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The Digital Continuum: Pondering Star Trek Online
As a kid, I grew up on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Mostly because my parents watched it constantly, but also because I found that I enjoyed the show. Another staple of my nerd-influenced upbringing was a steady diet of Star Trek movies. Since those formative years I've also watched Deep Space Nine, Babylon 5, Voyager and more recently Battlestar Galactica. So it's safe to say I'm at least a casual sci-fi and space nerd. In fact, when I'm not entrenched in some form of entertainment, I tend to spend my extra time over at the official website of Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Of course Star Trek has never been purely about Science. It's always been -- to me, at least -- a mixture of social-political issues, engaging drama and several degrees of actual science. Different writers and directors have, over several decades, writ large their envisioned versions of Star Trek, with varying amounts of the three critical factors that make up a Star Trek experience. So, obviously, I now find myself wondering what Cryptic Studio's massively multiplayer online version is going to be like.
Verizon gets official with Visual Voicemail service
There aren't exactly all that many details left to announce, but Verizon has just gotten official with its late to the party Visual Voicemail service which, for the time being at least, is only available on the LG Voyager. As we had heard previously, the service will run you an extra $2.99 per month on top of your usual bill, and you'll be able to store up to 40 messages for 40 days, with an option to create up to 10 greetings and 20 distribution lists. Unfortunately, Verizon didn't take the opportunity to announce any firm plans for a roll-out to any of the other phones supposedly in line to get the service, with it only going so far as to say that additional devices will be getting it in the "coming months."
Official details on visual voicemail seep through Verizon's pores
Seems like things are coming along nicely for the launch of Verizon's downloadable visual voicemail service, with some preliminary information briefly hitting VZW's interwebs before seemingly being pulled. As we'd previously heard, a retooled LG Voyager -- creatively named Voyager Refresh -- will be one of the first devices to get access to the service, while current Voyager owners will be able to download the app required to get hooked up. Unlike what we'd previously heard, though, it seems that Verizon has opted to offer the service at no additional monthly service charge (a wise move, may we add). Since the entire lowdown has been taken offline, there's no telling exactly when we're actually supposed to know that VVM exists or when we might be able to sign up for it, but all indications suggest it'll be sooner rather than later.[Via phoneArena]Update: We're hearing that the $2.99 / month fee is still in effect. For shame, Verizon!
LG becomes 3rd biggest handset maker after moving 27.7 million units
It looks like Motorola's hard times have been particularly good for LG, as it has now moved (by some accounts at least) into the number three position among the top five handset makers, just a quarter after it passed Sony Ericsson to take the fourth spot. That comes after LG moved an impressive 27.7 million handsets in the past quarter, a full third of which were sold in North America. LG is also particularly quick to boast about sales of its pricier touchscreen phones, which totaled some seven million. Among those, the Viewty was the top seller, moving more than two million units, followed by the Venus with 1.6 million, and the Voyager with 1.3 million. It's apparently not all rosy for the company, however, with it also warning that the slowing economy could cause its average selling price to fall by 26 percent.
Xentex dual 13.3-inch screen laptop surfaces on eBay
Yeah, we have no idea who ever needed a monster laptop with dual independently-pivoting 13.3-inch screens, but if you're feeling like living particularly large, there's a Xentex Flip-pad Voyager prototype for sale on eBay right now for the bargain starting bid of $99. You'll have to provide a custom hard drive cable and figure out how to boot it past the BIOS, but if you do, you'll have ultimate giant laptop bragging rights over your friends -- as well as an 850Mhz Athlon, 128MB of RAM, and a floppy drive. Yeah, we know you want one anyway. Some more pics past the break and at the read link.
LG Voyager coming to Sprint, AT&T this year?
Korea's Electronic Times is quoting a mysterious LG "official" as saying that the company's Voyager -- the high-end touchscreen flipper currently on Verizon -- will be making the leap to both AT&T and Sprint before the year's out. Although that isn't necessarily an outlandish thing to believe (Verizon's exclusivity period probably lasts 12 months at most, after all), it implies that at least two additional versions of the Voyager would have to be in the works: a CDMA piece without MediaFLO for Sprint and, of course, a GSM variant for AT&T. The news comes on the heels of LG's triumphant claim that they've shipped a whopping 1.1 million Voyagers since launch -- a pretty impressive number considering that the phone just launched at the very tail end of 2007 -- and a number that could pretty easily triple if these other carrier deals turn out to be legit.[Thanks, Jeremy]
Corsair announces 32GB Flash Voyager / Flash Survivor drives
Not that 32GB flash drives are revolutionary or anything, but they're pretty far from being old hat. Thankfully, Corsair is readying a new pair to be unveiled at CES, both of which will boast USB 2.0 connectivity and fairly reasonable price tags considering the capaciousness. Both the Flash Voyager and the über-rugged Flash Survivor will be bumped to 32GB, and both should be able to withstand the desert heat with ease. The pain? $229.99 and $249.99, respectively, and both units should be making their way out as we speak.
