Wuh-oh. Looks like the Samsung Omnia might soon have a heavy-handed challenger in the 5 MP Windows Mobile 6.1 handset arena. The specs are in no way official until ASUS gets around to makin’em so, but heres what can be gleaned from the shots: it has got a trackball in place of the Omnia’s optical sensor, a front facing camera, 3g, WiFi, Bluetooth, a solid resolution touch display (likely WQVGA [480×272]), and microSD support. No price point, availability, or any form of official word yet. (On a side note: With all of these widescreen Windows Mobile handsets making there way out, how is that no one on the dev team has replaced the default backgrounds with something that won’t repeat 3/4 of the way down the screen?) [Via wmuser and pda.pl via The::unwired] → Read More
Fanfare? What’s that? Out of the blue, AT&T stores have started receiving shipments of newly renovated Motorola Q9h. Sure, it’s just a new chrome & silver body wrapped around the same hardware, pre-flashed with WinMo 6.1. But man, does it look better in silver or what? Word is that they’re just demo units for now, so don’t hike over to your local AT&T spot just yet. You’ll know about pricing and availability as soon as we do. [Via BGR] → Read More
Dave at MobilityToday rocked out with the Samsung Ominia, a WinMo 6.1 smartphone straight out of Hong Kong. He does a full video review so I won’t spoil it for you but it’s a rare bird and there’s no pricing and availablity for the USA. → Read More
MoDaCo is reporting a new standalone Windows Mobile application that brings Facebook to the small screen. While it’s no secret that you can access a mobile version of Facebook from just about mobile browser, FriendMobilizer cuts away a bunch of the fluff and loading times, with the added bonus of sending status updates and friend requests to your Windows Mobile Home Screen every thirty minutes. I easily downloaded and installed the app, which required that I log in to Facebook and grant permission for the FriendMobilizer software to access all of my innermost secrets. I then remembered that I only log into Facebook about once a month to agree to friend requests from all the people I haven’t seen or heard from in ten years. If you’re a Facebook junkie and a Windows Mobile user, have at it. FriendMobilizer [FaceofMobile.com] → Read More
First person to understand and explain why I’m using this pic gets an invite to What.cd or Waffles.fm Don’t laugh, but Microsoft says that, as far as 3G phones are concerned, it’s got the iPhone 3G (and BlackBerry) beat. I said don’t laugh, silly! Yup, in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, the head of Microsoft’s entertainment and devices division—the guy responsible for Windows Mobile and Zune—said that the iPhone 3G doesn’t scare Microsoft since so many WinMo phones ship with 3G already. You know, all those phones that have near zero cachet outside the immediate tech community. You can picture your non-tech friends talking about, and raving about the iPhone, but can you see them doing the same over some WinMo device? Thought not. Says the gentleman: We ship lots of 3G phones already on Windows Mobile and have for some time. So we continue driving the path we are driving with Windows Mobile and we are very excited about the approach we have taken this year. About 20 million devices will ship with Windows Mobile on it. We will outsell the iPhone. We will outsell the BlackBerry. Additionally, don’t expect a “Zune phone” anytime soon. Crushing, yes. Turning all this on its head, is anyone else disappointed with the iPhone 3G? Like, it’s the same damn phone, just a little faster and with GPS. You mean to tell me that Apple couldn’t have launched such a phone last year, that the relevant technologies have evolved so quickly in 12 months? → Read More
http://blip.tv/scripts/flash/showplayer.swf?enablejs=true&feedurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcrunchgear%2Eblip%2Etv%2Frss&file=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Frss%2Fflash%2F797659&showplayerpath=http%3A%2F%2Fblip%2Etv%2Fscripts%2Fflash%2Fshowplayer%2Eswf Peter took this at CTIA earlier today. Windows Mobile 6.1 is shaping up to be a pretty good upgrade, but I’m still looking forward to 7. → Read More
While this isn’t as sexy as the HTC Touch interface — dig the cube, man — this new piece of software from PointUi mimics some iPhone functionality while hiding the hard mess of WinMo6 under a pretty wrapper. As Michael points out, maybe if I had this on my Shadow I’d answer my phone more, but I doubt it. We’ll give it a whirl once the vodka passes out of my bloodstream. Until then, enjoy the video. Product Page → Read More
Fring is getting ready to announce that the free VoIP service will be coming to Windows Mobile devices, but I felt like spilling the beans and letting you all know first. Let the Fringing begin! Fring → Read More
We at CG as technology “experts” are often approached by friends and family for solutions to life’s technological problems. Por ejemplo, a friend noticed an increase in his Blackberry spam. He didn’t mind all the porn so much, but was concerned about potential viruses. And I said “You can’t get STDs from e-mail,” and he said “no dude, viruses on my B’berry, yo.” I simply replied, “You need SMobile.” SMobile Systems has personal and network solutions for mobile security on Palm, Symbian, WinMo, Linux, Java and RIM devices. Its VirusGuard product protects you against malware delivered through e-mail, SMS, MMS, direct download, Bluetooth or infrared transmission. Don’t think you need virus protection on your mobile device? The company predicts more than 80 percent of mobile malware will be aimed at exploiting weaknesses in communication interfaces like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and MMS. SMobile Systems [company site] → Read More
HTC keeps cranking out smartphones faster than we can write about them, and today is no different, as there are three new Windows Mobile 5-powered devices on their way from HTC this quarter. The three devices are all quite different, as the OEM differentiates its product matrix. To the left of the photograph above is the S710, a relative of the TyTN, with not just a slide-out QWERTY keypad, but also a touchscreen and T9, making this Windows Mobile 6 phone smart indeed. In addition to GSM for voice, the phone also give the option of communicating via EDGE, WiFi, or Bluetooth. No 3G here, sadly, though an upgraded version is sure to be on the horizon utilizing the same popular form-factor. The middle handset is the Advantage, an upgraded version of the HTC Athena. This flagship smartphone really blurs the lines between traditional handheld devices and laptops, as it features an 8GB HD, and 8-hour battery, 5-inch VGA touchscreen, miniSD, and a 3-Megapixel camera. For connectivity, it supports HSDPA for 3G wireless, WiFi, and Bluetooth. A really neat feature is that it has internal motion sensors, which can be used to navigate applications one-handed. Neat. The simplest of the models is the P3350 at the right, a keyboardless, touchscreen-enabled media device, which includes an FM tuner and exclusive media mixing software. In addition, the handset uses an 8-way trackball and scroll wheel blend for navigation, a unique combo HTC seems to like. MicroSD, Windows Media 5, and EDGE connectivity round this handy, inexpensive smartphone out. Packaged with Bluetooth headphones, it’s aimed squarely at first time buyers as a portable Media Center. HTC has other phones debuting this week, but these three represent a good gamut of its product matrix, from consumer to total pro, and most (if not all) of them should find their way to our shores under the AT&T or T-Mobile monikers, some having both. HTC launches 3 new smartphones in Europe [Telecom Paper] → Read More
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