TopOfBlogs Softwares
By Satish |
Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Video: HTC Legend, Desire, and HD mini promo spots (Update: More videos!)

Posted: 16 Feb 2010 02:42 AM PST

We're not sure when HTC plans to make these videos available through their own channels, but we just got a trio of videos showing off the three handsets they just announced at Mobile World Congress: the HTC Desire, HD mini, and Legend.

Check out all three after the jump.

HTC Legend Promo Video:


HTC Desire Promo Video:


HTC HD Mini Video:


Update: More videos!
HTC Desire:


HTC Legend:


HTC HD mini:

HTC announces the Nexus One's slightly cooler twin, the Desire

Posted: 16 Feb 2010 02:29 AM PST

What's in a name? Would a Nexus One by any other name still be as sweet? Yep. In fact, it might just be a bit sweeter.

Though it lacks almost any indication as such, Google's Nexus One is actually made by HTC. HTC reserved the rights to the hardware design, and today they're making good use of that decision with the announcement of the HTC Desire. It's essentially the Nexus One reflavored to HTC's liking.

After the Nexus One launched, a good number of gadget geeks went clamoring to HTC in hopes that they (or Google) would release a compatible port of the custom user interface overhaul that can be found on nearly any recent HTC-made Android handset. Alas, it's not going to happen – the Nexus One is Google's phone, and thus will always be 100% vanilla Android, just as Google intended.

The HTC Desire, however, is a different story. Sure, it may look almost identical to the Nexus One – and sure, it might be an almost spec-for-spec match. But the Desire is HTC's phone, and thus, it runs Sense. Its got everything you might expect from a Sense-enabled handset, from multi-touch all around the OS to Flash in the browser.

Like the Nexus One, the Desire runs Android 2.1 on top of a palm-meltingly fast 1 Ghz CPU. Its got the same (stunning) 3.7″ AMOLED touchscreen, and the same 5 megapixel camera. The only real physical change is the jump from a standard trackball to an optical trackpad, just as we saw with the also-just-announced HTC Legend.

While HTC's not sharing any details on when us folks in the US can get our mitts on it, Europe and Asia should see it hit by sometime in April.

Update: We just got the promo video for the HTC Desire – Check it out here.

HTC makes the HD mini official

Posted: 16 Feb 2010 02:29 AM PST

Only when you're talking about a phone designed in the same vein as the massive (though drop-dead gorgeous) HTC HD2 with its 4.3 inch display would you ever call a phone with a 3.2″ display "mini" . That's exactly what HTC's doing this morning in Barcelona, with the announcement of the Windows Mobile 6.5.3-powered HD mini.

Given the announcement of Windows Phone 7 series, yesterday, it may be a bit hard to get the ol' salivary glands tickin' over a WinMo 6 phone. With that said, remember: we've still got at least 7 or 8 months before the first WP7 handsets hit the market, and that's a really, really long time in the Smartphone world.

Hitting Europe and Asia (No word yet about the US) sometime in April, the HD mini doesn't seem quite as powerful as the device from which it gets its name – in other words, size isn't the only thing they toned down here. The 1Ghz CPU of the HD2 has been replaced with a 600Mhz model, and the 3.2″ screen is 320×480 rather than 480×800. It's got a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, though without the flash found on the HD2.

Lowered specs aside, I still expect this to be a damn decent handset. We'll be spending a bit of time with it (and all the other HTC handsets announced today) later for a hands-on, so check back for our impressions.

There's a new Hero in town: HTC announces the Legend

Posted: 16 Feb 2010 02:29 AM PST

As we expected after the leaks last night, HTC has just dropped the good word on three brand new handsets at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

The first up is the Android 2.1-powered HTC Legend, which is essentially a spiritual successor to the much-loved HTC Hero.

Outside of its slick new shell (which, by the way, is almost entirely one seamless piece of aluminum, similar to Apple's uni-body Mac Books), the primary changes from the Hero to the Legend would be the upgrade to Android 2.1, the minor processor speed bump from 528 Mhz to 600, and the nifty optical trackpad that has replaced the trackball. The screen size and resolution remains the same (3.2 inches at 320×480), but they've bumped it up from the standard LCD to a gorgeous AMOLED screen.

