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Palm Pre’s Manual

palm-pre

When word that Sprint Gurus had gotten hold of the Palm Pre User Guide came across our desks yesterday, we couldn’t wait to get our eyes all over it… and then we saw that it was almost as long as Infinite Jest. Okay, we kid, it’s not as bad as all that — just 344 pages of heretofore unseen glorious tidbits. So here’s what we’ve culled thus far: first, the Pre’s main musical squeeze, Amazon MP3, will queue your music downloads when on the 3G network for later download when the device is on a WiFi network — which is sure to cause annoyance and dismay the whole world over (and by “world” we mean the Pre’s world, which is the United States only). There is however, plenty of good news: the Pre will, in fact have IMAP IDLE (AKA Push) Gmail capabilities, meaning that you’ll get your spam nearly the moment it hits Gmail’s servers. Finally, the previously spied Reminder field in the Pre’s Contacts has been found out, and it’s a really awesome feature allowing you to make a note and attach it to a particular contact, so that the next time you are in contact with that person, the reminder will pop up and… remind you. For anyone suffering mild memory loss (like us) little touches like this are sure to make the Pre a more attractive proposition. Hit the read link for the full manual, and let us know what you find. Warning: the user’s manual is a PDF, and has an insanely huge Sprint Gurus watermark across every blasted page.

LG’s New trio enV3 enV Touch and Glance on Verizon Network

Today Verizon Wireless announced three new LG phones that are headed to its network, the enV3, enV Touch and Glance. All three carry threaded messaging capabilities, GPS and Bluetooth.

lg-env3

  • enV3: This successor to the enV2 is a sideways clamshell with full QWERTY keyboard. Its 3 megapixel camera has a flash and video capture, as well as Smile Shot and Panorama shooting modes. It has a 2.6-inch internal display, support for 16GB microSD cards, A2DP, 2.5mm headset jack and can be used as a wireless modem tethered to a laptop. It will be available May 29 for $130 after rebate with new agreement.
  • enV Touch: This successor to the Voyager has a 3-inch resistive touch display with haptic feedback on the outside and a 3-inch standard display on the inside. It shares many features with the enV3, but those that set it apart include a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and image editor, and a 3.5mm headset jack. It will cost $150 after rebates with new agreement and will be available June 5.
  • Glance: This monoblock device has a 1.3 megapixel camera, 2.5mm headset jack, and speakerphone. It will be available for $50 after rebate with new agreement on June 5.

6GB data plan for $30 per month from Rogers

rogers-android1Here’s a quick Rogers  rumor for the Canadians out there getting geared up for Android. Rumor has it that Rogers may offer a 6GB data plan for $30 per month. The plan would basically be identical to the one offered to new iPhone customers on Rogers back when the iPhone 3G launched. The plan was a big part of the launch success north of the border (at least in my opinion… unlimited data would have been better!).

At any rate, Android-ians that pick up the Dream or Magic on June 2nd from a Rogers location should have the option for the 6GB data plan. It’s no ‘unlimited’ plan like our friends to the south enjoy… But coming from Rogers… I think this is the best we’re going to get.

Palm Pre in Sprint stores now

palm-pre-sprintroom1In an unprecedented move of aggression, two pixellated denizens of the “Interwebs” have escaped their digital prison to seek out the Palm  Pre in the back room of a Sprint outlet store. “You dirty fleshbags think you can have all the fun?” snarled one binary beast, wearing a backwards cap. “We want this thing just as much as you do.” His conspirator, donning a dapper pinstripe shirt, was clearly the brains of the operation. “We’ve been watching the blogs for months while waiting for the Palm Pre. The time to strike was right, and we have prevailed.” How the duo managed to leave their series of tubes, let alone be aware that Sprint had the devices in stock, remains a mystery. The latest guess at an ever-changing launch date is May 19th., and given Sprint stores have been getting their demo units since at least yesterday, that launch date sounds entirely likely. A coalition of internet service providers is currently assembling a task force to banish these demons to the plane from whence they came.

Bell carries out Samsung m230

bell_samsung_m230

As predicted, the basic yet very functional Samsung m230 ‘Phoenix’ has arrived and is now shipping from the folks at Bell. If you were hoping for some color choices, keep hoping… As Bell only has the m230 available in a Grey at this point.

