UsbOn-the-go
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Google's Android file manager now supports USB drives
Files by Google (formerly Files Go) is helpful if you want an official means of managing the files on your Android phone, but there's been an obvious limitation: you couldn't move files to physical storage beyond the phone itself. You won't have that issue from now on. Google has released an update to Files that introduces support for external storage using USB On-the-Go. If you want to offload photos to a thumb drive, you won't have to track down third-party software.
Second-gen IOIO in the works: embraces the wireless revolution, cuts cost
Ytai Ben-Tsvi's IOIO board is quite the hit with the Android-hacking DIY crowd. But, that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement on the $50 dev board. A second-gen version is in the works that adds the ability to connect to a computer as a USB device (not just as a host) or via Bluetooth, without the need for a intermediary controller like an Arduino. Perhaps most exciting for those interested in tinkering with DIY Android phone accessories, is the plan to cut the price of the new IOIO. How much less the next version will cost isn't clear yet, but even just $5 could make a major difference. For more details check out Ytai's blog post at the source link.
Nokia E7 review
Over the years, we've seen a steady stream of business and messaging-centric landscape QWERTY smartphones come and go, with HTC arguably leading the pack via its collection of Windows Mobile, Android, and WP7 devices featuring sliding keyboards and tilt-out displays. But few of HTC's offerings are as iconic or memorable as Nokia's line of Communicator clamshell phones -- starting with the Nokia 9000 in 1996, continuing with Symbian S80 models, and culminating with the Nokia E90 atop S60v3. The Nokia E7 is the latest Communicator in this distinguished series and the manufacturer's current flagship device, dethroning the Nokia N8 which continues on as the company's media mogul. A lot has changed in the six months since the N8 was introduced, including Nokia's recent partnership with Microsoft and the stunning announcement that it will be adopting Windows Phone for future high-end smartphones. So, is the E7 -- which is finally shipping in the US -- the greatest Communicator to date? Can it carry the torch for Symbian in the immediate future? And more importantly, how does it fare in today's shark-infested Android and iOS waters? Jump past the break for our full review. %Gallery-120805%
Nokia's Digital Radio Headset adds DAB to your phone, puts USB On-The-Go to good use
In the event Nokia's recently announced Mobile TV Headset for DVB-H networks doesn't do anything for you, have a gander at the new Digital Radio Headset made official this week. What is it? Well, you can think of it like the audio equivalent of the Mobile TV Headset in pretty much every sense of the word: it listens for digital signals only (DAB and DAB+, to be specific), it's only for Europe, and it plugs in to your phone's micro-USB port to make use of USB On-The-Go, a capability first touted on the N8 but also available on the C7, E7, and C6-01. It'll launch with a companion app for your handset that lets you save out artist information and tune in alternative frequencies broadcasting the same programming as your roam around Old Blighty. Look for it to launch in the UK sometime this quarter.
Nokia N8 review
The first time Nokia's N8-00 popped up on our radar was way back in early February of this year. On that chilly, misty morning, we learned of a mythical being capable of shooting 12 megapixel stills, recording 720p video, outputting via HDMI, and -- most importantly -- ushering in the promised Symbian^3 touch revolution. It's been a long road of leaks, teasers, hands-ons, and previews since then, but at long last, the legend of the N8 has become a purchasable commodity. All the early specs have survived, including the 3.5-inch AMOLED display, but the key question today, as it was at the beginning, relates to that all-new software within: does Symbian^3 succeed in elevating Nokia's touchscreen experience or does it drag down an otherwise stellar combination of high-end parts? For that verdict and much, much more, join us after the break.%Gallery-103738%%Gallery-104212%
Nokia N8's USB On-The-Go support demoed, lesser phones turned into slaves
Among the Nokia N8's neater tricks is its support for USB On-The-Go, which basically lets you connect USB peripherals (flash drives, for example) to the phone and have it act as a host -- a duty usually reserved for heavier-duty devices like PCs. Though the N8 is still a solid month or three away from release, we're getting a nice little video demo on YouTube today of an N8 being walked through the paces of connecting both a plain-vanilla USB drive and another Symbian-based Nokia candybar (brownie points for naming the model in comments, by the way). Basically, you can treat the connected hardware as mass storage and browse it just as you would the N8's internal space, which basically means you've got unlimited music capacity as long as you've got a pocket full of USB sticks and a micro USB-to-USB adapter cord. Follow the break for video. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Coby MP-C951 spotted at J&R in New York
It wasn't so long ago that we caught a glimpse of Coby's new media player, the PMP4320. But what we'd really like to get our hands on is Coby's apparent competitor to the GoGear SA9100 and SA9200, the MP-C951. Although it too was first demoed at CES, Coby has been saying on its site that the player would be "coming soon - Summer '06" for the last few months. According to Coby, this little MP3 player has a 20GB drive, plays MP3 / WMA / OGG files, supports USB 2.0, packs an FM tuner, a voice recorder, and a line-in jack. However, no one had actually seen one of these players in the wild until today, when DAPreview spotted one today at electronics retailer J&R in New York. The site found after holding and playing with the MP-C951 for a few minutes that it had a "solid build," remarking on its touch-sensitive d-pad, noticing that the buttons seemed a bit too sensitive and observing that it had two mini USB jacks on the bottom (one probably for USB On-The-Go. The MP-C951 has an MSRP of $300, but sells at J&R and Amazon for $210. Be sure to catch an additional hands-on pic of the interface on the next page.
iubi Blue 30GB PMP gets specs, pricing
With all the foreign PMPs we've featured on these pages, we can't blame you for not remembering a Bluetooth-enabled model from iubi that we brought you a few months back, but one look at its recently-released specs will definitely make you want to keep this one on your radar from here on out. Sporting a 30GB hard drive and a 4.3-inch, 480 x 272 widescreen LCD that Advanced MP3 Players calls "razor sharp," the iubi Blue (model number IUBI2500) supports nearly every codec known to man, including MPEG-1/2/4, DivX (3.x, 4.x, and 5.x), XviD, WMV 7/8/9, AVI, H.264, MOV, and Real -- and that's just for video, which can also be fed to an external monitor at 720 x 480 resolution. On the audio side you've got support for MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, AAC-LC, and AC-3, and best of all, the Blue features 3D sound enhancement from Wolfson for output that's described as "earth-shattering." Moreover, you're also getting A2DP for rocking wireless headphones, USB on-the-go functionality for dumping photos from compatible cameras, and like the Archos lineup, direct AV recording thanks to the included MPEG-4 encoder. Already available in Korea, this feature-packed model is expected to hit British shores soon for just $461, and may very well be htting our own gadget shelf shortly afterwards.[Via DAPreview]