Is it a massive upgrade from the Hero as it already exists? If we're solely looking at the specs, no – but if you want something with a little more grumble under the hood, they've just announced one of those, as well.

Unfortunately for us folks in the US, the model they're announcing today lacks support for US 3G. Expect it to launch in March throughout Europe and Asia.

Update: We just got the promo video for the HTC Legend – Check it out here.

Verizon going BOGO crazy, launching Buy One, Get One promo on six phones tomorrow

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 07:05 PM PST


We just got a hot tip from one of our Verizon buddies. Apparently Verizon Wireless is starting a new BOGO campaign tomorrow that includes both of its Android handsets – the Droid and Eris – both Palm phones – the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus – along with the LG Chocolate Touch and Samsung Alias 2 features phones. We hear the promotion will allow you to mix and match any of the eligible handsets or even a Winmo/feature phone of equal or lesser value. Of course the buyer will be required to sign a two year contract but that's par for the course on these types of deals.

Our tipster says the stores have been prepped and the promo is set to begin tomorrow. No word on how long it will run so you better get your new phones soon.

Scammers beware though, remember Verizon recently hiked its ETFs on most advanced devices to counter those that were taking advantage of Verizon's genius nature. It's no longer worth it to simply get two new phones, pay the ETF and hawk the other one on eBay for a quick profit.

iPhone to get a really bad version of Street Fighter 4

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 04:30 PM PST


I don't know about you guys, but playing a complicated fighting game like Street Fighter 4 on the iPhone just sounds like a losing proposition. I mean, your fingers cover up a bunch of the screen, you're going to be hitting the wrong buttons all the time, and the screen isn't high-resolution enough to really show off the art. Whose idea was this?

I guess it's really just a stripped-down version of the real game, with less characters and simplified controls. Yeah, that's what people want!

There are plenty of games that are suited to the iPhone (and now, as I am contractually obligated to add, the iPad), but this is not one of them. It's hardly even suited to regular controllers — I seriously messed up my thumb the other day playing SF II Turbo on my SNES — I can only imagine the amount of frustration and pain that would result from this ridiculous thing.

Microsoft Turtle and Pure deets are revealed

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 02:55 PM PST

With the huge announcement of Windows Phone 7 out of the way, we're anticipating what was rumored about another Microsoft phone last week: news about a project Pink revival. Before Microsoft can say anything officially, however, the folks over at WMExperts have unearthed some gritty details about the coming phones.

The Turtle, pictured above, is a GSM handset but its CDMA counterpart is named Pride. Both versions feature a 320 x 240 resolution screen and, obviously, a slide-out QWERTY  keyboard. Judging by the phone and screen size as well as its resolution, this may be an enry-level phone, but it's said that it will incorporate some serious social networking features and media.

Microsoft's Pure may be somewhat of a successor to the Sidekick, whose reputation is now slightly tarnished due to what could be remembered as the Danger Server Fiasco of 2009. Its CDMA counterpart is called Lion and both devices have a 480 x 320 screen along with what looks to be a comfortable QWERTY keyboard.

All of these handsets are allegedly strongly tied to NVIDIA's Tegra system and are constantly referred to as "Premium Mobile Experiences" throughout the documents that revealed these morsels of information. Hopefully we'll get a lot more from Microsoft regarding these new handsets as Mobile World Congress pushes along.

Motorola CLIQ update hits this week with touchscreen and GPS updates

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 02:27 PM PST

Hurrah for updates! Nothing can give your aging phone a fresh feeling like an update can, and CLIQ users can get excited about that this week. Is this the big update that we mentioned last week? Perhaps not.

From its official Twitter account, Motorola says this coming update will fix battery life, touch screen and GPS issues. The rumored Android 2.1 update isn't slated until March, and we're thinking that will do a whole lot more than tweak your battery life or touch screen. So, keep your eyes peeled for the update and try not to get too antsy until then.

