As many people are protesting against Rogers about their recently-unveiled cell phone plan structure for their highly anticipated iPhone, another competitor Bell decides to fight off against the iPhone by unveiling a new cell phone called the Samsung Instinct. The good things about the Samsung Instinct is that the plan includes totally unlimited data usuage as opposed to the 400MB data usage imposed by Rogers. Telus, another company is also launching a new cell phone and just like Bell, the plan includes totally unlimited data usage.

The phone that Bell will be releasing is the Samsung Instinct. Telus on the other hand will be releasing the HTC Touch Diamond.

Bell's unlimited internet access plan will cost $10 CDN per month and the Samsung Instinct will be selling for less that $150. Telus on the other hand will be offering the same thing, just like Bell - with a few differences:

Telus will offer an unlimited e-mail plan for $15 CDN per month or $30 CDN per month for e-mail, internet and instant messaging.

In other news, a website called oilchange.com has somewhat acquired the highly popular website ruinediphone.com. No word on why and how the ruinediphone website has been acquired. As for the recently concluded wireless spectrum auction in Canada, it is expect by next year, new carriers will be up and running and the competition will be invigoriously increased to reduce cell phone rates in half. Will it work? We'll see.

Remember in my last posting that what if Paul Gigliotti & Dave Thomson (of the now defunct band called "Wave") along with Lee Alsop and Ben Dunk (their friends) were to get the iPhone and wonder if they don't understand about Rogers (or Fido's) data plans were. Chances are they would end up like the guy who has a whopping $85,000CDN phone bill! As the old saying goes, things happen. The same thing will go for my friends Tarin, Laura, Jenny, Stacy P., Meghan and my trusted friend Bobby F. They will weigh in with the iPhone.

I guess their future won't be friendly after all.

References:

"Bell Mobility may offer cheaper less complex phone device." eCanadaNow.com. 4 July 2008. 6 July 2008. <http://www.ecanadanow.com/news/technology/bell-canada--fights-back-with-own-phone-20080704.html>

"Telus is Next to Launch Touch-Screen Phone with Unlimited Data." Marketnews.ca. 4 July 2008. 6 July 2008. <http://marketnews.ca/news_detail.asp?nid=3872>

"What happened to ruinediphone.com?." National Post. 2 July 2008. 6 July 2008. <http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fpposted/archive/2008/07/02/what-happened-to-ruinediphone-com.aspx>

"iPhone 3G in Canada: Apple Doing to Rogers What Rogers Did to Consumers?." 6 July 2008. 6 July 2008. <http://www.theiphoneblog.com/2008/07/06/iphone-3g-in-canada-apple-doing-to-rogers-what-rogers-did-to-consumers/>

"Customer Backlash on iPhone Rate Plans, Launch Approaches" Macrumors.com. 6 July 2008. 6 July 2008. <http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/06/customer-backlash-on-iphone-rate-plan-pricing-launch-approaches/>

"Bell to offer smartphone with unlimited data plan." CBC.ca 3 July 2008. 6 July 2008. <http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/07/03/bell-instinct.html>

"Solution to high iPhone prices is not to buy one." Vancouver Sun. 4 July 2008. 6 July 2008. <http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/editorial/story.html?id=0def1ab0-a015-4125-8015-b57b21c1c823>

"Canada gets unlimited mobile browsing – but not for iPhone." itwire.com. 4 July 2008. 6 July 2008. <http://www.itwire.com/content/view/19233/1103/>

"Bell first in Canada to launch the hot Samsung Instinct(TM)." Stockhouse.com 3 July 2008. 6 July 2008. <http://www.stockhouse.com/News/USReleasesDetail.aspx?n=6962181>

"Is Samsung Instinct really an iPhone killer?." itbusiness.ca. 2 July 2008. 6 July 2008. <http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/News.asp?id=49004>

Batteria maggiorata per DIAMOND e relativa cover adattata in preordine anche nello store ufficiale HTC. Ci sentiamo un pò presi in giro… dover spendere quasi altri 60 euro!!!! A poche settimane dall’uscita è già presente una batteria più grande quasi ad ammettere che quella data in dotazione non è sufficiente...

clicca qui per maggiori informazioni

Fonte:HDblogMobile

The updated model still includes Marvell PXA270 624MHz and Qualcomm MSM 6275 processors, 256MB ROM, 128MB RAM, tri-band HSDPA, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, GPS, 5-inch VGA, and 3 megapixel camera. The battery has slightly less capacity (2100 mAh vs. the 2200 mAh of today’s model, but with the flash drive instead of a spinning hard drive.

