems that Nokia was extremely interested in having its smartphones loaded up with the BlackBerry OS, RIM told the Finnish based firm that it was not interested in a partnership. And that left Nokia with two options-Android or Windows Phone 7.

With Android, Google refused to make a number of changes that Nokia wanted. For example, Nokia wanted Google Maps replaced with Ovi Maps and also wanted to change the way Google's open source OS handled PIM data. Nokia also wanted changes in the way Android handled email, the calendar and contacts. Giving in to Nokia would have affected Google's revenue flow, so the Mountain View based firm rejected the idea.

On the other hand, Microsoft was willing to make the changes to Windows Phone 7 that Nokia wanted. The latter will have some say into the future development of Windows Phone 7 and Ovi Maps will become part of the platform. And for Nokia, exiting the OS business means letting people go in R&D and software engineering. Spending on Symbian and MeeGo is expected to be close to zero next year. And the handset manufacturer plans on taking its integration of Windows Phone 7 to the U.S., specifically the Silicon Valley area from where it hopes to start gaining a larger presence in the U.S.

Get 1,000 FREE Minutes From AT&T Just Text Them YES - iOS Vlog 286

Verizon iPhone 4 death grip is real, affects data performance

Despite initial assertions to the contrary, the Verizon iPhone 4 is susceptible to the death-grip. The death-grip phenomenon emerged when the GSM iPhone 4 landed in the hands of consumers shortly after its launch in June 2010. Owners of Apple’s latest iPhone noticed a drop in signal bars when they held their handset tightly in the palm of their hand. This style of holding the phone was called the death-grip and the whole debacle became know as antennagate.
Apple responded to this issue by denying it was a problem and instructing people to hold the phone differently. The prevailing theory blamed the antenna design which made it easy to contact the antenna with your hand which caused the signal to attenuate. To quell the ever growing complaints, Apple began offering free bumper cases to iPhone owners. The bumper case prevented contact with the antenna and indirectly fixed this troubling issue.
Fast forward eight months to the Verizon iPhone launch and hopes were high that Apple used these intervening months to fix antennagate. When the first reviews of the Verizon iPhone 4 hit the wire, these early reports suggested the death grip was no longer a problem with the handset. Unfortunately, this assessment was premature and iLounge demonstrated the death grip with their Verizon iPhone 4 a few days later.
We have been able to duplicate iLounge’s results with our own handset and have further shown that the death-grip affects data performance. An iPhone 4 held comfortably in the hand will drop bars from three down to one in a matter of minutes. This bar drop affects data performance which likewise starts with download speeds of 1800 Kbits/s and plummets to as low as 90 Kbits/s/s when the Verizon iPhone 4 is held in the palm of you hand. Similarly, latency and upload speeds are also affected by this problem.
The take home message is that Verizon customers with an iPhone should your grab a case for your new handset, especially if you notice unusually slow data speeds. A new case will protect your iPhone during falls and will prevent a disruption in your data and phone calling due to this death-grip

Samsung Galaxy S 4G coming to T-Mobile on February 23rd for $149

We’ve been wondering when T-Mobile would announce the availability of the Samsung Galaxy 4G, and it looks like the rumored date turned out to be true. Next Wednesday T-Mobile will unleash their fastest HSPA+ phone yet, and it’ll hit at the very affordable price of $149.
The Galaxy S 4G will essentially be the Samsung Vibrant with a front-facing camera and HSPA+ 4G support. While the MyTouch 4G and G2 are also 4G devices, the GS4G can get speeds up to 21 Mbps, giving the handset an advantage over the 14.4 Mbps that the aforementioned devices can achieve.
Not only is it nice to get a confirmation from T-Mobile themselves, but it’s also nice to see that the leaked document has been correct thus far. Let’s hope it stays correct, as we’re expecting the G-Slate to hit on March 23rd.
Just like the original Vibrant, T-Mobile is pre-loading a movie onto their upcoming device, and instead of Avatar, users will be able to watch Inception on the gorgeous 4 inch Super AMOLED display. While this likely won’t be a determining factor in the purchase of the GS4G, it certainly doesn’t hurt. This handset may appeal to quite a few people, but it may not be enough at this point to contend with the new handsets shipping with dual-core CPUs and higher Android versions.
The price point of the handset is the sweet spot, but it won’t remain that way for long. T-Mobile will be offering the device for $149 for a limited time, and then we’ll likely see the price hit around the standard $200. $200 for a high-end smartphone isn’t a bad deal, but 4G and a front-facing camera may not be enough for some potential GS4G buyers. The Galaxy S 4G faces quite a bit of stiff competition in the months ahead, and if Samsung and T-Mobile want to sell a lot of these devices, they may want to keep it $149 for a while.
Nonetheless, we’re excited to get this thing in our hands, and get a glimpse of what HSPA+ can really do.

Samsung Introduces New Galaxy 2 Smartphone

 

 

Samsung today announced the Galaxy S 2, a follow-up to its popular flagship Android phone, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, aiming to further challenge the iPhone.

