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Salling Clicker v3.5 brings new Front Row controls, device support and much more
One of the major things I miss about switching away from a Windows Mobile or even Sony Ericsson mobile phone is Salling Clicker - just about the best darn software I've ever seen for controlling your Mac with a mobile phone or PDA. Clicker offers a wide array of customizable controls with which you can enable your device to control everything from iTunes to Keynote, and even do things like pause music when a call comes in or lock your display if you walk too far away from your Mac. While I cross my fingers that Salling Software can create a BlackBerry client sooner than later, the rest of you can enjoy today's v3.5 update which ushers in a slew of new features and wider support for yet more devices.At the top of the feature list is support for Front Row, potentially eliminating the need to pack an Apple Remote when venturing out. Other new features include: improved iTunes functionality with quick access to current playlists and more browsing options, support for Windows Mobile 6 and Symbian 9.x devices, much easier Wi-Fi connections for Symbian and WinMo devices, improved Keynote and PowerPoint functionality and much more (I should also note that Salling Clicker for Windows now supports Vista as well).Check out the main product page of Salling Clicker for Mac if you're new to the possibilities of this excellent software, or take a look at the v3.5 press release to get a look at what's new for you seasoned clickers. A demo is of course available, while a license costs a mere $23.95.
Rumored HTC Sirius, Erato, and Wings get detailed specs and dates
We don't know where the information came from and (as ever) we can't be absolutely certain that it's genuine, but over the last few days a range of specific details on some previously rumored HTC mobiles have turned up in data sheet and picture form over at PDAdb.net. First up is the HTC P6500 Sirius: a quad band, WiFi and EDGE device that runs Windows Mobile 6, has a 400MHz Samsung processor, a 3.5-inch QVGA display, and also comes with 256MB and 64MB of RAM and ROM respectively. Next up is the HTC S420 Erato flip smartphone, which could potentially be the successor to the Star Trek. This 99 gram, 2.4-inch screen flipper should come with the same 400MHz CPU and Windows Mobile 6 operating system as the Sirius, but adds features like UMTS and HSDPA connectivity, an FM radio receiver, SiRF Star III GPS, and a 2 megapixel shooter. Finally there's the touchscreen featured (but stylus lacking) HTC S730 Wings which shares the same CPU, operating system, connectivity, screen, camera, GPS, and storage as the Sirius. In fact, the only difference we can tell between the two is the addition of WiFi, the exclusion of FM, and a different form factor to accommodate a slide-out QWERTY keypad. PDAdb quotes possible release dates for these unannounced and currently rumored devices as August for the Sirius, April for the Erato, and July for the Wings. You can't get a more detailed "rumor" than that.[Via GSMArena]
Nova Media Address Book plugin for Nokia, Sony Ericsson phones
German-based Nova Media landed on our radar last year with their iSync plugin that supports more phones than Mac OS X's default set. Not content with mere syncing, however, the company also makes an Address Book plugin, recently updated with more supported models, that allows phones from Nokia and Sony Ericsson to shake hands with Apple's contact manager for all sorts of phone call integration. Sending calls to voicemail, replying via an SMS, logging the call and even starting one are all possible from within Address Book. And while AB supports these operations with the default batch of iSync-supported phones, Nova Media's Address Book plugin enables these operations with a large set of Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones that Apple likely never will support. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be a demo available for download, but at roughly $8.50 USD (Euro 6,50), I bet it would be hard to go wrong. After all, I can say from personal experience that $8.50 would be a small price to pay for the satisfying ability of clicking a button in a Mac OS X dialog to send someone directly to voicemail.