Mobile companies band together and rise against Apple

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 02:17 PM PST

When one thinks of mobile apps, it's tough to think of anything other than the ones for the iPhone. There's an app for that rings through our heads as TV commercials and websites reveal to us that the iPhone is the platform of choice when businesses want to develop mobile apps. Apple now has a little over 175,000 apps in its store and over 3 billion have been downloaded to date. Attempts to topple Apple have probably left the company thinking, "You and what army?"

An army of 24 mobile companies, that's who. AT&T, Verizon, Spring, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and so many more big names are banning together to form Voltron Wholesale Applications Community or WAC. While it's not the most exciting name, the WAC is looking to bring more excitement to the mobile application space, but how well can it compete with Apple? It's not like this hasn't been tried before, and most of those efforts have failed, although to be fair, none were quite this large in scope.

Right now, Apple's ecosystem works and it works well. Even though app store approval process has been a headache to most developers, it hasn't stopped Apple's success. Is that the recipe for an app store that works? Could the WAC be spoiling the broth with too many cooks?

Huawei makes the U8100, U8110, U8800 and U8300 with Android official

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 01:41 PM PST

Looking at the image above, I know what you're thinking, but look on the bright side: you'll be much safer crossing the streets at night with that thing plastered to your ear. Huawei has just announced a number of colorful handsets that don't look like your average Android handsets.

The U8300, pictured above, is geared toward the younger crowd and has a full QWERTY keyboard. It might be insanely yellow, but fret not — it comes in obnoxiously bright green and purple, too.

That pink/fuchsia handset is the Huawei U8100 and is considered to be an entry-level phone. What makes it entry-level over other candy-bar Android handsets, I don't know. Perhaps it's the small 2.8-inch QVGA touch screen, but this thing has a 0.3 megapixel front-facing camera and a 3.2 megapixel shooter in back. With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, there's nothing that screams rookie with this phone.

There is also the Huawei U8110 which is a little more sleek and less gaudy than the U8100, but it features the same exact specs. Between the two, I'd go for the U8110, but that's just me.

Here, I've saved the best for last — the U8800. It features Android 2.1 and is HSPA+ capable. Huawei isn't skimping on this phone and also included a large 3.8-inch touch screen. Huawei CEO, Kevin Tao, says, "The customized Android smartphones reflect our long-term investment to develop high-end devices which enable operators to deliver enhanced and differentiated mobile services. Android being open to third party programs means that operators can add a number of various applications to the phone. The U8800 enables operators to provide tailor-made, stylish and affordable smartphones to their subscribers."

The rate at which Android handsets is growing is exponential. If Acer, Huawei and others churning out handsets with Android is an indicator of where the operating system is heading, it will be everywhere and its app selection will be formidable before year's end.

Sagem Cosyphone with NFC technology is perfect for granny and gramps

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 12:47 PM PST

We're so caught up with fancy gizmos and gadgets that it's easy to forget about our elders; technology has a place in their lives, too. While Sagem is busy catering to the youth with its Puma phone, it also kept grandma and grandpa in mind with the Cosyphone.

There are plenty of dumbphones out there with giant buttons for the folks who spoiled us more than our own parents did, but the Cosyphone takes things a bit further. With the NFC, or near-field communications, technology, menu items can be accessed without scrolling and navigating so much. From the looks of things, it looks like this is done by buttons located around the phone that work as shortcuts to the most used functions of the phone. Thierry Buffenoir, CEO of Sagem Wireless says:

Everything about the Cosyphone is centered around comfort and simplicity, from the shape, weight and display of the device to the user interface and charger cradle. We have integrated the latest NFC technology to enable users to customize how they access the features they require from a mobile device. Despite such a wide variety of devices on the market, with an aging population in Europe there is an opportunity for a simple, effective connected lifestyle device which makes life easier. Cosyphone fills this gap in the market.

The next time you're jonesin' for the latest and greatest, don't forget about your grandmother. Snap one of these up and I'm sure she'll be thrilled to have someone to talk to when gramps is busy being a curmudgeon.

Windows Phone 7 Series: Our Take

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 12:45 PM PST


So the next generation of Windows Mobile, now Windows Phone, has been unveiled at MWC in Barcelona. Greg has already gotten his mitts all over it, and has posted his in-depth impressions over at MobileCrunch, but we thought it was worthwhile to post our thoughts on Microsoft's new look and feel. Beautiful? Ugly? Too little, too late? Feel free to add your opinions to the pile.

