mobile phones

White Google Nexus S in the Horizon!

July 8, 2023 by noemi

Take that Apple iPhone! Apple fanboys and fangirls have been waiting for what seems like forever for the white version of the iPhone, and it doesn’t seem like their yearning is going to get satisfied any time soon. In the meantime, the boys at Google (and Samsung) have been busy and are taking things one step further.

The online rumor mill is now abuzz with news about a white Google Nexus S. According to BestBoyZ, the white version just might be hitting the shelves in the very near future. The new Android phone from Google has been out in the United States and the United Kingdom for a while now. If you visit the Google Nexus S page, you’ll be redirected to Best Buy to purchase the phone. However, the only available model right now is the black one. With a new 2-year contract with T-Mobile, you can get the phone for only $199.99 (instead of $529.99).

So anyway, if a white phone is what you want, you might want to consider the Nexus S instead of waiting – indefinitely – for the white iPhone. I am not sure if the white version is going to be available worldwide or if it is only going to be released in Germany. The guys at BestBoyZ say that they have a “confidential and trusted” source. (I hope I got the words right as the site is in German and rely on Babelfish for translation accuracy.) They also say that the phone will come with Super AMOLED.

Without any further ado, here are the leaked photos.

Unfortunately, the front still comes in black, so the whole thing will not be white. Half white is better than no white at all?

Source: BestBoyZ

Facebook Phone in the Works?

July 7, 2023 by noemi

Rumor has it that Facebook is trying to break into the mobile phone market. The news is not so new, as the rumor has been going around since last year. However, it is no secret that this market is booming in every location in the world. Mobile phone deals are all over the place, with telecommunications companies trying to catch the attention of the plethora of customers out there. Of course, Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies are going to give that piece of the pie a try!

Not too long ago, the Facebook CEO had tried to put the rumor to rest. Reeking of sarcasm, he went on about “novel” the idea was – of Facebook creating a mobile phone. While sarcasm may be enough for some people to shut up, there might be some truth in the speculation. Apparently, there have been some leaks providing more substantial information about Facebook’s mobile phone.

One of the most commonly cited sources for this rumor is Pocketnow, who reported specific details on a smartphone which they believe to be the first Facebook phone:

“An Android smartphone built to make messaging faster and smarter. It’s designed around the way people naturally communicate and has Facebook built into its core. The homescreen features multiple entry points to different Facebook functions, while a dynamic widget displays a feed of status updates, albums, videos and photos.”

Now one can say that just because the phone is supposed to have Facebook built into its core, it does not mean that it is going to be a Facebook phone. After all, everyone simply wants to use Facebook on their mobile devices. However, the manufacturer immediately went on the defensive and removed all references to Facebook after the rumors circulated; obviously in the hopes that the rumors will be dispelled. I say a little too late, buddies! I will not be surprised to see a Facebook phone of some sort as part of mobile phone deals before the end of this year. What’s your prediction?

Twitterpoo and iLoo: Tales of Addiction

June 28, 2023 by noemi

I have been called a nerd, an addict, obssessive (with and without “compulsive”), but I don’t really think much about them. People like sticking labels to other people, and they can actually be meaningless. Today, though, I came across an article that got me thinking.

Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson introduced me to the term “iLoo”, which she used to refer to the habit of some people of using their mobile phones while – you got it – doing their business. The result of an informal poll that she did was that five out of six people (whom she knew) had no qualms about checking their e-mail on their phones while on the toilet. More than that, these people actually admitted to having this habit.

If you think about it, checking your e-mail isn’t the only thing you can do in the loo with your phone (or laptop or whatever mobile device you can’t part from). You can play a game, play on Facebook, and update your Twitter. Indeed, I have heard the term “Twitterpoo” used in this regard. (I don’t need to explain what it is, right?) A little crude, yes, but quite apt, don’t you agree?

So are we taking things too far by accessing the Internet and all that it has to offer via various mobile devices – in the bathroom? Are there really e-mail/Internet addicts out there?

Don’t get me wrong – I am not going to deny or affirm my own e-mailing/Internet browsing habits – but hey, if you are bothered by this concept, maybe it’s time to assess your own habits? Then again, why should you? Who cares if you go online from the bathroom – just don’t announce it to the world? :p

New Android Phones to Replace Credit Cards?

June 26, 2023 by noemi

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.

Want to Rate Your Voice Impersonation Skills?

June 24, 2023 by noemi

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:

Mobile phone subscribers call a number.
They have the following choices:
- Popular comedians
- Lines from movies
- Animal sounds
- Various dialect accents
- Other sounds
They can listen to the particular sound/line they want to mimic, and they can record their own rendition.
The users’ recordings are compared to the original sound bytes, and a score is given.

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:

Speed
Intonation
Sound pressure
Voiceprint
Voice quality

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?

Want the White iPhone? Don’t Hold Your Breath

June 23, 2023 by noemi

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.