Wild Hare to bring Alten8's games to U.S., Europe
Publisher Wild Hare Entertainment has joined forces with developer Alten8 to bring their upcoming PSP to the U.S. and Europe."With reciprocal content publishing and distribution between our like-minded companies, we can create a strong alliance for a cross-Atlantic partnership, which opens new doors not only for us, but for the developers, which up until now have had no access to mainstream publishing and distribution in Europe or North America," said Paul Andrews, CEO of Alten8 Limited. You may have heard of Alten8 before. They're the developer who earlier this year caught flack for their mobile phone title, Office Massacre. In order to appease their critics, the developer changed the name to Office Zombies and reworked the plot, as well.Hopefully in this new venture, the company can stay out of the critic's targets and focus on bringing great games to the PSP.[Via DCEmu]
D-Link's V-Click: an overpriced, rebadged GSM VoIP phone
D-Link's got a so-called new line-up of dual-mode WiFi VoIP / GSM V-Click phones for ya. The big selling point of course, is the ability to quickly toggle between your tri-band 900/1800/1900MHz GSM/GPRS network or unspecified 802.11 WiFi to make low cost VoIP calls. The magic here is in that "v-click" button along the side which flips the WiFi radio. Once enabled, users can make SIP-based VoIP calls or hit the web over the bundled Opera Mobile browser and 176x220 pixel display. Hmmm, those specs sure smack of that Taiwanese GW1 peeped at CES from Winstron NeWeb Corp and unfurled as the Neuf Twin dual-mode handset already on sale in France. Let's see, same screen, same dimensions, same radios... yup, we're calling it a rebadge. So are you really going to give D-Link $600 for their logo when it drops in Q1 or pick-up an unlocked, €200/$250 Twin sans contract from your friendly electronics importer? Yeah, thought so.
FCC approves Samsung SGH-i607, Cingular launch imminent?
Ahh, so that's what happened to the Q3 launch of Samsung's i607, eh Cingular? With FCC approval now out of the way let's hope the long wait is nearly over for this quad-band GSM and dual-band UMTS/HSDPA Smartphone. As you might recall, the i607 Blackjack runs Windows Mobile Smartphone up on that QVGA display and features a 1.3 megapixel camera around back, Bluetooth, microSD slot for expansion, and a slim, albeit rather unappealing 1/2-inch thick shell. So what's keeping ya Cingular, go ahead and launch already... pretty please, with sugar. [Via PhoneArena]
Sprint launches IP-830W, SCP-8400 and BlackBerry 8703e with GPS
BlackBerry, PocketPC, and Power Vision lovers unite 'cause Sprint just unleashed three phones meant to distribute the love to all. First from the gate is the IP-830W from Samsung (pictured center) we peeped on Sprint last month. For $600 with a 2-year plan ($750 without!), it's yours to take global with quad-band GSM / GPRS and CDMA / EV-DO pumpin' Windows Mobile 5 plus AKU2 on a 520MHz Intel PXA272 proc. Out next is another Sprint Sanyo clam in the form of the dual-band Power Vision SCP-8400 (pictured right) with Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel cam, and of course Live TV, Music downloads, and multiplayer game action. Yours for $100 after rebates, instant savings and your signature on a 2-year plan. Out last is the GPS-enabled BlackBerry 8703e which brings EV-DO speeds, Bluetooth and speakerphone for $350 after discounts and 2-year signup. Thing is, it's already available on Verizon only without GPS navigation for $100 less. What to do, what to do. [Thanks, Jim] Read -- BlackBerry 8703eRead -- SCP-8400 Read -- IP-830W
Samsung's SCH-B510: enough with the "world's thinnest" DMB phones already
Ok, this slim thing is just outta control. As if you needed proof, Samsung went and launched the 8.4-mm thin SCH-B510 calling it the "world's slimmest DMB phone" just days after LG launched its contender, and a mere three weeks after Sammy loosed their previous title holder, the SCH-B590. Sharing that top-end bulge with the true thin-champ, the X820, the B510 packs in an MP3 player, MicroSD expansion, and 2 megapixel camera into a package weighing only 72-grams. Thing is, this is a freakin' DMB phone for watching mobile TV, yet the screen has been shrunk to an impossibly small, unspecified dimension in order to reduce the bulk. At least they won't be seen outside of Korea's KTF network any time soon. Hey Sammy, how 'bout trying to coax LG into using one of their fancy new slim displays and bring this madness to an end? K, thanks.
dotMobi is more than just a top level domain name
Although the experience of browsing the web on a mobile phone has improved greatly over the last couple of days five years or so, there are still sites out there that refuse to load or function as smoothly as they would on a personal computer. A possible solution to this problem comes in the form of yesterday's launch of dotMobi: or if you prefer it cold and impersonal, the new .mobi top level domain name. Yeah, so you're thinking "how's another domain name gonna improve things?" Well, unlike other domain names, dotMobi has a relatively stringent style guide for anyone wishing to register a .mobi domain: mandatory rules for registrants include the requirement that the site can be loaded without typing "www." (a pain on a numerical keypad), and a complete ban on cellphone-browser busting frames. Time will tell whether or not the bar of entry has been set high enough, as all of the tips in the "Highly Recommended" section of the style guide are optional: for example, registrants don't even have to test their website on a mobile device. A giant leap for cellular mankind this is not, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.