Acer Ferrari smartphone coming this March to handle your mid-life crisis

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 12:19 PM PST

Is your iPhone or BlackBerry not cutting it anymore because everyone and their mothers have one? Acer hears your cry to be unique and to be viewed as being classy and high brow, so the company has partnered with Ferrari once again to design a new smartphone.

Android is everywhere, and the Ferarri smartphone from Acer is no exception. It makes sense since Acer just announced a boat-load of Android handsets from MWC this morning. Along with Android 2.1, the Ferrari smartphone will feature strong design cues and branding from the sports car company. Not much else was released about the coming phone, so if you want to day dream regarding the phone's looks, maybe Acer's Ferrari laptops can clue you in.

Lumigon T1, S1 and E1 packs Android into some gorgeous hardware

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 11:21 AM PST

Hardware specs and software and application support are probably the biggest things we look at when deciding on a new phone, but sometimes we quickly dismiss design and aesthetics. Now we can have a generous serving of both thanks to Scandanavian manufacturer Lumigon.

These new handsets are part of the growing adoption of Android, which is always a good thing. The very capable operating system looks like it's on equally capable hardware. Aside from sitting pretty, the T1 and S1 from Lumigon offer a touch screen that slides open to reveal your basic T9 keyboard. They're running Android 2.1, support 720p video with HDMI out, FM tuner and can double as universal remotes. The T1 will become availble early in the second quarter while the S1 will probably peek its head some time toward the end of that quarter.

Lumigon's E1 is an enigma wrapped in a puzzle shrouded in mystery. It has yet to strut its stuff for the camera and Lumigon founder Lars Gravesen says, "E1 is the most beautiful phone I have ever seen during my entire 10 year career in mobile business." Way to tease us, Lars. While I'm going to keep a skeptical eyebrow raised, I'm certainly eager to see what the E1 is all about.

Details and official pics of the HTC Desire, Legend, and HD Mini leaked

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 10:33 AM PST



Man! Mobile World Congress is all about the last-minute leaks this year. First, a tiny glimpse of Windows Phone leaked out just hours before it became official. Now, three brand-spankin' new handsets from HTC have just leaked out, just one day before HTC's press conference where we can only assume these devices were supposed to debut.

All three handsets leaked out in rapid fire over at Modaco.

The oh-so-glorious beast you see up top is the HTC Desire, previously known around the rumor mill as the HTC Bravo. Take Google's Nexus One, stick HTC's customized Sense user interface on it, replace the trackball with a nifty optical trackpad – and bam! You've got the Desire. It'll run Android 2.1 on a big and beautiful 3.7″ AMOLED touchscreen packed on top of a 1GHZ processor, 512 MB ROM/576 MB RAM, Bluetooth 2.1, and a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash. Alas, it appears that its only prepped for 3G in Europe and Asia at the moment.

We got word of this next one, the HTC Legend, at the same time we found out about the bravo – but words were all we had. Then Netherlandish carrier KPN came along and spilled the beans on this spec-for-spec sequel to the HTC Hero with a few itsy-bitsy press shots. Well, consider those press shots embiggened:

Coming in with a 600mhz CPU, 3.2″ AMOLED screen, and 512 MB RAM/384 MB ROM, it's not quite as ridiculously spec'd out as the Desire – but it's still a damn nice handset. Like the Desire, it's running HTC's Sense UI on top of Android 2.1 – but unfortunately also like the Desire, the version that has leaked out isn't compatible with US 3G. Given that a number of US carriers picked up the Hero, however, I'd be damned surprised if it stayed that way for long.

Last but not least: the HD Touch Mini. It's purportedly running Windows Mobile 6.5.3 — which, considering today's announcement of its successor, Windows Phone, admittedly makes this one a bit hard to get too excited about. With that said, this'll probably be one of the last Windows Mobile handsets with HTC's dramatic UI overhauls on it, given Microsofts new policies that keep manufacturers from replacing Windows Phone interface elements.

