Microsoft will enable Exchange Active Sync (EAS) connections for mobile phones on Aug. 30. Active Sync support has been available on many mobile phone platforms for some time, but this will be the first time native Hotmail support comes to Microsoft’s own Windows Mobile platform. Read more »
App stores get no breaks. Once they get thousands of apps, then everyone complains that good apps are hard to find. The AppBrain web site is the result, and is a mandatory destination for Android owners. Members can share app lists making the experience very social. Read more »
Samsung has a hit with the Galaxy S series of Android smartphones, and they have one on just about every carrier. The EPIC 4G is the new phone on the Sprint network that brings a great keyboard, beautiful screen and 4G connectivity to the consumer. Read more »
Navigation service TeleNav has introduced the OnMyWay app today for the iPhone and Android platforms. OnMyWay sends email alerts notifying folks when you are getting close to arriving for a meeting. More importantly, the app will automatically send alerts when you are running late. Read more »
Once upon a time, we didn’t have gadgets surrounding us all the time. Do you remember that? You might, but perhaps only vaguely if research reported by the New York Times is true. Researchers have determined that we need downtime to turn experiences into memories. Read more »
Amazon is feeling good about the latest Kindle, with sales in the first four weeks topping all products sold by the retailer. The new Kindle has outsold every past model in the first four weeks of sales, and continues the 2-year streak as Amazon’s top product. Read more »
Our coverage of Android smartphones continues with a head-to-head look at three of the top phones currently available: Motorola Droid 2, Samsung EPIC 4G and the HTC EVO 4G. These phones are superphones that clearly showcase the capabilities that Android brings to the smartphone space. Read more »
Smartphones didn’t always have Wi-Fi but it is now the norm. Fifty percent of Android devices consume more than 500 MB of data monthly through Wi-Fi hotspots, much more than 3G data usage. That’s a lot of data on phones, superphones or not. Read more »
Polaroid will be releasing a new PoGo photo printer in time for the holiday season, and have released an Android app to interface with the printer. Android owners can take photos, add captions and send them via Bluetooth to the PoGo for printing in 50 seconds. Read more »
Motorola is not content to rest with the best-selling Android phone. The Droid 2 is now available on the Verizon network. Motorola chose not to change the Droid 2 too much, while making enough improvements over the original to make it a compelling choice for consumers. Read more »
Digital cameras and camcorders will drive the adoption of SuperSpeed USB faster than any other segment, according to market research firm In-stat. SuperSpeed USB, a faster bus implemented in USB 3.0, provides a high-speed transfer mode reaching 5 Gbit/seconds, perfect for transferring HD video to computers. Read more »
The Motorola Droid is the top-selling phone on the hottest platform (Android), a winning combination for Motorola and Verizon. In this video you see how the Droid 2 improves on the original in the areas that make sense, while leaving the popular form the same. Read more »
Android turns a smartphone into a superphone, as a user’s 24-hour chronicle details. The phone replaced a number of consumer devices, such as an e-reader and a mobile hotspot. Five widgets are reviewed that made that possible. The Nexus One is not dead, it’s on back-order. Read more »
Startup Inkling is bringing interactive college textbooks to the iPad, having secured Series A financing for the venture. The textbooks take advantage of the strengths of the iPad, with augmented graphics and video in the content, while allowing note sharing in real-time among students. Read more »
Google has sold out of its “substantial initial inventory” of the Nexus One set aside to sell to developers. HTC, the maker of the Nexus One, will have more units for Google as soon as possible. The AMOLED shortage will affect when additional inventory is available. Read more »
RIM has opened the figurative doors on the newest version of the BlackBerry App World. This app store has been in beta for a while, and it brings the RIM online market more inline with the competition. Easier navigation and cheaper apps are now available. Read more »
I have been investigating Android widgets for quite some time, with the goal to make my HTC EVO more personal and to better fit my needs. I have settled on five widgets that turn my EVO into a smartphone that better reflects the way I work. Read more »
The Nexus One smartphone was produced through a collaboration with Google and HTC to jump-start the fledgling Android platform. This effort was a success, and there are three reasons Google should repeat the Nexus One process in the tablet space with both Android and Chrome OS. Read more »
The folks at ifixit have a strange fetish for taking gadgets apart, and they’ve bared the Dell Streak to show us what is inside the little slate. They found the Streak easy to take apart, which should make it easy to service should the need arise. Read more »
When we think of the mobile web, we naturally think of smartphones, but new statistics from Millennial Media show advertisers better not overlook other devices. Just over half of all mobile ads served were dished out to non-smartphone devices, including the iPod Touch and iPad. Read more »
