The Cisco Cius tablet is nearing release a full year after its announcement. The enterprise tablet is set to set the IT world a blaze this July 31 and Verizon will be one of the official retailers along with AT&T. The $750 tablet will hit Big Red sometime this summer; the press release didn’t confirm or even mention the July 31st date. Instead, the presser states that the tablet is coming late summer.
Still, the Cius tablet might become one of first tablets outside of the iPad to successfully infuriate the world of enterprise communication. Cisco knows their market probably better than anyone else and smartly choose to sell in the lucrative enterprise market rather than the cutthroat world of consumer gadgets. Presser after the break. Oh, and yeah, it’s a wild one complete with references to Moses and ill-fated attempts to make Verizon’s 4G LTE hotspots relevant to the Cius. → Read More
Comcast just rolled out a major update to its seven month old Xfinity iOS app that brings streaming access to the Xfinity on-demand library just like iPad users have had for several weeks. This opens up a massive database of streaming content for iPhone and iPod touch. But there’s a catch here. Only users that pay for Comcast’s digital TV service for their home will have access to the service. The revamped app also has access to more shows. There are now 6,000 hours of content from 25 programmers available through the iOS app. Plus, just as before, the app can also change the channel and manage a user’s set-top boxes. Get it free here. → Read More
The Droid X2 launch saga is finally over. Verizon just made it known that the Droid X2, you know, the successor to the Droid X, will hit its online stores on May 19 for the $199 with a two-year blood oath; VZW stores will get it May 26th.
The device hits with same specs that previously leaked: 4.3-inch qHD screen, dual-core 1GHz, 8MP cam, HDMI-out, and Android 2.3. Interestingly enough, battery life wasn’t mentioned in the presser, which, as a Droid X owner, I’m very curious how the dual-core CPU will affect the life. My Droid X can make it through a solid day of use with a couple of bars to spare. → Read More
When security and toughness is paramount, call the Navy Seals. When you need a phone with similar attributes, Sprint and Motorola hopes you look towards the just-announced Android XPRT and Titanium. The XPRT is Sprint’s first Android phone with enterprise-class security, which comes by way 256-bit AES data encryption and enterprise-controlled security schemes and functions including remote wipe, password recovery and enabling various locks. A 3.1-inch HVGA screen rests above a full QWERTY keypad with a 1GHz processor running A Motoblur’d Android 2.2. The XPRT is hitting all of Sprint’s retail channels June 5 for $129. The Titanium keeps Direct Connect alive with a full Qwerty keypad, 3.1-inch touchscreen and Android 2.1. The iDEN device of course meets military specs for dust, shock vibration, solar radiation — pretty much anything Hal Jordan could manifest. The Titanium is the successor to the Motorola i1 launched last year and will probably make some push-to-talk loyests happy to finally join the cool kids with their own Android 2.x phone. Pricing and availability wasn’t announced. → Read More
The itsy bitsy HP Veer, or rather, HP Veer 4G as it’s now officially called, will sneak into AT&T stores on May 15th. Nothing has changed since the last time the Veer made an appearance — well, besides the somewhat deceptive 4G label. The Veer is still a basic HSPA slider with a 2.6-inch 320 x 400 screen, 5MP camera, 8GB of storage and a 800MHz Snapdragon CPU running webOS 2.1. Still, for only a $100, it’s a solid webOS device that shouldn’t have that much of an issue sneaking into customer’s hands. [AT&T] → Read More
RIM just pulled the virtual sheet back on OS 7. The user experience is familiar but RIM promises a system that’s both faster and better suited for managing a personal and professional life with a new feature called Balance. OS 7 packs voice activated searches and a retooled browser to better handle JIT JavaScript and HTML5 video. It seem RIM is most proud of Balance, which “presents a unified view of work and personal content…while keeping the content separate and secure.” Sounds a bit Nokia to me. Expect OS 7 first on the just-announce BlackBerry Bold Touch. → Read More
The Palm Pre 3 might have just passed through the FCC. The document package in question is mostly locked under a confidentiality agreement so there’s no way to be certain. However, while there are no pics or user manual, there is a wireless test report that lists some specs and names the software version as “WebOS 2.3.” The wireless chipset specs in the FCC docs match up nicely with the specs found on the Palm Pre 3 product page. There’s even a brief mention of an inductive charger in the FCC docs, which lends to the thought that this is the Palm Pre 3. HP previously stated that the Palm Pre 3 would drop sometime in the summer. That’s about the right timeline for the device to just now be passing through the FCC’s testing facilities. Chances are the device, whether it’s the Palm Pre 3 or not, will launch prior to the confidentiality agreement’s 180 day limit. → Read More
Here comes the Veer! Is the world ready for a 2.6-inch touchscreen phone? Who knows! That’s the fun part. HP just sent out invites to a May 2nd “Launch Party” which, as the name suggests, is likely for the launch of the Veer. However, Monday May 2nd might not be the day the Veer hits the general retail market although the first week of May sounds about right. Now this doesn’t seem like a press event — at least we didn’t get an invite. Instead it seems that this is for retail associates of some level because after registering, a note pops up indicated that a Best Buy or AT&T ID or business card is required to attend. AT&T, eh? Yeah, the small phone hitting the ol’ telephone & telegraph company. Of course the rest of the pertinent launch info is missing. Pricing and exact launch date isn’t mentioned in the invite. Hopefully HP and AT&T doesn’t price this phone out of its likely niche market. Anything more than the $50 iPhone 3GS will doom the Veer in a Kin-sort of way. [Cvent via PreCentral] → Read More