Regardless of the politics, all signs indicate that this one will pack a 3.2″ HVGA screen, 5 megapixel camera – and like the rest of them, nothin' in regards to US 3G.

SlingPlayer Mobile now streams over 3G for your iPhone

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 10:17 AM PST

After a little bit of a misunderstanding between SlingPlayer, AT&T and its customers and why it took so long to get content to stream over 3G, things are all sorted and we can now get streaming goodness to feed our inner couch potato.

If you've been dying for SlingPlayer Mobile streaming wherever you are, and you're willing to fork over $30, you can pick up version 1.2 from the iTunes store now. Enjoy clogging up AT&T's bogged network with your TV addiction!

Vodaphone's $15 phone for the developing world

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 09:30 AM PST

The mood in Barcelona must be somber, for the city's team lost to Atletico Madrid yesterday. Granted, Atletico Madrid is Barcelona's bogey team, but come on, Atletico Madrid?! Team CrunchGear could beat those guys on the pitch. Still, the Mobile World Congress soldiers on. Here's something that caught my interest—something aside from Windows Phone!—is the Vodaphone 150. It's for the developing world.

Vodaphone will launch the phone in places such as India, Turkey (since when are India and Turkey developing countries?), and eight African countries, including Ghana and Kenya. It will launch at "well below" $15.

The idea behind the phone is that, as mobiles become increasingly important all over the world, it's vital to get them into as many hands as possible. Hence, the phone's inexpensive. You see, in places outside of the comforts of San Franciso and Williamsburg, where people use their phone to play Four Square and post silly videos to Twitter, mobile phones are used to access banking services, medical information (an afternoon SMS saying, "remember to take the blue pill at 5pm today"), and other such legitimate outlets.

Can you imagine a day without access to the Internet at this point? That's sorta how mobile phones are in these places.


Acer is blowing up with neoTouch and beTouch, more Android and Windows on the way

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 09:27 AM PST

Acer isn't showing any signs of slowing down at Mobile World Congress this week. Just this morning, the manufacturer announced the Liquid e and now we have the neoTouch and beTouch. A little strange with the name scheme, but let's see just what these devices are packing, shall we?

Acer's neoTouch P300, which has a 3.2″ touch screen and full QWERTY keyboard, and P400 are running Windows Mobile 6.5.3, the stepping-stone OS between 6.5 and 7. With Windows Phone 7 coming later this year, it's hard to see why one would choose the P300 or P400 over the latest and greatest. Perhaps it could just be a matter of patience.

If Windows Mobile isn't your thing, the beTouch series are running Android. The beTouch E110 is dragging Android Cupcake (1.5) along – an odd, bare-bones choice given what's already out there for Android. It's also sporting a small, 2.8″ QVGA touch screen which tells me that this is more of a minor step up from a feature phone. Acer's beTouch E400 has a 3.2″ HVGA touch screen, a little nicer than the E110, and is dressed in Android Eclair or 2.1.

Having more options is always nice, but Acer really could have stepped things up a little more for its latest crop. We'll see if it has any tricks left in its sleeve for MWC.

Hands-on Video: Windows Phone 7 Series in action

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 09:27 AM PST

While we were allowed to play with the just-announced Windows Phone 7 Series operating system behind closed doors a few hours ago, it was a strictly no-photo, no-video deal.

We just left a slightly more public showing of Windows Phone, where representatives had handsets at the ready – and this time, video was okay.

Apologies for the slightly off focus – I was literally on my tip toes, camera turned upside down, reaching over the heads of the massive group of people crowding around the two devices Microsoft thought to bring.

Bing Search and People (Contacts) Hub


Xbox Hub and Photo Hub:

Qualcomm calls 'first!' on Windows Phone 7 devices

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 08:52 AM PST

In case you didn't know, snappy processors are all the rage these days. When I think of fast processors, the first one that comes to mind is Qualcomm's 1GHz Snapdragon processor which is currently found on devices like the Nexus One, Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 and the LG eXpo. After Microsoft made its Windows Phone 7 announcement this morning, Qualcomm has come out and said that it will be the first chipset manufacturer to support the new handsets.