LG Voyager gets big honkin' firmware update
So, first the bad news: you've gotta trek all the way down to a Verizon shop to get your Voyager updated to the latest rev. Now, the good: it's probably worthwhile. LG's latest and greatest firmware for the Voyager superphone appears to bring a host of fixes and enhancements ranging from better battery life (or so they say, anyway) to an improved browsing experience. Let us know how it goes if you go get 'er flashed, k?[Via Boy Genius Report]
STO UI is modernized LCARS; "think iPhone"
Now that the Star Trek Online nerf scare has passed, it's time to take a few deep breaths of anticipation and soak in STO-related news again. The first news-worthy bit to pop up post-scare is a post by Steve Mason (the lead UI designer) at the startrek-online.net forums.Mason is dedicated to preserving the LCARS look in Star Trek Online. For those who aren't total Star Trek nerds; LCARS is the graphical user interface used by Federation ships in the 24th Century-era Star Trek series (The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager). It was designed by a TNG-staff artist who was trying to theorize what a high-tech GUI interface would be like when GUIs were still in their infancy in the real world.So, there are some challenges in making LCARS useful to modern users. Mason says that STO will use an updated version of the LCARS interface (which won't hurt canon, since the game takes place quite a few years after Voyager left off) that will include all the bells and whistles of modern, cutting-edge UIs. " Think iPhone," he said. There are more details in his post, and he also opened up the thread to questions.[Via WarCry]
Hands-on with Verizon's LG Voyager on Engadget Mobile
'Bout time we follow up the unboxing with a little hands-on action, eh? We think we've found enough to like about LG's VX10000 Voyager for Verizon to make enV owners... well, green with envy. Head on over to Engadget Mobile for our quick impressions!
Hands-on with the LG Voyager
There is certainly a substantial amount of hype built around LG's latest stab at the QWERTY phone market for Verizon Wireless -- the VX10000 Voyager -- and it isn't without merit. For starters, the feature-packed candybar sports a 2.81 inch exterior touchscreen paired with second display of equal size and a full keyboard on the inside. In the media department, the handset features a 2 megapixel camera with autofocus, video camera, expandable memory via microSD up to 8GB, and VCAST services of both the Music and TV varieties. Do the features stack up in Verizon's favor? Does the Voyager live up to the hype or will it fall short of expectations? Continue reading to find out.
LG's Venus now available from Verizon -- Voyager QWERTY on Wednesday
Here they are, the product waifs, which can only mean one thing: the LG VX10000 QWERTY Voyager and LG VX8800, AKA Venus, slider are official. The dual-display Venus (2-inch main on top and 1.49-inch haptic VibeTouch touchscreen below for navigation) is up and dancing on Verizon this morning for immediate availability. Same $200 fee after online discount and 2 years of your life inked in blood that we already saw on pre-order. The Voyager with its 2.8-inch VibeTouch, external touchscreen (and 2.8-inch internal) is still on track for its 21st launch for $300 plus 2 year contract. Don't worry, we'll remind you come Wednesday.[Via LG]Read -- LG Voyager on Verizon Read -- LG Venus on Verizon
LG Voyager unboxing
Well, it's finally here: meet the LG Voyager, successor to the enV and arguably one of the best QWERTY handsets on Verizon to date. Pretty much everyone walks away with a feature or two here that they're gonna love: EV-DO, VCAST TV, a 2 megapixel camera, two amazingly large displays, expandable memory via microSD, touchscreen exterior display and a full keyboard all make the cut. But hey, enough of the small talk -- head off to the gallery, check it out, and stay tuned for our full review!%Gallery-10419%
LG Voyager unboxing on Engadget Mobile
Gloriously large finger-friendly touchscreen up front? Check. Full keyboard with a secondary display as a creamy filling in the center? Check. Productivity-destroying mobile TV? Double check. By all appearances, there's very little not to like about LG's Voyager, the latest in a three-deep line of QWERTY clams from the manufacturer for Verizon. While we knead, rise, and bake our full review of this sucker, we thought y'all might enjoy a handful of unboxing shots. Head on over to Engadget Mobile for the visuals!