 [gallery]

The HTC equipped with a 528Mhz processor, the O2 XDA Diamond is not only crowded with features but extremely potent.
a honorable 3.2 mega pixel camera with autofocus and built-in flash, the HTS Diamond also provides a secondary videocall camera plus there’s a music player with support for multiple audio file formats and stereo FM Radio with RDS.
Also along with the wide list of features the HTC Diamond has a GPS receiver with Assisted support as well as WiFi capabilities. Reaching download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps the O2 XDA Diamond is proud to boast broadband like speeds and is accompanied with an improved mobile web browser. I want a HTC Now!!!

I had to hard reset my HTC Wizard today (not for the first time). I normally use Option 1 (see below). Then I remembered that these devices do have a hard reset option by having a sequence of keys pressed at the same time. Oh... I have used an iPAQ Pocket PC previously.

So here are the two ways to hard reset your HTC wizard:

Option 1:
Start > Settings > Clear Storage (then enter in the magic number it gives you and tap 'YES')

Option 2: [A bit complicated]

The sequence: Press the Comm Manager button (top left) + Voice Command button (top right) + Soft Reset button (middle right, below the IR Receiver).

The tricky part: Continue to hold the two side buttons (Comm Manager + Voice Command) and don't let go. Release the Soft Reset button only and quickly press the Down button of the navigation pad for a few seconds until you find a prompt on the screen.

That's it: Once you get the prompt, release all buttons and press the Talk Button (send button).

Follow the instructions on the screen and you should be ready to go with a refreshed device.

Please do add a comment below to say whether this worked for you or not. Thanks!

The HTC tytnII is a pretty comprehensive handheld device - but does it have the kahoonas to mix it with journos on the job?

I promised a review of the performance of the tytn while covering the post xenophobic situation at the Central Methodist Church in the Johannesburg CBD. The phone had some strong points and some real failings.

In the plus column, the handheld's tilting keyboard was quite a boon, once I got my thumbs hopping. I was also able to write and save a lot of news copy onto the two gig micro sd card and then transfer this onto my desktop. The fact that the HTC phone has Windows Mobile 6 is a big plus. Other features, which I did not use, like the gps and 3g upload facility would probably be very useful for locating and then filing from the scene.

But the Achilles heal of the tytnII again became painfully obvious - the lack of display drivers. I filmed some video on the device and it came out really jerky. The three meg camera was also badly affected by the crappy video interface. I had to be very careful to hold the phone still while taking pics. If I moved around (even slightly) - the images would come out smudged. This is a real problem for a top-end handheld and HTC needs to get off its proverbial and provide the said drivers asap!!

All in all a useful experience. In a fast-developing market, with growing numbers of handhelds coming bundled with Windows Mobile 6, HTC cannot rest on its laurels.

What's certain is that you'll see greater numbers of hacks running round with handhelds filing copy, video, pics and audio from the scene of a news event.

Gotta love tech!

Source - SlashGear

Gooseberry, una volta che ci si è presa la mano, è piuttosto comodo: lo puoi usare come telefono oppure come letturaio ed è questa la funzione più interessante.

Goose, quando arriva l'avviso di una mail, blippa o vibra o fa qualcosa a seconda di come l'hai settato. Se suona, perlomeno nella versione originaria,  caccia fuori un suono realmente egregio, peggio che un intera flotta di navi che si metta a suonare insieme.

Come tutti gli altri letturai da dipendenza. Il perchè non lo so ma, dopo un po', ti trovi a guardare cosa ti sia arrivato in qualsiasi punto. Incluso quando sei in bagno.

Devo ammettere che esistono mail lavorative lassative o stimolanti di funzioni corporali ma non avrei mai pensato che ci potesse essere momenti che di solito erano riservati alla Settimana Enigmistica o a riflessioni sul colore del soffitto o la presenza di ragnatele.

Potrebbero quasi metterlo nei flayer dove si parla dei grandi benefici del cambiare i sistemi di posta: "Adesso potrete leggere le vostre mail di lavoro anche dal cesso". Sono sicura che qualsiasi persona che abbia ancora le facoltà mentali intatte apprezzerà ed inizierà a piangere. Gli altri, quelli coi neuroni fulminati, saranno felicissimi e faranno un balletto all'urlo di "Always connected"

Un grande passo per l'umanità è stato compiuto, ammettiamolo: adesso possiamo lavorare anche quando siamo in bagno.

