News

EU roaming charges set to fall from July

It’s about time this was addressed as us mobile users get ripped off if we travel overseas.  From July 2012 European Union roaming prices are set to be capped thanks to a parliament vote.

After July 1st operators will only be able to charge 29 euro cents (24p) a minute to make a call, 8 cents (7p) a minute to receive a call, 9 cents (8p) to send a SMS message and 70 cents a megabyte (58p) for data usage.

The long term plan is for EU roaming prices to stay the same as domestic which would save many of us a small fortune. The EU also plans to allow consumers to pick a separate operator for roaming without changing SIM cards from 2014.

EU rapporteur and MEP Angelika Niebler said: “Parliament has succeeded in its call for cheaper roaming prices for consumers, and in particular for data roaming.

“In addition, from July 2014, consumers will be able to choose an operator other than their national operator for roaming services. The new rules will also help to open up the market to new entrants and so increase competition.”

Great news all round.

Source: mobilenewscwp

Posted by: James

BlackBerry Curve 9320 goes official

Over on the BlackBerry Blog they are officially introducing us to the new Curve 9320. If you are interested in a low cost but wonderful new BlackBerry you may want to check back here tomorrow. Wink, wink!

The following text comes from Donny who is the new Blog manager over at RIM.

Style meets practicality

The first thing I noticed was just how well the BlackBerry Curve 9320 smartphone fit in my hand, and how good it looks at the same time. If you’re someone who’s really into messaging and social networking this BlackBerry smartphone is a wise choice. You get the best in class QWERTY keyboard for easy typing, a dedicated button for BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM) – !!! – and it’s available in multiple colors so you can express your personal style. (Note: Please check with your carrier for color availability.)

Next Generation BlackBerry 7.1 OS

After you turn the BlackBerry Curve 9320 smartphone on and start it up, you’ll notice that it’s running BlackBerry® 7.1 OS. It gives you a smooth and fast BlackBerry smartphone experience, which I noticed most while I was browsing the web. The new OS adds features like Mobile Hotspot (Wi-Fi® sharing), which allows you to connect up to five additional devices. It also has FM radio so you can tune into your favorite local radio stations.

Peace of mind at your fingertips with Parental Controls

For you parents out there considering the purchase of a smartphone to stay in touch, rest assured that your child or teen can safely use their BlackBerry Curve 9320 smartphone to have fun while giving you peace of minds thanks to new parental controls. With Parental Controls, you have the ability to limit or restrict certain phone numbers, websites, and various social networking apps.

Well, there you have it: three things you should know about the BlackBerry Curve 9320. It’s designed to make messaging and accessing social networks incredibly easy, it’s running the latest BlackBerry OS, and it features handy parental controls for peace of mind. I think this may just be one of the best BlackBerry Curve smartphones for someone who is considering their first smartphone.

Posted by: James

Winners of the Skype HD Webcam and headset

We are a little late announcing the winners to the Skype competition we ran last month. Apologies but we forgot! Anyway, thanks to the hundreds who entered.

The three lucky Twitter winners are: @szzoti, @Mobile_Dom and @cclarky85

We will contact you and pass your details onto Skype who will arrange shipment of your prizes.

Thanks to all who entered. We will have another competition coming up very soon.

Posted by: James

BlackBerry 10 home screen and media player looking good

A few more images have leaked of BlackBerry 10 and they look pretty hot if you ask me. According to N4BB once the phone is unlocked you see the last four applications that were running. 

These images may not be final software but from the sneak peeks we saw at BlackBerry World things are looking up for RIM and this new OS could really get them back in the game in certain markets.

While we are on the subject of certain markets I took a trip to the local Verizon store in Orlando and I was astonished to see that they do not sell a single BlackBerry. No wonder BlackBerry sales in America are falling so rapidly. I just don’t understand why the carriers would not offer all operating systems. Weird.

You can see images of the media player below. A vast improvement over the current offerings on BlackBerry 7 devices for sure. I know I will get criticized for saying this but I am convinced that BlackBerry 10 will have a big dent on the iOS and Android market. The only concern I have is how many people will sign up to a two year plan with the iPhone 5 prior to BlackBerry 10 launching.