Nokia's XpressMusic 5300 and 5200 announced, 3250 gets makeover
If the hoard of N-series Nokias raining down from Espoo yesterday was a bit too much on say, the fuddy-duddy side of the generational slope, then check these new XpressMusic cellphones kiddies. Well "new" only if you missed the 5300 and 5200 peeped before. Still official is official so let's run 'er down again. The 5300 slider is the biggest news here, going tri-band GSM 900/1800/1900MHz with GPRS/EDGE support and 262k color TFT LCD, QVGA (240x320) resolution. It features up to 2GB of microSD storage, dedicated music keys, an adapter for 3.5-mm headphones, built-in IM software, FM radio (with Visual Radio), 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and an expected retail of €250 pre-tax, or $317. The 5200 shares the looks of the 5300 but features an even lower rez camera and display for a pre-tax price of €200 or $254. Meanwhile, the original XpressMusic 3250 twister sports a new look with added support for 2GB microSD cards. Expect the 3250 to pull a pre-tax €400 or $507. All phones, according to Nokia today in New York, will "begin shipments in select markets within weeks." MobileBurn however claims that a US variant of the mix will hit Q1, so who knows. Click-on for a snap of the updated 3250.[Via MobileBurn]
LG's VX9900 caught in the wild?
Ok, you know the drill by now. HowardForums has a purported shot (on left) of the thinner, sexier successor to the VX9800 communicator, the LG VX9900 we first trolled from the FCC (pic on the right) back in May. We're still hoping for this QWERTY clam to roll on Verizon sometime this month as reported by our own Boy Genius or sometime between September 29th and October 13th according to the rumor jockeys ridin' the HoFo. Hell, let's just say any day now and leave it at that mkay?[Thanks, Scott and Sunny]
Samsung's Ultra Edition 9.9, 12.9, 6.9: World's slimmest cellphones launched
Get ready Guinness 'cause Samsung just launched an entire series of "World's slimmest" handsets. Sure, we've seen the D830 clam, X820 candybar, and FCC approved D900 slider before, only now they've been turned-out onto that mean global scene official, spec'd, and rebadged with their ultra-slim, millimeter measurements right in the name: the Ultra Edition 9.9 (D830), 12.9 (D900), and 6.9 (X820) pictured left-to-right. The UE 9.9 brings tri-band (900/1800/1900MHz) GPRS/EDGE, a 2 megapixel cam with auto-focus and flash, a 2.3-inch 240x320 262k TFT main display (0.8-inch 92x16 grayscale external), Bluetooth, 80MB embedded memory with MicroSD expansion, MP3/AAC media player, and even an MPEG4 recorder with TV-out jack slammed into this world's slimmest flip. The UE 6.9 brings pretty much the same network coverage, cam, Bluetooth, media capabilities, and on-board memory as the 9.9 but had to forgo the microSD card and flash while dropping down to a 1.9-inch 176x220 262k TFT display in order to slip into that world's slimmest, 6.9-mm, 2.33-ounce dress. The relatively plump UE 12.9 takes advantage of all that, uh, roominess to squeeze in quad-band GPRS/EDGE, a 3.13 megapixel shooter, 2.1-inch 240x320 262k TFT, that good media lovin' we've already seen, Bluetooth with A2DP stereo audio support, and 80MB with microsSD expansion. Yeah, that makes it the world's slimmest slider, er, with 3 megapixel camera -- kind of a stretch, but that's how Sammy likes to roll. They didn't bother with drop dates, countries, or prices but the fact that the press release hit their English site gives us hope for this Samsung triptych to drop in the US sometime this year. [Via AVING]
Mobile MMOs in Carmack's future?
