ThinkGeek TK-421 iPhone keyboard case review
We've been eagerly waiting for iPhone cases with built-in keyboards to hit ever since iOS 4 added Bluetooth keyboard support , but they simply haven't materialized like we'd hoped -- in fact, ThinkGeek's TK-421 case is the first to hit the market, nearly eight months after iOS 4 was first announced . Now that it's finally here, we've got to ask -- is this thing the ultimate iPhone accessory? Does the iPhone actually need a keyboard
Categories: Mobile Phone Tags: bluetooth keyboard, bluetoothkeyboard, ios, iphone, iphone 4, iphonekeyboardcase, keyboard, keyboard case, keyboards, thinkgeek, tk 421, video
BlackBerry Empathy design concept feels bad that you’re stuck using a BlackBerry
Rest easy, folks: we know it's pointy at the bottom, but we've been assured this isn't the BlackBerry 7100's true successor. Instead, the so-called Empathy is the bizarre outcome of of a RIM-sponsored design project at the Art Center College of Design that touts its ability to detect the emotions of its user and his or her contacts
Categories: BlackBerry, Mobile Phone Tags: artcentercollegeofdesign, bizarre, BlackBerry, concept, engadget, Heart, imap, keyboards
BlackBerry messaging shut down in Saudi Arabia, users feel early withdrawal pains
We can't say this is exactly a surprise , but we are rather saddened to learn that Saudi Arabia has apparently carried through on its threats to shut down all BlackBerry messaging services functionality due to "security concerns." Users there are reporting that they are no longer able to use their keyboards for the jobs they were intended, forcing them to actually call friends -- with their voices. Saudi Arabia has threatened $1.3 million fines for any wireless provider that does not play nicely and, until those threats are lifted, we're thinking BBM is down for the count out there
Categories: BlackBerry, Mobile Phone Tags: BlackBerry, concerns, fri, keyboards, rim, saddened, saudi arabia, saudiarabia, security, surprise, voices
Meego handset UI guidelines offer details aplenty, suggestion of WebOS, Android influences
Sure, you can already download MeeGo 1.0 and try it out on your netbook or N900 , but Nokia also has some grander designs for the mobile operating system, and a new Handset Interaction Guidelines document published on (and then pulled from) the official MeeGo wiki has now offered some more details on exactly what's in store. Among the highlights are confirmation of support for both portrait and landscape keyboards, and some pretty strong evidence of WebOS and Android influences, including a task manager that's similar to WebOS's card system but becomes a grid view with a multitouch pinch, and a notification system and taskbar that are apparently similar to Android's -- not to mention some centralized account management. There's pages and pages of details beyond that, however, so hit up the link below to dive in (courtesy of Google Cache, of course).
Categories: Android, Mobile Phone Tags: account, both-portrait, details-aplenty, grid, highlights, intel, interaction, keyboards, meego, mobile, nokia, taskbar, the-highlights, webos
Nexus One gets USB host driver from a dude with an oscilloscope (video)
For Sven Killig, running Android 2.2 wasn't enough. No sir, this dude wanted even more power for his Nexus One, so he went ahead and penned a few lines of code that have allowed his Googlephone to act as a USB host .
Categories: Android, Mobile Phone, nexus one Tags: binaries, driver, engadget, hack, host, keyboards, modding, nexus, nexus one, usb, usb driver, usbhostmode, watching-movies, well-as-more
HTC Hengshan and Huashan for Windows Phone 7 make another online cameo
The Android-powered Vision isn't HTC's only possible user agent-borne leak from this week. Now comes word of two potential Windows Phone 7 devices , the HuaShan and T5588 HengShan. The former has a 480 x 800 screen (no obvious relation to the Mondrian spotted yet) while the latter sports the more typical 320 x 480
Categories: Android, htc, Mobile Phone, Other Tags: keyboards, only-possible, rumor, sports, sports-the-more, windows-phone, windowsphone, windowsphone7
HTC ‘Vision’ finally bringing high-end QWERTY to Android?
For a company with as rich of a reputation for landscape QWERTY sliders as HTC has, you'd think they'd be tripping over themselves to release a truly high-end Android phone with a keyboard, but not so much -- the closest they've come so far would be the midrange myTouch 3G Slide , and that puppy ain't even out yet. We broke the news last night about three seemingly new names for upcoming HTC devices -- Vision, LED, and Glacier -- and Dutch site Tweakers.net is now reporting on a user agent profile for the Vision that lists the device featuring that mythical holy trinity: WVGA display, QWERTY, and Android.
Categories: Android, htc, Mobile Phone, nexus one, Other Tags: benelux, director, even-out-yet, htc, keyboard, keyboards, midrange, nexus, nexus one, qwerty, rumor, trinity, useragentprofile, wvga
BlackBerry Pearl 3G video hands-on
Observe, the rare BlackBerry Pearl 3G feeding in its natural habitat. Just look at the majestic display of vibrant colors as it attempts to court the journalist in a mating dance never before captured on camera! All kidding aside though, here's a quick look at the user interface on the 20-key version of the Pearl 3G; it's stock OS 5.0, so you're not really going to notice anything fresh here, but what we did see worked smoothly and without delay -- the delightful result of pairing a responsive optical pad, 624MHz processor, and what we would assume is a pretty well-optimized build of the platform
Categories: BlackBerry, Mobile Phone, Other Tags: berry-pearl, BlackBerry, cousin, engadget, interface, keyboards, pearl, pearl 3g, pearl 9100, pearl9100, stock, video
How would you change Motorola’s Devour?
Motorola's Devour has somehow managed to get a little lost in the mix, primarily due to the wealth of Android options on America's two main CDMA carriers right now.
Categories: Android, Mobile Phone, Other Tags: carriers, contrary, engadget, group, keyboards, result, the-decision, user, verizon, verizon-wireless
Microsoft Kin One and Kin Two first hands-on!
We've just spent some time handling Microsoft's just-announced Kin One and Kin Two , and we're not sure what to think; the keyboards have surprisingly good feel, particularly the One (think Palm Pre levels of usability on the One, for example -- we wouldn't be surprised if it was their benchmark) and the phones generally feel pretty solid. In fact, we'd go so far to say that this is a marked improvement in hardware quality for Sharp than any of its Sidekicks ever offered