Key features of the Bell Samsung m230 Phoenix:

  • Flip form factor
  • Bluetooth
  • Voice recognition
  • Threaded messaging
  • 1.9″ display
  • French and English support
  • Weighs in at 97 grams

The m230 is selling via Bell stores but currently is not available online.

First look at Android operated Samsung device

samsung-androidOnly two weeks have passed since the first Android-powered Samsung was officially announced and it already has company. Photos of two new Samsung handsets running on the Google’s OS leaked online today, along with most of their specs sheets.

The two new Samsung handsets are codenamed Bigfoot and Spica will be running the v2.0 Donut of the Android OS. Yeap, you got that right - Android v1.5 isn’t yet completely distributed to the market and v2.0 is already about to appear. According to the source the upgrade to v2.0 won’t be available to every handset out there with the decision left for the carriers to make.


Nokia 5800 XpressMusic comes to UK

nokia-5800xpressmusic-orangeWhat a difference a year and a half makes, eh? It was August of 2007 when Orange first got all weird on Nokia over the then-wild concept of a manufacturer-owned and operated music store — bear in mind the iPhone hadn’t launched very widely at that time — and look how far we’ve come. The two companies have just announced that the venerable Nokia 5800 XpressMusic will be available starting May 29 loaded up with Comes With Music, Nokia’s all-you-can-eat service that brings endless downloadable tracks through its Music Store. In Orange’s case, Comes With Music will be available on any of five special plans starting at £25 a month (about $38), meaning that you’ll be able to nab music for the duration of your two-year contract. As long as DRM’s in the mix, you’re basically locked into your contract for as long as you want the definitive Bryan Adams collection that you’ve downloaded — so we’re hoping Nokia nixes that nightmare sooner rather than later. And hey, congrats, Orange customers — you’re the first Brits to officially be offered this through a carrier, and you’ll be getting it in an “exclusive” black / silver color combo.

Verizon and their Partners

verizonlogoToday Verizon Wireless added several new companies to its mix of Long Term Evolution technology partners. First, Verizon selected Giesecke & Devrient to provide Java-based SIM cards, which will help Verizon provide new LTE-based data services. Verizon also picked Gemalto to provide an over-the-air platform and LTE Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC), which will help Verizon Wireless deliver a more secure and more reliable multimedia data connection, provide global roaming and the ability to remotely add new UICC card applications.

$100 Port-In Offer-Price Plan Restrictions and Mobile Broadband (MBB) Card Eligibility Updates

sprint-logo-whiteEffective 5/1/09 – 6/30/09, any Corporate-Liable customer who switches their wireless service to Sprint Nextel and activates on any device will receive a $100 service credit, for each line of service, on their monthly invoice.

The service credit will be automatically applied in 2 increments of $50. The first service credit will occur following the 60th day from activation and the second service credit following the 90th day, for each line.

MBB Updates:

  • This offer applies to MBB cards, including embedded devices, as long as the customer’s existing MBB number is ported to Sprint through the standard number porting process.
  • Customers who deactivate with their current MBB provider and activate with Sprint will not be eligible – the activation MUST be processed as a port-in to receive the credit.
  • The porting process requires the customer’s existing account number and PTN.  This information is typically found on the customer’s invoice, online account, or by calling their current provider.

Restrictions Updates:

  • This credit offer is not available for customers activating on any Seasonal Standby plans.
  • Also not available on the following Government plans: C1266, U3169, U3169H, and U3169D.

Android G1 v2 to be Motorola

motorola-androidOkay, so T-Mobile confirmed on Saturday that it’s launching “multiple” Android devices from “three partners” later this year, and since most people assume the HTC Magic / Sapphire / myTouch / whatever and the Samsung I7500 are pretty much locked in, speculation has generally centered around that mysterious G1 v2 and the identity of the third partner — and it looks like it’s going to be Motorola. Not only did commenter Someperson notice that the button labels on the alleged G1 v2 are basically identical to those on other recently-launched Moto phones, Boy Genius Report says today that they can “more or less confirm” the v2 will be Schaumburg’s first Android set — a development that lines up perfectly with last month’s rumors of a slider QWERTY piece. Yep, it all fits together nicely, except for the fact that HTC is oddly out of the loop on the sequel to the G1 — but since T-Mobile owns that particular trademark, it can do whatever it wants, you know? Hopefully we’ll find out more soon — if that sketchy leaked roadmap is correct, we’ll be seeing this guy in the fall.