Daily Bits

mobile phones

Want the White iPhone? Don’t Hold Your Breath

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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.

Palm Pre 2 Smartphone Coming Soon!

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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:

  • Display: 3.1-inch multitouch screen with a vibrant 24-bit color, 320×480 resolution HVGA display
  • 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, extended depth of field, geotagging, and video capture
  • GPS
  • Wireless:  Wi-Fi 802.11b/g with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication; Bluetooth® wireless technology 2.1+ EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support; Wi-Fi router functionality for up to five devices using Palm mobile hotspot.
  • Weight: 145 grams (5.1 ounces)

So, is that enough to make you want the Pre 2 instead of the iPhone 4?  Meh.

MobileASL – Sign Language On Mobile Phones

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What do you use your mobile phone for? If this question were asked 10 to 15 years ago, the most common answer would probably be “for voice calls.” Today, text messaging and browsing the web just might be the “winning answers.”

I bet, though, that communicating using sign language over the phone is not going to be in anyone’s list of anyone’s answers. If a group of engineers from the University of Washington is successful, millions of deaf people around the world will be able to use their mobile phones to make calls; and instead of using voice to communicate, they can use American Sign Language!

The team has dubbed themselves the MobileASL, and they have been working on a technology that compresses video signals. The technology focuses on the face and the hands of the user, optimizing the use of the bandwidth. In addition to that, the engineers are also looking at conserving battery life by detecting whether or not the user is signing. At “idle” moments, the power use can be lowered to extend the battery life.

At this point, the brains behind the technology still want to know more about how it will perform in real life situations. They have conducted studies with “real” users, and the response has been positive so far. The edge that MobileASL has is the fact that they are aiming to make the technology available over a broad range of devices. No iPhone-only application from these guys – if they have their way, practically anyone will be able to make use of their creation.

3 Android Games You Need to Have

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While we’re on the topic of Android phones, why don’t we take a look at some of the apps that are getting lots of people addicted as I write? While it’s true that iPhone apps are very addictive and that their graphics can be quite impressive, there are Android games out there that can keep you glued to your phone as well. Here are three of those games.

Bonsai Blast
There are many reasons this game is the first on the list. One, it’s free. Two, it’s completely addictive. It is just like Zuma in terms of graphics and gameplay. You’ll see marbles of different colors and blow them up by matching the patterns. Simple but you can spend hours playing the game.

Speed Forge 3D
This one costs $4.99, but people who’ve played it say it’s worth the small price you have to pay. It’s a racing game that is set in the future, in the Red Planet. The bored citizens have turned to racing for entertainment. Some users have likened the game to Wipeout. There are 6 tracks, 3 different vehicles, and weapons as well. The graphics are in full 3D.

Zenonia
Korean company Gamevil is the one behind this acclaimed mobile RPG. According to critics, the game’s richness of detail is nothing short of amazing. Wikipedia describes the game: Zenonia’s protagonist is Regret, a young man whose origins are initially unknown. His primary mission in the game is to find the reason for the death of his adoptive father at the hands of a demon and subsequently a more powerful evil that is at work.

If you haven’t gotten these games yet, what’s stopping you?

iPhone Bows to Android Phones

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It seems that predictions by some experts in the past are coming to life. According to statistics released by Nielsen, smartphones using the Android OS are being used by more people than iPhones. They released the following graphs, which were published by The New York Times yesterday.

As you can see, for quarter two of this year, the number Android OS users has surpassed the number of iPhone users. Indeed, the numbers have been steadily going up since quarter four of 2009, but it was only in the second quarter of this year that the tide truly turned. More from the report:

By the end of 2011, there could be more smartphones in the United States than the less advanced feature phones, according to a report released Monday by the Nielsen Company, a market trends monitor.

The report also notes that the Google Android platform continues to show rapid growth and over the past six months has edged past the Apple iPhone platform with new subscribers.

As the report said, though, in spite of these numbers, it seems that the iPhone is still more sought after than any other kind of mobile phone in the market. The brand and the hype look to be stronger assets than any other set of features out there. Indeed, other stats point to more people switching to the iPhone in the future. However, the fact that this handset is tied to a single carrier just might contribute to declining sales.

Do you think this is the beginning of the end for the iPhone? Are Android phones really better?