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"Galaxy S 2 is a natural and powerful evolution of Galaxy S," said J.K. Shin, president of Samsung's mobile business."
The South Korean company, which sold more than 10 million Galaxy S devices since June, said the Galaxy 2 focuses on content, such as games, music, social networks and e-reading. It features a dual-core 1-gigahertz chip and runs on Google's latest Android operating system.
The Galaxy 2 also integrates an improved 4.3-inch AMOLED "Plus" screen that offers even sharper and less reflective imaging. Its larger screen also supports 1080p high-definition video playback at 30 frames per second.
Addition features include an 8.0-megapixel camera, near-field communications, or NFC, to allow users to make mobile payments, and "Kies" syncing software, updated to include syncing over Wi-Fi and the ability to manage apps from the phone or a PC.
Samsung also worked with Cisco, Sybase, Citrix, SAP and Microsoft to make its devices more secure and improve services such as texting. It added an industry-standard security layer for the Galaxy 2, in a move to lure enterprise customers to outflank Apple.
The Galaxy 2 will be hitting stores in May. Pricing and details will be revealed at a later date.
“By working with our enterprise solutions partners, we've met the demands of a diverse mobile workforce," Shin said. "These solutions use unrivalled processing speeds and connectivity to make our enterprise customers more productive and profitable than ever before." Earlier today, Samsung beat Apple to the punch by unveiling its second, and larger, tablet, dubbed the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Bell giving customers 100 free local minutes as a thank you for choosing them

If your on Bell, just troop on over to one of their local stores and you’ll receive an additional 100 free local calling minutes. It’s their way of saying “thank you for choosing Bell,” but do hurry though as this will only be available up until the end of February.

Images: Upcoming HTC phones with dedicated Facebook button surfaces

Recently Dan Rose of Facebook denied they are building a “Facebook phone” with HTC. Rose said “No.. The rumours around there being something more to this HTC device are overblown… This is really just another example of a manufacturer who has taken our public APIs (application programming interfaces) and integrated them into their device in an interesting way“.
Looks like it might actually be true. Renderings of a couple upcoming HTC devices that might be announced at their Mobile World Congress press event tomorrow reveal a dedicated Facebook button on the front of each device – with most likely one press access to your account. There are no confirmed specs associated with these devices but clearly a touchscreen Android that looks like the Legend and the other is a physical QWERTY keyboard that is similar to the Snap.

iPhone telephoto lens lets you zoom in on the action from the cheap seats

The iPhone has always taken some pretty amazing photos, but only recently – with iOS 4 – did it allow digital zoom. Even then, using digital zoom can produce some pretty awful results: images tend to get pretty noisy or blurry, especially if you’re not holding your phone perfectly still. With a crazy telephoto zoom lens, however, you might be able to do something about that noise, though the blur factor will undoubtedly increase.
The telephoto lens for the iPhone you see above will give you 8x zoom, but unless you have your phone mounted on a tripod and you’re very careful about initiating a shot, you might get some craptastic photos and lots of blur.
Photojojo gives the following description:

Here’s how it works: each lens comes with a sleek, matte black iPhone case that you twist the lens onto. To compose your shot just twist the grip on the lens’ manual focus ring to make it sharp. Then snap!
When you aren’t using the lens you can just leave your nifty new case on and slip the lens in your pocket (try that with a 500mm Sigma). It’s a lens and case in one, always at the ready.
If you’re looking for a more composed shot, you can use the collapsible table tripod (included) to steady and focus your photos. It’ll come super handy when you’re shooting in low-light.

It sounds pretty neat, right? Am I going to pick one up to give it a try? You bet I am; I’m a total iPhone photography nut — and just a photography enthusiast in general.
The iPhone telephoto lens supports the iPhone 3G body and the iPhone 4 as well. Once I order mine and get it in, you can expect a review here. Check out the link below if you’d like to give it a shot yourself.

Sony Ericsson Unveils PlayStation Phone

 

 

Sony Ericsson today unveiled its highly-anticipated Xperia Play, a crossover PlayStation phone, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, along with non-gaming Neo and Pro devices, as part of its new push to revive sagging sales.

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The Swedish-Japanese joint venture said the Play can access its "PlayStation Suite," an initiative to deliver a rich, vibrant titles from top publishers, such as Electronic Art's "Need For Speed," "Sims 3" and "FIFA 10," and Gameloft's "Assassin’s Creed" and "Splinter Cell." It features slide-out controls similar to those on the PlayStation Portable, including a digital D-pad, two analog touch pads, two shoulder buttons and iconic four-icon circle, cross, square and triangle keys.
The Play, which is first attempt to combine gaming and mobile technology after Nokia's failed N-Gage device in 2003, will take on Microsoft's Xbox Live, available on Windows Phone 7 products.
"The Play will be much better than Nokia's old N-Gage," said Bert Nordberg, Sony Ericsson's chief executive. "Since N-Gage was launched, technology has improved a lot and that will make gaming much more fun. For example, chipsets and graphics are much better now."
Sony Ericsson will release the Play for Verizon in the spring, a few months earlier than Nintendo's Next Generation Portable, or NGP, console. The company said details on pricing will be announced at a later time.
The company also introduced the Xperia Neo and Pro, two Android-based devices. It plans to release at least eight Android phones this year. Both models will go on sale in early April.
"The Xperia Play will forever change the way people think about smartphones and mobile gaming," said Rikko Sakaguchi, Sony Ericsson's chief creation officer.
Sony Ericsson has struggled after failing to transition from camera and music phones to more robust smartphones. In stark contrast to Apple and Google, the company, now the world's fifth-largest handset maker, has dumped Symbian, fired employees and cut back models to restructure its business for high-end devices.
Its previous flagship phone, the X10, was announced back in November of 2009, before being released almost a year later in the spring of 2010.
Sony Ericsson is developing Android devices, hoping to achieve the same success that other struggling manufacturers, like Motorola, has used to revitalize their businesses. The Xperia Play, Neo and Pro now joins the Xperia Arc, an Android-based "curved" device with an 8.0-megapixel camera, announced a few weeks ago.