The Windows Phone 7 devices that are slated for arrival just before the holidays will feature the Snapdragon platform from Qualcomm. These chips integrate custom CPUs and 3G as well as multimedia features all into a tiny, single package.

Microsoft says of Qualcomm, "We've worked closely with Qualcomm on Windows Phone 7 Series software and Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipsets are an integral part of bringing to life the rich, integrated experiences on a Windows Phone in a way that conserves battery life and provides always-on connectivity."

I, for one, am really looking forward to the next evolution in Windows Mobile Phone. Fingers are crossed that we'll see NVIDIA Tegra systems, like the ones on the Microsoft Zune HD, find their way onto Windows Phone 7 devices as well.

Moblin + Maemo + Linux Foundation = MeeGo

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 07:55 AM PST

Intel's had their Moblin mobile Linux distribution for some time. Nokia's had their Maemo Linux distribution for awhile, too. Neither one really gained much traction in the development community. Along comes Google and everyone's like "OMG Android!!1″ which must've really ticked off Intel and Nokia. In an effort to create a Linux distribution suited for new mobile devices — not just phones — Intel and Nokia are teaming up with the Linux Foundation to create MeeGo.

Yet another Linux distribution, right? Stifle that yawn for just a little longer, and read what Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin has to say:

I'd like to point out four key advantages to MeeGo:

  • MeeGo was built for powerful next generation devices from the ground up; instead of a cell phone system trying to work in netbooks or a desktop system trying to work on phones, MeeGo has powerful computing in its DNA and will take advantage of new hardware form factors the industry hasn't even dreamed up.
  • It's truly open, meaning it's aligned with upstream components (like the Linux kernel, X.org, D-BUS, tracker, GStreamer, Pulseaudio and more) and takes full advantage of the open model. This reduces fragmentation and complexity for ecosystem partners and will make Linux as a whole stronger.
  • Qt and application portability. Developers can target multiple platforms (Windows, Mac, Symbian, etc) and devices with a consistent application API and have them run across a broad range of devices. Consumers will want to access the same apps on various devices. Qt and MeeGo make that possible. Because it already reaches so many platforms, Qt is a safe bet for developers. Because it is already well used, it will make it easy to bring many apps from Windows and the Mac over to Linux.
  • Cross-device support. Closed platforms (like Apple's iPad) drive up costs for consumers and limit hardware choice. MeeGo is multi-architecture and can power a broad range of devices from your TV to your car to your pocketable computer to your phone. Consumers can keep their apps and use different devices from different producers.

Personally, I think this makes a lot of sense. Shepherding a Linux distribution is hard work. It takes a lot of effort to build and maintain a vibrant developer community, and it takes a certain attitude to really drive an open source project. It's never been clear to me that Intel or Nokia really got it when it came to the Linux mindset. By moving their Linux efforts under the umbrella of the Linux Foundation, MeeGo should have a much better chance of survival, and should be a real contender against Android for future devices.

The Cliq XT/Quench drops, brings Android 1.5 in tow

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 06:39 AM PST


Motorola is keeping the Android party rocking with the Cliq XT — or Quench in Euroland. The handset doesn't bring anything we haven't seen before including the aging Android 1.5 release along with Motorola's social media-centric MOTOBLUR home screen replacement. A respectable 3.1-inch 320 x 480 occupies the front, while a 5.0 MP cam with LED flash is housed on the backside. Wi-Fi, HSDPA, A-GPS rounds out the rest of the notable specs on the otherwise boring phone.

In all, the Cliq XT seems like a poor successor to the Cliq. It's not that the hardware is lacking, but the XT doesn't take advantage of any improvements to Android as they share the same 1.5 release. The upcoming Verizon-bound Devour also uses the 10-months old Cupcake 1.5 release. Motorola is clearly committed to Android — which is awesome — but hopefully future plans include releasing handsets with the latest Android updates. That's the whole point of Android after all.

Expect the Cliq XT at T-Mobile here in the States and on European carriers within the next month or two.