We would love to hear your thoughts either in the forum or in the Facebook app at the base of each of our posts.

Asus Padfone Delayed?

Seems like the anticipated Asus Padfone could end up being delayed. According to reports, the problem stems from a shortage of the Krait Snapdragon S4 chip from Qualcomm. The hybrid tablet/smartphone that is turning heads  was originally scheduled to launch sometime in April, although that time-frame is now debatable. There is no word on why Qualcomm is experiencing shortages, although there is speculation. One theory is that due to the new architecture for the S4 they are having trouble ramping up to high-volume production. The other is the on-going an rumour that Samsung will be running the S4 in the U.S. version of the new Samsung Galaxy S3, and they have bought out the majority of Qualcomm’s supply.

We will have to see how this one pans out.

Posted by: Gareth

Samsung Galaxy SIII

Predictably, Samsung Electronics today announced the third generation Galaxy S, the Galaxy S III, a phone so intuitive that it is able to recognise your voice and understand your intention. Sleek and innovative, this latest smartphone is packed with enhanced intelligence to make everyday life easier: designed for humans and inspired by nature.

With the Samsung Galaxy S IIII, you can view content like never before on a 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED display, whilst an 8MP camera and an 1.9MP front camera offer a variety of intelligent camera features and face recognition related options so you can capture all moments easily and instantly. The Samsung Galaxy S III is powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and full of intuitive technology, delivering a uniquely personalised mobile experience.

Andy Griffiths, Managing Director, Samsung UK and Ireland said: “Our aim with the Galaxy S III was to develop the best smartphone ever made, and by focusing on creating a unique user experience through superior hardware and enhanced usability we believe we have done just that. The device has been created by keeping in mind our daily needs and capabilities as human beings. Simple yet brilliant, the Galaxy S III is packed with smart features that enable it to understand and respond to our actions providing the most seamless, natural and human-centric mobile experience.”

Introducing Natural Interaction

The Galaxy S III’s main USP is that it enhances the interaction between the device and its owner. Smart enough to detect your face, voice and gestures, the Galaxy S III adapts to the individual user to provide a more convenient and natural user experience. With the innovative ‘Smart stay’ feature, the device recognises how you are using your phone – reading an e-book or browsing the web for instance – by using the front camera to identify your eyes; the phone maintains a bright display for continued viewing pleasure.

With ‘S Voice,’ an advanced natural language user interface, the Galaxy S III listens and responds to your words. In addition to allowing information search and basic device-user communication, ‘S Voice’ provides powerful device control and commands. When your phone alarm goes off but you need a little extra rest, just tell the Galaxy S III “snooze” – and it snoozes. You can also use ‘S Voice’ to play your favorite songs, turn the volume up or down, send text messages and emails, organise your schedules, or automatically launch the camera and capture a photo – all through you speaking to the device.
In addition to recognising your face and voice, the Galaxy S III understands your motions. If you are messaging someone but decide to call them instead, simply lift your phone to your ear and ‘Direct call’ will dial their number. With ‘Smart alert,’ the Galaxy S III will catch any missed messages or calls; your phone will vibrate to notify missed statuses when picked up after being idle.

Easy and Instant Sharing

The Samsung Galaxy S III is more than a personal device that can be enjoyed by one person – it wants you to share and experience smartphone benefits with family and friends, regardless of where you are. With the new ‘S Beam,’ the Galaxy S III expands upon AndroidT Beam, allowing a 1GB movie file to be shared within three minutes and a 10MB music file within two seconds by simply touching another Galaxy S III phone, even without a Wi-Fi or cellular signal. The ‘Buddy photo share’ function also allows photos to be easily and simultaneously shared with all your friends pictured in an image directly from a camera or photo gallery.
With ‘AllShare Cast’, you can wirelessly connect your Galaxy S III to your television to immediately transfer smartphone content onto a larger display. ‘AllShare Play’ can be used to instantly share any files between your Galaxy S III and DLNA supported tablet, PC, and televisions regardless of the distance between the devices. The ‘Group Cast’ feature also allows you to share your screen among multiple friends on the same Wi-Fi network; you can make comments and draw changes at the same time with your co-workers, witnessing real-time sharing on your individual device.