Verizon's Venus and Voyager available for pre-order
Seems to be Venus and Voyager day, first more lovely pics and now, pre-orders. The LG Venus and Voyager hit Verizon's site in all of their pre-order glory today, so if you've been itching for an update, your time is now. We've been all over the Venus a few times and as predicted, it has landed for $199 on a 2 year contract and is set for release on November 19th. Pre-orders for LG's Voyager have also started, though this QWERTY set is going to set you back $299 on a 2 year stint with availability slated for Nov 21st. Follow the links below if you've a hankering to plonk down your hard earned cash.[Thanks, lenny and anthony]Read -- LG VoyagerRead -- LG Venus
LG Venus, Voyager details aplenty ahead of November releases
Trying to wrap your noodle around the concept of a pink LG Venus? Us too, and naturally, visuals help -- the more, the better. On that note, we're pleased to present a handful of pictures of the pink Venus with a couple of its darker, statelier cousin thrown in for good measure. The black will launch first -- November 19, if you recall -- with the pink following on December 11 for $199 after a $50 rebate has been applied. QWERTY more to your liking? Fret not, as we're hearing the Voyager follows up on the 21st of November for $299 with the same $50 rebate.[Thanks, anonymous tipster]%Gallery-9933%
Quick start guide offers sneak preview of the LG Voyager
For some of us, the LG Voyager could be the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel that Verizon customers have been hoping for. Stacked to the gills with features like EV-DO, VCAST TV, a 2 megapixel camera with autofocus, expandable memory via a microSD slot, an exterior display which touchsrceen capability and another interior display that reveals a full QWERTY keypad, it's certainly designed to please almost anyone. Even though some of the features appear a little quirky -- like only being able to rotate the phone clockwise while snapping pics -- we're sure that you'll find great info in the quick start guide while you wait ever so patiently for its release.%Gallery-9602%
Specifications of Verizon's LG Voyager outed
Counting down the hours until the Voyager makes an appearance on Verizon? If so, here's something sure to tide you over. Apparently, the handset's datasheet has made its way onto the intarweb, and it's got just about every detail you could ever want -- save for a price and pinpointed release date, of course. Highlights include a 2.81-inch external touchscreen, VibeTouch tactile feedback support, V CAST Mobile TV, dual integrated speakers, a two-megapixel camera, microSD expansion slot and VZ Navigator preloaded. If you've undoubtedly got this one on your must-have list, hit the read link and eat your heart out.[Via MobilitySite]
Crystal ball (or spreadsheet, in this case) reveals Verizon release dates
We've caught boatloads of noise detailing Verizon's pipeline for the remainder of the year (and possibly into early '08), but exact launch dates have been harder to come by. Granted, the carriers often don't know these until the last minute anyway -- network test failures and supply problems being what they are -- but Boy Genius Report has scored a spreadsheet that should at least start to give us a rough idea of what we can expect for the next few months. The Samsung i760 finally (and we do mean finally) launches on October 19, followed by the Juke two days later on the 21st. The first of November sees the BlackBerry Pearl 8130, LG VX5400, and Palm Treo 755p (probably right about the same time Alltel gets it), with the LG Venus coming just a short few days later on the 4th. The 15th sees two new shades for the G'zOne Type-S -- black and "burgundy / gold" -- alongside the Samsung u900 "FlipShot." The ultra-cool LG Voyager and G'zOne "Type-Sptt" (possibly just a Type-S without the cam) slide in on November 18, with two new VX8550 shades dropping on the 21st. Whew! Now, the real question: how many of these dates are actually gonna hold?
Hands-on with Verizon's new fall lineup
We got to spend a little alone time with each of Verizon's new phones for the holidays, and we found plenty to like. We started out with the Samsung Juke, which is meant as an entry level music device. There's no EV-DO on board, and therefore no V CAST Music Store, but as a "phone that happens to be a low-end 2GB DAP," it should do just nicely, and A2DP is always nice. We could go for a stronger spring action flick motion, and when open the phone seems quite awkwardly long, but it's all solid and usable enough. The Pearl is just a Pearl, so we'll move on. The LG Venus has quite an interesting interface, that we suppose will be a love it or hate it affair. There's adjustable vibration feedback to your finger presses on the bottom touchscreen, but unfortunately you can't adjust screen sensitivity, and we had sometimes had trouble with getting the beta hardware Verizon was showing us to register our finger presses. Otherwise the phone is a thing of beauty, and has one of the best looking UIs we've seen from the likes of Verizon and LG. The camera interface is particularly polished, with options galore and some interesting usage of the touch screen for cropping and sending pics. Finally we have the LG Voyager. In most objective senses, the phone is pretty dang large, but somehow it's easier to overlook that fact when you're staring at dual screens and an immense QWERTY keyboard. The screen was quite responsive to our button presses, and there was no lag between using an app in touchscreen mode and opening up the phone for a QWERTY session. The HTML browser leaves a little to be desired -- after taking ages to load a fractured form of Engadget, we couldn't hardly scroll down it to save our life -- and it's pretty clear that the Voyager is less a smartphone out of the box than the iPhone is, despite its marvelous keyboard, but there's certainly a lot of potential.%Gallery-8109%%Gallery-8110%%Gallery-8111%%Gallery-8112%
