Tim
Latest
LG's KU380 3G slider for Orange and TIM
We don't necessarily bother bringing up every last midrange phone that hits the European market, but this thing's kinda cute, isn't it? It's the KU380 from LG, a decidedly pale slider whose highest-end feature happens to be its UMTS radio. Otherwise you get a 220 x 176 display, 1.3 megapixel cam, microSD slot, Bluetooth 1.2, and that's about it. Look for it to land on Orange and TIM.[Via Unwired View]
Deutsche Telekom confirms iPhone talks, TIM a possibility for Italy
In case it wasn't plainly obvious yet, Deutsche Telekom has finally confirmed that it's been in official talks with Apple to bring the iPhone to its German T-Mobile subsidiary -- though it has nothing specific to report about the outcome of those talks. T-Mobile Germany's CEO did say, however, that he fully expects Apple to make official European partner announcements "well ahead" of the holidays in an effort to cash in on the Festivus cheer. Concurrently, word is spreading that Italy's TIM may be involved in talks, too, making Apple reps a very busy group east of the pond these past few weeks. Whether there'll be any 3G involved remains to be seen, but either way, it looks like there will be plenty of some kind of iPhone going around Europe by year's end.[Thanks, Mattia]Read - Deutsche TelekomRead - TIM
Matinee at the Bijou to bring classic cartoons to PBS-HD
Those glorious Saturday mornings filled with cartoons and a complete lack of responsibility will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we're thrilled to hear that some faithful classics are about to get reborn on PBS-HD. According to Bijou Bob's official weblog, PBS has given "the green light" to producers to revive some of the greatest 'toons of the past, and just as soon as sufficient sponsors are found, you can expect to see the renditions in stunning HD, which will likely prove that Betty Boop actually is forever young. The 12-episode season is slated to air sometime in 2007, with "Betty Boop, Tom & Jerry, and the Fleischer Superman cartoons being named as potential candidates for the show." Additionally, you can expect to see see "a short subject, a serial chapter, and a feature film" to go along with the newly-rendered cartoons, all of which will be hosted by Debbie Reynolds. So if you're looking to relive a bit of your past, and don't mind the HD makeover, the Matinee at the Bijou should be right up your alley.[Via ToonZone]
Samsung delivers P930 TV swivel phone for Italy
Fresh out of Samsung's gates comes the do-it-all SGH-P930 swivel phone, a handset that rocks pretty much every acronym we care about: HSDPA and DVB-H, just to name a couple. The 20-millimeter thick phone presumably locks into the 90-degree orientation or swivels fully open at the user's discretion, making for a more pleasant viewing experience when vegging out with that mobile TV they've got goin' on over in Europe these days. Italy's TIM will be the first carrier to take delivery of the P930, which also packs in a 2 megapixel cam, VGA front cam for video calling, picture-in-picture (as if the 2.3-inch display is even big enough for a single channel), and microSD expansion. Grab it on TIM now for a stiff €529 (about $700), which we sincerely hope is a contract-free price.[Via Tech-On!]
Italy gets Motorola RAZR V3xx
Hong Kong gets the KRZR first, Australia gets the MAXX first... what's next, Italy first out of the gate with the V3xx? Well, actually, yes. Telecom Italia's mobile division, TIM, is now showing the HSDPA-infused RAZR for a pricey €299 -- about $380 for us yanks, which is a smidge more than we were hoping considering that the V3xx is the entry-level model in Motorola's 3G clamshell push. Entry-level or no, though, the V3xx brings it strong with A2DP, a 1.3 megapixel main and VGA secondary cam, microSD expansion, and the typical alphabet soup of support for GSM flavors. We're personally going to keep holding out for our MAXX, but folks taking the plunge will get their choice of Licorice Black and Burnt Orange flavors.[Thanks, Jewberg]
NEC e373 passes FCC muster
As we all know, FCC approval means virtually nothing for a phone's chances of seeing a US release, but we can dare to dream. The 900/1800/1900 tri-band NEC e373, just released on Italian carrier TIM, treads some moderately uncharted territory as a truly low-end UMTS clamshell, lacking an external display and expansion slot. To boot, the useless-for-anything-but-video-calling VGA camera and 32MB of internal memory make the phone all but useless as a multimedia device, but yeah, we have a soft spot in our hearts for hot-looking 3G clamshells, so we're going to give the e373 a mulligan this time.[Via Mobile Magazine]
Joystiq won't let Tim Buckley cut in line
Tim Buckley's Ctrl+Alt+Del comic strip has a pretty massive following. So it's an honor, really, that Tim gave us a little nod in his E3 recap comic. As many of you have pointed out, one of the guys standing in line for the Wii is wearing our new T-shirt.According to our calcultions, the distance from Los Angeles to the Utah border is approximately 380 miles. There are 5,280 feet in a mile, and the average person in line took up around 2-1/2 feet of breathing room, resulting in approximately 802,600 attendees* in front of us waiting in line for the Wii. So yeah, sorry Tim, we weren't going to let you in -- we had been waiting in line since Wyoming.[Thanks to everyone who tipped us off; image courtesy of The_Wind_Waker8](Update: Corrected spelling of Tim's name; although the paraprax "Time" could still be accurate ... sort of.)