Attention, Droid X owners and lovers. Word is that your handset of choice is getting some tasty Gingerbread as soon as next week. Business phones will get the update first starting on Sunday, but a general roll-out seems imminent. Droid Life states via a friend in the business that 2.3 is done and it’s just up to Verizon/Moto to roll it out. The new version will bring 2.3 and a refreshed Blur interface that should remake the seven month old Droid X into a lite version of the Droid Bionic. We’ve reached out to several Verizon sources but haven’t heard anything yet. File this in the rumor folder right now, but as a Droid X owner myself, I can’t help but get as excited as Al Roker. → Read More
Finally. The HTC Thunderbolt hit the scene back at CES but HTC and Verizon has been uncharacteristically mum about it sense. No more. The $249 Thunderbolt superphone is set to debut on big red this coming Thursday, March 17th. This will be the network’s first 4G LTE device, but if that doesn’t win over buyers, the rest will: a 32GB microSDHC card, the gorgeous 4.3-inch WVGA screen, a8-device hotspot and the solid feel that comes along with nearly every HTC phone. Too bad the VZW premium pricing sort of chills the lightning-hot phone as the 4G package runs $30 a month and the hotspot function an additional $20 spot. So yeah, that’s $50 a month Verizon will get from buyers that wanna take full advantage of the next-gen phone. Ouch. Click through for our hands-on video demo. → Read More
The Droid X 2 might be nearing its official announcement. The successor to Moto’s first supersize phone is at least alive and well according to a forum post at The MobiZone where a bunch of pics and specs were posted. The post has since been pulled, but thanks to the wonders of the cache, the info survived for your enjoyment. → Read More
VZW-day approaches! Current Verizon subs can place pre-orders starting at 3AM on the Verizon Wireless website. Everyone else will need to wait until February 9th to put their name on an iPhone with the official sale kicking off the next morning. Over 2000 Verizon Wireless stores are set to open at 7AM on the 10th and will no doubt face the customary iPhone lines. Chances are at least a few big city locations will even feature VZW-branded burn barrels in case former AT&T subs want to properly dispose of their past. → Read More
The BlackBerry Storm might be the most tainted named in RIM’s lineup. A piss-poor launch followed by a slow update process did it in. But RIM is clearly unfazed. The BlackBerry Storm 2 came out this year and was a quality kit with solid software. If this massive leak concerning the BlackBerry Storm 3 turns out to be true, the Storm name might actually mean something — someday. The whole thing comes from BGR where they list the specs and whatnot. It sports a high-res 800×480 screen, a 1.2GHz unnamed CPU, 3G mobile hotspot and Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE along with Tri-band UMTS/HSPA. It’s said to come out in September of this year although carriers and target price point isn’t mentioned. → Read More
Something just happened online that is highly indicative of where we’re headed in terms of new media. Look at these two stories on VBS.TV and Reddit. They are totally independent from each other and nine months apart, but the two sites are presenting readers with unparalleled access to a fascinating story: how an Oklahoman was inspired by a ’60s-era underwater adventure show, went on to work at NASA to develop self-sustaining habitats, and is now developing an undersea colony off the Florida coast. One did the video and the other is hosting a nearly-live conversation with the NASA engineer right now.
It’s stories like this – stories that would once rate a few feature pages in Discover magazine or Omni (remember Omni?) – that are now percolating through the Internet, to our benefit and to the detriment of old media who can’t keep up. Now we get the real story sans any nonsense graphics, anticlimactic taglines or fluff. It’s the future, everyone. → Read More
The BlackBerry Dakota is shaping up to be the firms best yet — that’s the way it should be, really. RIM took the classic Bold styling and keypad and then reportable installed a 2.8-inch VGA capacitive touchscreen in the top half. Nice, eh. Oh it gets better. → Read More
Spoiler: The inside of a Windows Phone 7 device looks like the inside of an Android or iOS device — just so you know. Didn’t want you proceeding expecting to see something like little Redmond gremlins hobbling around the circuit boards and modems. Yeah, if you’ve seen one teardown, you’ve seen them all. So unless you get a tech chubby from circuit board pr0n, proceed with your daily madness because even the Surround’s big feature is a tiny speaker, iFixit determined that the “[sliding] mechanism provides added complexity for the sole purpose of arguable audio performance gains.” → Read More
Evolution seems to be a bit less violent this time around. The just-announced HTC EVO Shift 4G attempts to build on the brand started with the much-hyped EVO 4G superphone that launched back in 2010′s summer. Instead of forging a new path with a fresh form factor and top-tier specs, the HTC EVO Shift 4G does things a bit more low-key. That’s not saying the Shift 4G isn’t a quality kit. It is. Inside the somewhat thick body is the same speedy 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7630 CPU found in the fast G2 and myTouch 4G. Up front is a 3.6-inch 800 x 480 LCD which makes the HTC Sense skin running on top of Android 2.2 look bright and crisp. Of course the Shift 4G rocks WiMAX 4G for Sprint’s network along with EVDO Rev A. As with many mobile phones, proper reviews cannot be written overnight and seeing how we just got home from a long week at CES, what follows is more of a first-impressions. We need to see if this EVO packs a better battery life than the first model and that’s something that’s best tested with real life experiences and long-term benchmarks. → Read More
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