As mobile phones add more features and more users connect with social media, the cell phone becomes a more important part of people’s lives. Japanese carrier KDDI has developed a robot companion that seeks to bridge the gap between a phone and its user and a prototype was shown at this week’s Ceatec expo near Tokyo.
Verizon HTC Droid Eris users beginning to receive Android 2.1 OTA update?
An over-the-air (OTA) update has been dropping into the hands of a few unsuspecting HTC Droid Eris users. Reports say that the update process is not going over so well. If this is the beginning of Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s Android OS 2.1 rollout, then it looks like its off to a rocky start.
Macworld 2010: IPhone Accessories
There are several iPhone accessories on the show floor at Macworld 2010. In this video, I’ll talk about three products that stood out: Uncommon’s custom iPhone cases, Mophie’s marketplace magnetic strip reader, and moodagent, a playlist generator.
LG KM555e Clubby unveiled in Russia
LG also wants a piece of the “all-touchscreen music phone” action, after seeing the strategy works like a charm for Samsung. For that purpose, the company has unveiled the KM555e Clubby, which prides itself with a 3-megapixel camera, Dolby Mobile tech, WQVGA touchscreen, and the ability to sing along LG’s Music Club service. The device is available in Russia for 9,990 rubles (about $329) in three different colors – black, purple and silver.
Pure Digital Sensia radio goes on Facebook, Twitter
A WORLD-first digital radio that lets users access social networking sites Facebook and Twitter is about to go on sale in Australia.
The makers of the Sensia, which also has a virtual keyboard, claim it will change the face of radio.
Apple Becomes World’s Most Profitable Handset Vendor in Q3 2009
According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, Apple became the world’s most profitable handset vendor in Q3 2009. Nokia slipped into second position, as margins have been hit hard by both the economic downturn and a stagnant presence in the United States.
Samsung M3310 and B3410 appear in official photos
We’ve already talked about two upcoming Samsung handsets – M3310 and B3410. It seems the Korean company is approaching the launch date as we caught the official photos on the Interwebs.
Droid vs. Pre vs. iPhone: A Cost of Ownership Reality Check
Verizon Wireless is launching its Android-based Droid handset on Friday, and already confusion is swirling about how much the new handset will cost you. PC World’s sister site, InfoWorld, reported on Tuesday that it will cost an extra $15 to use Droid’s built-in Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync feature. This started a frenzy of other reports around the Web accusing Verizon of “nickel and diming” its customers with service fees. But is the Exchange cost true, and more importantly how much will the new Droid cost you versus competing phones like the iPhone on AT&T or the Palm Pre on Sprint?
Does AT&T’s network suck because the company didn’t configure it properly?
Brough Turner, who has been working in the telecommunications industry since 1983, has a hypothesis: AT&T’s wireless network has configuration problems. He believes that the size of the buffer in “the last router between the high capacity core network and the actual over-the-air data path to a subscriber” is configured improperly, and that it is causing ping times to either be very good, under 200 milliseconds, or horrible, in some cases reaching as high as 8 seconds. Many iPhone users can attest to this on AT&T, it either works wonderfully or doesn’t work at all.
PC World Podcast 49: Google Donut, BlackBerry Storm 2, and Wi-Fi Direct
Hold on to your balloons! This week on the PC World Podcast, editors Robert Strohmeyer, Ginny Mies, Tim Moynihan, and Mark Sullivan try to cover as much of the week’s tech news as possible in 20 minutes.