Human-centric Design with Uncompromised Performance

The Galaxy S III not only has features with enhanced usability, but also provides an ergonomic and comfortable experience through its human-centric design, with a comfortable grip, gentle curves, and organic form. Inspired by nature, its design concept is the flow and movement of nature. The elements of wind, water and light are all evoked in the physical construct of the Galaxy S III. Available in Pebble Blue and Marble White at launch, Samsung will introduce a variety of additional colour options at a later date.

Thanks to its 4.8″ HD Super AMOLED display, the Galaxy S III offers a large and vivid viewing experience. Samsung Mobile’s heritage Super AMOLED display even enhances to HD and 16:9 wider viewing angles. To ensure faster connectivity, the Galaxy S III offers Wi-Fi Channel Bonding which doubles the Wi-Fi bandwidth.
The Galaxy S III also sports a range of additional features that boost performance and the overall user experience in entirely new ways. It introduces ‘Pop up play,’ a feature that allows you to play a video anywhere on your screen while simultaneously running other tasks, eliminating the need to close and restart videos when checking new emails or surfing the Web. Its 8MP camera features a zero-lag shutter speed that lets you capture moving objects easily without delay – the image you see is the picture you take.

With the ‘Burst shot’ function that instantly captures twenty continuous frames, and the ‘Best photo’ feature that selects the best of eight photographs for you, the Galaxy S III offers a more enhanced and memorable camera experience. HD video can be recorded even with the 1.9MP front facing camera, which you can use to capture a video of yourself. Improved backside illumination further helps to eliminate blur in photos that result from shaking, even under low lights.
Mobile payment is also accessible with the device through advanced Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. The gaming experience is enhanced through ‘Game Hub’, providing access to numerous social games, whilst Video Hub brings users high quality TV and movies. Furthermore, Samsung Music Hub will offer a personal music streaming service. Game Hub, Video Hub and Music Hub will be introduced in select countries initially before being rolled out globally.
The Samsung Galaxy S III will be available in the UK from the Samsung Brand Store at Westfield Stratford City and all other retailers.

Posted by: Matt

Huawei MediaPad goes ICS

Just as they previously promised, Huawei, makers of one of the first Honeycomb tablets, the MediaPad, have just made the Android 4.0/Ice Cream Sandwich update available to end users. The update will not go out OTA, but instead you will need to download it manually. It comes in at a hefty 329MB, but it does appear to be a stock version of ICS, which is greatly appreciated. Supposedly, installation instructions are inside the Zip download file.

Posted by: Gareth

Hands on with the BlackBerry Dev Alpha

Shortly after this mornings keynote at BlackBerry World us members of the press were invited to get hands on with the developer alpha device which all devs at BB Jam will receive.

As you will see in the following images the OS on board is essentially the PlayBook OS although the features are very limited. The handset is not a fully functional phone and its purpose is only to allow developers to create apps for the forthcoming BlackBerry 10 devices later in the year.

Please don’t take any notice of the hardware as this will not be a BlackBerry 10 handset. This one is purely a shell for dev usage.

While I am here I may as well tell you that from what I have seen of BlackBerry 10 at the keynote it looks to be absolutely awesome. Android and iPhone users: be afraid, be very afraid!

You can see the photos below:

BlackBerry World 2012– Day One

We are less than an hour away now from the BlackBerry World 2012 Keynote in Orlando where Thorsten Heins will take the stage and talk us through RIM’s vision for the next twelve months.

Will we see new devices announced? I wouldn’t have thought so but what we will see is BlackBerry 10 detailed which is what the excitement is all about. From speaking with a few RIM executives over the last couple of days we are due to see some really cool stuff.

Stay tuned later for more news.

Posted by: James