Windows Phone 7 is the new operating system from Microsoft to replace the older Windows Mobile platform. It was launched recently in late 2010, entering a tough market already dominated by the Iphone and Android, however the initial sales and reception were strong.
Below is a visual look at what Windows Phone 7 brings.
Enjoy this great Infographic from our friends at Infographiclabs
The guys at Skype have got a nice Christmas present for iPhone users – albeit a belated one. Skype just announced the availability of a new app for the iPhone that will allow users to do video calls – something that many people have been waiting for for a while now. There is FaceTime for the iPhone, yes, but that only works when both users are on Wi-Fi and not 3G. With this new Skype app, though, iPhone users do not need to connect to Wi-Fi and can use 3G to make video calls!
While the app does have its limitations, such as video calls only working with Skype-to-Skype calls, it seems to be ahead of FaceTime in many different aspects. For one, the amount of data used by Skype video calls is much less than FaceTime. Skype does recommend that the app be used over Wi-Fi for “best results”.
More good news – the app will work on the following devices:
Of course, the other party will not be able to see you if you’re using the iPad, but with rumors about the iPad 2 coming soon, it shouldn’t be much of an issue.
You ought to be aware that additional charges may – and probably will – apply when the app is used over 3G. Still, it should not be too bad since the data usage is not supposed to be that high. Then again, you might want to take it easy when you first use it so as to avoid unpleasant surprises when your phone bill arrives. For more information, visit the Skype Help Page.
Photo via Unwired View
It’s the stuff that sci-fi is made of. How many stories have you read or heard or even watched about being able to use your mobile phone for practically everything? For sure, this idea is nothing new. However, the actual implementation of this idea is something else.
With the recent announcement from Google, though, it seems that we just might be able to use our mobile phones in lieu of credit cards in the future. At the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, Google head honcho Eric Schmidt talked about – and showed off – the new mobile operating system that they are working on. While the mobile phone was a mere prototype, the new version of Android – dubbed “gingerbread” for now – seemed to be ready for release. It won’t however, be released till the next several weeks or so.
What is really interesting about Schmidt’s demo is the fact that he talked about “near-field technology.” What’s it all about? In the future, mobile phones will have a chip that will serve as a way to conduct transactions the way credit cards do right now. While has was quite excited about the potential of the technology, he added a word of caution about credit card-like transactions not being available in the immediate future.
What got the attention of the people present at the demo was the mobile phone which ran the new version of Android. As is to be expected, rumors are flying around that the phone is a prototype of the Nexus S (S for Samsung), Nexus One‘s successor. While that phone is “dead,” there is still hope for a successor, something which a some people are looking forward to.
In the meantime, hold on to your credit cards.
We all have our little quirks, and if yours is to try to mimic how other people speak, here’s something that will tickle your fancy. Some time last month, NTT Communications announced a pretty cool mobile phone service. Dubbed Mane-1GP (available in Japan only), the service works this way:
How does the system analyze the recordings? The concept is simple: an algorithm was developed specifically for the analysis of recordings, to compare the original and the user-inputted recording. The analysis is based on the following factors:
Knowing just how good the Japanese are with technology, you can bet that these analyses are technologically sound! The service is compatible with most mobile phones available in Japan via the major phone companies: NTT DOCOMO, au, and SoftBank Mobile; and each call will cost a person about 10 to 20 yen. Oh, and to make things more interesting, users can invite friends to join a “competition” wherein the person who gets the highest score wins!
NTT Communications is also known for its other services such as international data service centers, but this piece of news just goes to show that the telecommunications giant is not averse to offering fun and quirky services to their clients!
It may not be for everyone, but hey, each to his own, right?
It used to be that the Apple brand was associated with the color white (even though an apple is not white – don’t ask me why), but with the iPhone, black became the norm rather than the exception. Most iPhones you’ll see around town are black, although there are white ones. With the recent release of the iPhone 4, fanboys (and girls) have been awaiting the white version. If you’re one of them – there is bad news: the release of the white iPhone 4 has been delayed yet again.
Upon the release of the iPhone 4 several months ago, Apple announced that the white version would follow a month or so later. Afterward, they said that it would be released at the end of this year. Now, another announcement has been made – it will not be released till spring of next year.
If your blood pressure is going up, do understand that Apple is not out to get your goat. (It’s not all about you!) Trudy Muller, the spokeswoman for Apple, says they are “sorry to disappoint” those who have been waiting for the white iPhone. (I am not counting on that to make you feel better, though.) As for the reason for all these delays, nothing conclusive has been said, except for the fact that they are finding it “more challenging to manufacture” the white iPhone – more than they expected.
How is the white iPhone 4 different from the black one aside from the color? Darned if I know. (This is coming from someone who has been called color blind on more than one occasion; although how can anyone ever confuse black and white?) In any case, nothing can be done about it but to wait. Sucks to be you, if you’re one of them.
Apple’s iPhone pretty much has gotten all the attention in the world of smartphones. Even people who are not exactly convinced of the iPhone’s “greatness” as a mobile phone cannot deny the attention that it has received. Of course, every now and then, we hear of the new phone that can match – or outdo – the iPhone. And, yes, there are “better” phones out there – especially if you take into consideration that different people will always have different perspectives when it comes to technology.
So, anyhow, do you remember some time back when Palm announced the Palm Pre and touted it as the iPhone killer? While the Pre got a lot of attention prior to its release, it didn’t really take much away from the iPhone, did it? It’s not over yet, though. HP has bought Palm and they are launching the Palm Pre 2 very soon!
This new phone has a host of new features that are supposed to beat every other phone out there, but one of the main things that they are promoting is the fact that you can do virtually anything on the Pre 2 by typing. Doesn’t make sense? Read how to “rediscover amazing”:
Amazing is just typing to begin virtually any activity. Amazing is multitasking without having to learn new rules. Amazing is hauling in all the information you can handle, and managing it without breaking a sweat. Amazing is making the impossible seem effortless. With HP webOS 2.0, you’ll experience the next generation of amazing.
Pretty good copywriter they have, I have to say! 😉
Of course, I am sure you want the dish on the tech specs. Here’s a little teaser:
So, is that enough to make you want the Pre 2 instead of the iPhone 4? Meh.