After recent mobile efforts including Doom and Orcs and Elves, John Carmack may have a new trick up his sleeve. Speaking to CNN Money, Carmack outlines his fears for the industry -- the unexpected cost of episodic gaming, along with security problems, make up his main concerns.With id's recent move to the mobile phone platform, Carmack's got plans. By trying out franchises on cell phones before risking a big-budget console or PC title, games become a safer bet; Carmack's also "really into the idea of a massively multiplayer cell phone title". While some MMOs have made forays into the mobile world, an exclusive massively multiplayer mobile game is a fairly novel idea -- it may even help the flagging mobile market.[Via Gamesindustry.biz]
Nokia 6126 wins FCC approval
Nokia has been gaining a bit of a reputation for being on the chubby side of the thin phone wars. So the 14-mm slim, 6126 flip which the FCC just approved, still passes for thin these days in the Nokia camp of plumpsters. Other than the 32MB flash and 16MB RAM we now know this thing packs, the filing doesn't tell us more than we already knew: quad-band GSM/EDGE, a 2.2-inch, 320 x 240 internal display, 1.3 megapixel cam, and microSD slot for storage expansion. Worth the wait we guess, if you're a Series 40 fan.
Hands-on with the KG800 (Chocolate) and Dopod S300 (Star Trek)
Good times can be had over at our sister site, Engadget Chinese, which has managed some alone time with two recent releases, the LG KG800 Chocolate and Dopod S300 HTC Star Trek. Both phones are plenty sexy in their own way, with the KG800's obvious aesthetics leading the charge, but the S300's ability to pack in all that Windows Mobile goodness in such a small package earning it plenty of kudos as well. Decisions, decisions.Read: LG KG800Read: Dopod S300
Orange launches SPV M5000 (HTC Universal) in UK, France, and Switzerland
Our lust-affair with the not-available-in-the-US HTC Universal is no secret. Now our friends in the UK, France, and Switzerland can get their sweaty anticipatory hands on it with Orange's official launch of the SPV M5000 - you know, that UMTS (3G) brick packing Windows Mobile 5.0, WiFi (now confirmed although curiously not listed on the Orange website), Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel camera, QWERTY keyboard, 640x480 touch screen, 520MHz processor, 128MB of ROM, and an SD memory card slot. It will sell for about £400 (€600) and begin shipping in the UK, France and Switzerland in October - available to the network's other territories by the end of this year.
Hands-on with the HTC Universal
As promised, a gallery of HTC Universal pics to accompany our question and answer session from earlier today. If you'd like pics of something specific that we may have missed, let us know and we'll try our best to accomodate you.
You've got HTC Universal questions, we've got HTC Universal answers
It took a few days, but we're finally answering your questions about the HTC Universal. We didn't have time to answer every single question that was posted, but we hit as many as we could and we'll do our damnedest to answer more of your questions over the next few days - just post them up in the comments below and we'll try and add them to the post. We'll have also have full gallery of pics going up later this afternoon, but for now, on to the Q&A:
HTC Universal/MDA Pro hits Germany later this week
We're still fairly certain that the HTC Universal isn't going to be sold over here in the States (at least not the UMTS version), but we have some good news for any of our German readers who have been lusting after this monster of a Pocket PC Phone: starting on Thursday you'll be able to pick up the new phone, which as being sold as the "MDA Pro", from T-Mobile Germany. Retail price will be a hefty €749.95 without a contract, or between €430 and €500 depending on what kind of two year service agreement you sign up for.
The HTC Universal: What do you want to know?
Man, if there was ever one gadget we were definitely not expecting to have fall into our laps this week, it's the HTC Universal. It's definitely big for something you're supposed to use to make phone calls, but with great size comes great power, right? (There's a good chance you have the spec sheet for this one memorized: this baby has Windows Mobile 5.0, WiFi, Bluetooth, a one megapixel camera, QWERTY keyboard, a VGA touch screen, a 520MHz processor, 96MB of ROM, 128MB of RAM, and an SD memory card slot.) Normally we'd take a week or whatever and pump out a review, but we thought it'd be more fun to just ask you guys what you want to know about. Post your questions in the comments below and we'll do our best to answer as many of them as we can in a future post. UPDATE: Yikes, that's a lot of questions! In fact, a lot more than we'd anticipated, can't guarantee that we'll be able to answer all, or even most, of them, but we promise we'll do our best. Now just give us a few days, ok?