Acer gets into the Android game

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 06:32 AM PST


Even as Windows Mobile 7 is set to wow us, more and more manufacturers are heading towards Android. Case in point: the Acer Liquid e. This 786MHz Snapdragon device is as bog standard as they come with GPS, WiFi, and HSDAP support. It also runs Android 2.1 and should be nice and fast. It has a 3.5-inch display and looks like a Zune mated with an N1.

The saddest thing about Android? Now every Android phone will basically be a meh-too launch. Android is the new feature phone. No availability or price, but apparently the name "Liquid e" is actually a date rape drug. Fancy!

Acer Liquid e
Socialize in high definition

Barcelona, 15-18 february 2010 – Acer is proud to present Liquid e, the new version of the already well known Liquid smartphone.

Acer Liquid e features the latest Android™ 2.1 Operating System (aka Éclair). Building on the processing and graphical capabilities of the Qualcomm™ Snapdragon™ and its high definition screen, Liquid e is the state-of-the-art for multimedia, web browsing, and social media integration. It should thrill both avid users of internet on-the-go and new users eager to experience the rich possibilities offered by this innovative device.

This appealing high definition smartphone is the ideal solution for users demanding the best from their devices and in particular for high-definition video playback or streaming, gaming and browsing smoothly rich-content internet sites.

What's new on Liquid e with Android Éclair 2.1:
• Home screens – The new version now handles five home screens by default, allowing users to easily install more applications from the rich selection available on the Android Market, as well as shortcuts and widgets;
• Quick Contacts – a feature that lets users easily switch between the address book and the social network applications;
• Live wallpapers to customize your Liquid e on the fly;
• A new keyboard layout with an extended dictionary for predictive input;
• An updated version of the Android browser, supporting HTML5, double-tap zooming, video tagging support and geo-location API support.

With its 3.5″ high-d

First Impressions: Windows Mobile 7, now known as Windows Phone

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 06:00 AM PST

We're not allowed to say much about it, so we'll leave it at this: I got a bit of hands-on time with Windows Phone (the official name for what was previously known as Windows Mobile 7) prior to its announcement. I'll have a bunch more to say about it once I've spent some time with it in a setting that allows for video/photography – but in the mean time, read on for my notes and early impressions.

Notes:

  • Windows Mobile 7 is officially known as "Windows Phone". If you're talking about this build in specific in relation to others, its "Windows Phone 7 Series", but Microsoft primarily refers to it as "Windows Phone."
  • No consumer devices will be shown today, nor is it likely that any will show up this week at Mobile World Congress. The only ones floating around are pre-production, development-only handsets
  • We'll have a full list of hardware partners soon, but the names we've heard mentioned so far are Dell, Garmin-asus, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and HP.
  • The first Windows Phone handsets will launch "in time" for the Holiday season of 2010

Impressions

  • The interface is a rapid, massive departure from Windows Mobile 6.5. Really, it's huge. There is next to no resemblance between Windows Phone and any past version of Windows Mobile
  • As far as we've heard so far, the details we broke in January are spot-on. Much of the interface is very Zune like. As we said then, manufacturers will not be able to make massive modifications to Windows Phone. Microsoft specifically said that things like HTC's TouchFlo will not exist on Windows Phone.
  • The Zune brand will be used for music/video content, while Xbox Live will be used for Games.
  • The homescreen is made up of two pages: on the left is a series of "panels" (Update: They're called "Live Tiles"), either square or rectangular, which serve as shortcuts to your favorite applications and pull in data from them. On the right is a simple list of all the applications installed on the handset. You flip back and forth between the two pages by swiping.
  • The panels on the homescreen (the shortcut icons) are dynamic, to some extent. The "Photos" panel pulls in recent photos as the icon background, for example.