Volete mettere ?

HTC a frappé fort avec le tout nouveau né de leur gamme Touch, le Diamond.

Niveau design, on aime ou on aime pas, personnellement, je ne suis pas bien convaincu, mais il faut reconnaître qu'il a été particulièrement bien travaillé sur ce point.

Passons de suite sur ses défauts, je ne lui en ai trouvé que deux, à savoir la batterie qui va certainement se révéler limitée vu les outils qu'il propose, et la mémoire qui, convenable avec 4 Go integrés, ne peut pourtant pas s'étendre grâce aux cartes, car pour préserver la finesse du téléphone, HTC a choisi de ne pas lui intégrer de lecteur...

Heureusement, le Diamond se rattrape bien de ses défauts par les outils qu'il propose, tel qu'un capteur 3.2Megapixels, un GPS integré, Windows Mobile 6.1, le wifi et la 3G, le navigateur Opéra, le tout dans une interface qui semble sympa et pratique, manipulable avec un doigt seulement.

Au final c'est un smartphone bien sympa, alliant performances et design. Pour la liste complète de ses caractéristiques, rendez-vous ici.

If you haven't seen an overview.. here's a short video

E qui sotto, un'immagine.

Cal posar la versió 4.17a de firmware del Parrot perquè funcioni. A les release notes de la 4.17a ja dóna pistes, i realment funciona.

Si no es posa aquesta versió, passen coses rares que ja us sonaran, com per exemple:

- Trucada fantasma: a vegades a l'entrar al cotxe, la pantalla posa "llamando ..." i no deixa fer res

- No connecta: la majoria de les vegades el Parrot no connecta. A vegades mentre esta trucant pots sentir pels altaveus que esta trucant, però al connectar, apareix un simbol de silenci, i no s'escolta res.

- Es reseteja: A vegades diu Desconectado / Desconectado a la pantalla, i fins que no tanques el contacte del cotxe, no desapareix.

Doncs bé, amb la versió 4.17a ja funciona tot.

Només cal baixar el "Parrot Software Update Tool" de http://www.parrot.com/es/apoyoalcliente/descargar 

i ja funciona.

Per actualitzar el firmware, cal seguir aquests passos (tot i que ho explica molt bé a la web):

1) Anem a preferencias avanzadas del parrot i activem la actualización de software

2) des del PC, fem un descobriment dels dispositius, i trobem un "parrot serial: UPDATE".

3) El connectem posant "1234"

4) Aleshores connectem aquest port sèrie virtual i el deixem connectat.

5) Arrenquem el "Parrot Software Update Tool", i després de triar el idioma i baixar la última versió (la famosa 4.17a), li fem actualitzar.

6) Triem la opció Bluetooth virtual serial port, i comença el "flashejat" del firmware.

7) Després d'uns inacabables 4 o 5 minuts (inacabables perquè estem amb el portàtil amb la bateria, patint de que no s'acabi i que no es pengi el procés, deixant el Parrot inservible ...), acaba el flash, i es reseteja el aparell.

8) Després d'això s'ha perdut tota la config. cal tornar a aparellar el telèfon, des de la opció Preferecias avanzadas, i seleccionant "Windows CE device" (encara que suposo que amb els altres també anirà). Un cop aparellat, es copiarà l'agenda de manera automàtica.

9) Pim-pam. Ja funciona. No falla cap vegada. Comprovat amb el Touch II, que fallava moltíssim més que el Touch normal.

WM Experts nous dévoile le HTC Diamond dans une très belle vidéo et une galerie des plus complète. Son Form-Factor y est également comparé à celui d'autres smartphones du marché.

Will update more once the ROM release.

Source - MobilitySite

Questa è convergence: un pezzo Apple che ricarica un coso con su roba Microsoft.

Adesso debbo solo capire perchè parte lo scrobbling di Last.fm quando connetto il telefono al portatile

Source: jvecina

My new entry over at CNET Asia Community Blog is up. This week's entry, "First look pics of the HTC Touch Pro". Click here for the read.

Il cartellone pubblicitario è di tipo slide-advertisement, con due pubblicità che si alternano; per la cronaca l'altro cartellone è della Vodafone...che non ci sia qualche accordo in vista per la vendita del Diamond brandizzato ;)

Fonte:PianetaPDA

Acheter le HTC Diamond

Source: Passionmobile

Voici quelques images du clavier du Raphael, version Pro du Touch Diamond.

Autres photos: Mobile Burn