Author Archive: Gareth

Nokia netbook to be made in partnership with Taiwanese companies?

Rumours of Nokia entering into the mobile computer biz has been one of the hot topics on the internet lately, and according to Digitimes, Nokia is actually in talks already with several Taiwan netbook makers and EMS companies for possible tie-ups in their latest venture. As opposed to their traditional handset-making practice wherein only the manufacturing is outsourced, Nokia is mulling the idea of a joint design manufacturing (JDM) process this time around for netbooks. An Intel Atom and Qualcomm Snapdragon are the candidates for its processor while other possible partners include Compal and Foxconn. Safe to say, this will definitely be more than just a successor to the yet-to-be-released Nokia N97. No exact date when their first model will be released, but nonetheless, this does give us something new to look forward to from Nokia apart from their usual handsets.

[digitimes via PMPtoday]

Nokia upsets networks with Skype plans

A alleged rift has emerged between Nokia and operators over its plans to incorporate Skype onto its Nseries handsets. O2 and Orange responded furiously to Nokia’s declaration that it will equip its upcoming flagship Nseries device, the N97, with Skype.
If the row is not resolved the two operators may refuse to stock the N97 – or any future Nseries handsets containing Skype – unless Nokia strips out the Skype client. The two operators are understood to have vented their anger in high-level discussions, which involved group level executives from Nokia.
The row centres around  ownership of the customer, as well as potential lost revenue from calls from Skype’s internet call service.

A spokeswoman for O2 said: ‘We are currently working with Nokia to understand their Skype service and the business model around it. We continually evaluate new applications and mobile services for our customer base.’
Vodafone and Orange declined to comment.

via Mobiletoday

HTC Touch Diamond ROM update

An updated ROM is now available for HTC Touch Diamond users to download. HTC advise Diamond users to reapply this update on the models with the language version listed below if you installed this update prior to February 27:

Release Date: 2009-02-27 Category: ROM Upgrade

[The update is available for the following languages: English (Pan Europe and UK), Italian, French, Dutch, German, Swedish, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Middle East English, S. Africa English, Russian, and Arabic (Egypt and Middle East)] Full details and link to the ROM after the break.

Asus announce P835 Windows Mobile Pro phone

ASUS, a leading producer of innovative handhelds, today launched the P835, a PDA phone that delivers an Internet browsing and multimedia viewing experience without equal. Designed for business-savvy professionals who appreciate a screen as big as their ambitions, the P835 is equipped with a large 3.5” touchscreen that runs at WVGA resolution—offering five times the number of pixels of most phones and delivering the best document, photo, movie and website viewing experience possible. Apart from being able to display more of a webpage onscreen, the P835 boasts features that greatly enrich users’ online experience, including blazing fast HSUPA 7.2Mbps download speeds, a responsive trackball that makes scrolling effortless and Opera Mobile, a user-friendly and full-featured Web browser. It wraps all of its impressive functionality in an elegant touch-optimized interface which is intuitive, interactive and attractive.

LG video demo’s from MWC 09

LG have released three videos via their blog of some of the devices that were announced at Mobile World Congress last week. The first video is a short demonstration of the GD910 watch phone and it looks pretty groovy. Next up is the Windows Mobile running KM730, this has the S Class user interface and finally we see the LG Arena with its innovative cube interface. Check out the videos after the break and a word of warning, the last one is over 9 minutes long.

Documents To Go for iPhone status update

Documents To Go is still on track to be released in the second quarter of 2009 for the iPhone according to some information we have just received from DataViz. It was recently shown at Mobile World Congress and the reports were very favourable, something to note however the version being shown would only allow editing of Word documents and not Excel or any others file types. It will be interesting to see how it comes out next quarter and if the copy paste functions extend beyond the application. We will keep an eye out for more information.

DoCoMo halts BlackBerry Bold sales due to overheating

NTT DoCoMo Inc, Japan’s biggest mobile phone operator, said on Friday it has halted sales of Research In Motion’s BlackBerry Bold because the phone can overheat while the battery is being recharged. DoCoMo said it has sold about 4,000 high-end Bold phones, and about 30 users have complained the phone’s keyboard area had heated up. The company said it has received no reports of users getting burned or of phones catching on fire.

"This issue appears to be specifically limited to the BlackBerry Bold devices sold in Japan since last week and sales of BlackBerry Bold devices in other countries are unaffected by this matter," RIM said in a statement. RIM also said it had ruled out a battery problem, but the root cause is still being investigated.

via Reuters

HTC care opens in Malaysia

We all know about the Apple Stores and the superb technical support and service that you can get there, well it looks like HTC are following a similar route with the opening of their own HTC Care Centres. The first HTC Care Authorized centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital has opened. This centre features more than 1,300 square feet of retail space with helpful professional consultants and technicians dedicated to provide the whole gamut of after-sales services including on-site technical consultation, testing and repairs. They promise a speedy turn-around time for all service repairs. Now the question is, will we see these rolled out in Europe, it is always good to be able to get support direct from a manufacturer face to face. We will wait and see.

via WMExperts and ubergizmo

Google preventing unlocked phones using app store

CrunchGear has a rather irritating story regarding the limitation of the Google App store. It seems that Google have not responded well to the age old method of unlocking a phone and using it on a different network. A rather sickening move if you ask me but you can decide for yourself by reading the attached article.

The Acer DX900 now available

Clove have just let us know that they will have stock available next week for the Acer DX900. The Acer DX900 is one of the world’s first dual-SIM and dual standby Windows Mobile handsets to support HSDPA and EDGE. The DX900 is a simple solution to an increasingly in-demand requirement for consumers who need access to two mobile communications services, but don’t want to carry around two devices at the same time.

Available for order now at a confirmed price of 346.96 pounds (plus carriage and VAT (if applicable)), you can place your order today to receive one of the first units.

http://www.clove.co.uk/viewProduct.aspx?product=49868335-9F45-4952-90C1-92E8C00484A2