  • The entire thing reminds me very much of a combination between the Zune interface and the new Xbox 360 dashboard
  • Panels can be dragged around and rearranged on the homescreen the same way icons are re-arranged on the iPhone: tap and hold, then drag.
  • Each screen has been stripped down to its core – if it's not necessary, it's not onscreen. There is no Start button lingering at the top of the screen at all times; hell, there's not even a clock/WiFi/battery bar up there until you click the space it would usually be.
  • Windows Phone is very heavy on the animations, and Microsoft is proud of it. Take the calendar, for example: when you jump from a day view to month view, it zooms gracefully from one to the other. It makes the entire interface look incredibly slick, though we're already hearing people ask if they can be turned off (and no, they can't.)
  • There is at least rudimentary Facebook integration; I spotted Facebook status updates being pulled into the contacts screen (which is called the "People" hub), and you can update your own status from the same place.
  • All Windows Phone handsets must have three buttons: back, Start (Windows key), and search. As we'd heard, Microsoft is being pretty strict about the specs of Windows Phone handsets.
  • The search button is context sensitive. For example: on the homescreen it launches Bing, but tapping it while on the application list screen will let you search through just your apps.
  • I'm not sure if we were supposed to see this yet, but holding the search button will launch a voice searching feature. It wasn't currently functioning
  • As far as I could tell, there is currently no copy/paste functionality. We were told that "developers will hear more about that" at Microsoft's MIX conference next month, though it was implied that it would be about why copy and paste "won't be necessary" rather than when it was coming.
  • The build we checked out was really buggy – but considering that they've got almost a full year to patch it up, I'm not too worried at this point.

Microsoft announces Windows Mobile 7, now officially dubbed "Windows Phone"

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 05:59 AM PST

We're in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress, where Microsoft has at long last pulled back the curtains on the next generation of Windows Mobile. Don't go calling it "Windows Mobile 7″, though – at least not around Microsoft's folks, who have officially changed the name of the platform to "Windows Phone".

There are bound to be more details coming out as Microsoft's press conference continues, but everything we've heard and seen so far indicates that the leap from Windows Mobile 6.5 to Windows Phone was pretty massive. The entire system has been rebuilt from the ground up, with an entirely new interface replacing the one that has gone fundamentally unchanged for ten years. If you're interested in the finer details, we've got a bit more in our early hands-on impressions.

Early hardware partners announced include Dell, Garmin-Asus, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and HP. While they're hesitant to give any specific dates, Microsoft says to expect Windows Phone handsets to hit the shelves "in time for the Holiday season of 2010″ – which, unless they're on some sort of crazy, backwards calendar, generally means by the last week in November.

Update: Microsoft's press released has just crossed the wires:

More information about Windows Phone 7 Series
Windows Phone 7 Series creates an unrivaled set of integrated experiences on a phone through Windows Phone hubs. Hubs bring together related content from the Web, applications and services into a single view to simplify common tasks. Windows Phone 7 Series includes six hubs built on specific themes reflecting activities that matter most to people:

* People. This hub delivers an engaging social experience by bringing together relevant content based on the person, including his or her live feeds from social networks and photos. It also provides a central place from which to post updates to Facebook and Windows Live in one step.
* Pictures. This hub makes it easy to share pictures and video to a social network in one step. Windows Phone 7 Series also brings together a user's photos by integrating with the Web and PC, making the phone the ideal place to view a person's entire picture and video collection.
* Games. This hub delivers the first and only official Xbox LIVE experience on a phone, including Xbox LIVE games, Spotlight feed and the ability to see a gamer's avatar, Achievements and gamer profile. With more than 23 million active members around the world, Xbox LIVE unlocks a world of friends, games and entertainment on Xbox 360, and now also on Windows Phone 7 Series.
* Music + Video. This hub creates an incredible media experience that brings the best of Zune, including content from a user's PC, online music services and even a built-in FM radio into one simple place that is all about music and video. Users can turn their media experience into a social one with Zune Social on your PC and share their media recommendations with like-minded music lovers. The playback experience is rich and easy to navigate, and immerses the listener in the content.
* Marketplace. This hub allows the user to easily discover and load the phone with certified applications and games.
* Office. This hub brings the familiar experience of the world's leading productivity software to the Windows phone. With access to Office, OneNote and SharePoint Workspace all in one place, users can easily read, edit and share documents. With the additional power of Outlook Mobile, users stay productive and up to date while on the go.

About Microsoft's Mobile Partners
Partners from around the world have committed to include Windows Phone 7 Series phones in their portfolio plans. They include mobile operators AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange, SFR, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telstra, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, and manufacturers Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC Corp., HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm Inc.


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