Verizon has announced an expansion of its alliance putting Skype on its smartphones. The new Skype client will work on Verizon feature phones running the BREW platform, including phones from LG and Samsung. This greatly broadens the audience for Skype on mobile phones. Read more »
LogMeIn was recently updated for the iPad with a significant improvement to the touch interface. This video shows the touch operation of both a remote Windows 7 and a MacBook using an iPad with LogMeIn, even though those systems were not designed for such operation. Read more »
You have to love the Asian gadget supply chain, as it frequently divulges information about upcoming products. The Economic Daily News of Taiwan is now reporting that construction of a 7-inch iPad has begun, which could point to a launch in time for the holidays. Read more »
Microsoft is getting Windows Phone 7 ready for release for the holiday season, and is making good on promises to bring Xbox Live integration to the smartphone platform. Xbox Live players will find quite a few games on Windows Phone 7 at launch, including popular titles. Read more »
The smartphone of today has become a powerhouse that fits in a pocket. That is why some even refer to them as “superphones”, which is very appropriate. To demonstrate how useful the smartphone has become, I present this mini-chronicle of a typical day with my smartphone. Read more »
An early beta version of TweetDeck was released for Android that adds a special feature not found on other platforms. The Dell Streak was launched on the AT&T network in the U.S. Google introduced Voice Actions and ChromeToPhone to make Android phones greater tools for users. Read more »
Mobile Tech Manor is my home office where all sorts of gadgetry is always arriving. In this column I look back at the week in the Manor and recount the happenings and lessons learned. I love sharing my weeks with you, so welcome to the Manor. Read more »
Parents of children suffering from extreme autism are turning to the iPad to help their kids. Experts don’t know what causes autism, and parents are desperate to reach out and communicate with their kids. Help has come in an unexpected form — the Apple iPad. Read more »
The top Android phone is still the original Droid on the Verizon network. The hot platform is definitely Android, and that is due to the number of hot phones are on the market. A real-time tracker paints a good picture of how Android phones compare. Read more »
A primary goal for the GigaOM family is to provide the best experience for visitors, and that means keeping the sites performing as well as possible. We have rolled out site changes to make things better, and easier to find. It happens to look nice, too. Read more »
It’s fun to take a trip down memory lane, for those of us who can remember where to find it, and an infographic by RadioTime has triggered a nice one. It’s a look at how the car radio has evolved since the beginning. Ah, those 8-tracks. Read more »
There are TweetDeck clients for the desktop, iPhone and the iPad; Android owners listen up as a beta version will be out tomorrow. I’ve been running it on my EVO 4G for a while, and here’s my quick take on TweetDeck for Android. Read more »
Plastic Logic has been talking about its Que e-Reader for almost two years, but no more. The company has officially killed the Que, even though it has never shipped a single unit. The Que was supposed to be the Cadillac of readers, aimed at business users. Read more »
Bookseller Kobo has entered into an agreement with Fairmont Hotels to provide loaner eReaders to guests of its Fairmont Gold properties. Guests can pick up a Kobo eReader loaded with bestsellers from Random House to read for the duration of their stay at the hotel. Read more »
If you’re like me you follow lots of content online, from Twitter to Facebook and of course, blog updates. Take a look at Flipboard, Blogshelf and Life Browser, and you’ll see a cool way to leisurely pass some time while keeping up with your world. Read more »
Dell will start selling the 5-inch Dell Streak on August 12, either through partnership with AT&T for $299.99 (contract required) or $549.99 without a carrier. The Streak is an Android tablet that is thin and light while sporting a screen larger than most smartphones. Read more »
Motorola and Verizon are opening up the hangar doors tomorrow for online sales of the Droid 2. The successor to the Droid has improved hardware and Android 2.2 running the show, with mobile hotspot as an optional service. It will be in stores on Aug. 12. Read more »
The Magic Trackpad takes all of the good things about the trackpad on the MacBook and incorporates them into a standalone peripheral designed to replace the mouse that many folks have used for so long. Does it succeed in knocking the mouse off the desk? Mostly. Read more »
Trill, a full-featured Twitter app for the Symbian platform, is now available for free in the Ovi Store. Trill is a rich app from Spice Labs for phones lacking a touch interface. It brings all of the fun of Twitter to the palm of your hand. Read more »
RIM is releasing a new model in its popular Curve line of phones, the Curve 3G. The new Curve will work on 3G networks for faster data connections. The big news from RIM about the Curve 3G is that the phone is “BlackBerry 6 ready”. Read more »
