Although details are vague, there’s one thing for sure, Blackberry has achieved a shit load of press in the last few weeks. Last week it was the Bold, or the Blackberry 9000, now it’s a rumored ultra powerful touchscreen device called the Thunder, or Blackberry 9500. According to Electronista it will boast the ‘most technically advanced cellular wireless support ever’, and will include support for CDMA, GSM, 3.5G and 4 wireless connectivity (this will include EVDO and HSDPA for each respective frequency). Furthermore, the Blackberry Thunder is rumored to contain no soft keys with the exception of call, answer, Blackberry and escape keys. In light of Verizon’s recent ‘open network plan’ rumor has it that they’d be the ones to nab the device and further align their strategy.
When will we hear official details? The rumor mill says this Summer, but don’t bank on it.
Did AT&T screw up or is this simply a website glitch? According to Apple Insider, AT&T’s website was showing an alternate device for those who are already logged in and have the iPhone selected as their device of choice. A month and some back I got wind of an all black iPhone (rumored to be the 3G iPhone), but Gizmodo squashed those rumors confirming it was just a case for the iPhone…or was it?
I logged into my AT&T account and as of 12:19 PST I was able to select the iPhone Black. I tried to check the tech specs, but AT&T has linked out to Apple’s website (boooooo!).
Crackberry.com got their hands on a Blackberry 9000 via Ebay. In the video they compare the Blackberry 9000 to some other Blackberry phones, and take us through the new OS featured on the 480×320 display. Crackberry liked its speed (i.e. fast processor), the killer screen and the menu features that Blackberry added. And yes, this Blackberry includes a camera that can record video and pictures. Youtube videos open in the media player. The web browser shown looks a little old school, but as Crackberry points out, they don’t think the version in the video is final. What’s really cool, though, is that you can GEO TAG your photos!
In support of the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, Otterbox is donating 10% of the purchase price of all pink Strength cases for the iPhone and 3G iPod Nano. The Strength cases, from the Defender line, are double emblematic as ’strength’ is needed to overcome cancer, and pink of course represents the crusade to defeat cancer.
There probably isn’t a week that goes by when the iPhone hasn’t been mentioned in some sort of media, and it’s usually in regards to another product. Today, the iPhone is being compared to Philips newest cell phone, the Xenium X800 e2e. The Xenium sports touchscreen, WiFi, a WQVGA screen and some sort of PS3 or PSPesqe operating system. According to Unwiredview, it’s not manufactured by Philips, but by some Chinese investors that bought the rights to use the name. Westinghouse does this with its flat panel TVs as well.
I wouldn’t expect these state side anytime…or ever for that matter.
HTC announced their newest phone today, the Touch Diamond. It of course has some iPhone similarities, such as the coverflow option and an integrated YouTube function. The weather widget (if you wanna to call it that) looks pretty neat, and features a wind shield wiper across the screen to indicate rain. Also included is GPS, HSDPA and WiFi - the first time they’ve all been included in a mobile handset!
The HTC Touch Diamond will be available in Europe (on Orange) starting June 2008, and will hit Asia and the Middle East later this quarter. US shores should expect the phone the second half of 2008, with no official date announced. No word on pricing.
Complete Specs:
Size: 102 x 51 x 11.33mm
Weight: 110 g
Connectivity: WCDMA / HSDPA: 900/2100MHz. HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA
Operating system: Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
If you’ve ever used your iPhone in conjunction with something that includes speakers (e.g. car stereo, home stereo, alarm clock, powered speakers hooked up to the dock) then you know how annoying the sound of the GSM signal interfering with the music can be (yes, that’s what that is). Thanks to Altec Lansing’s T612 you can now enjoy your iPhone’s music as it was meant to be without all that darn interference.
What is the Altec Lansing T612?
Essentially, it’s a compact desktop stereo with an iPhone/iPod dock built-in to it. What’s special about the T612 is that Altec Lansing has included special shielding to prevent the iPhone’s GSM signal from invading the system’s audio. No more turning on Airplane mode and missing those ever so important text messages or calls. Oh ya, the T612 will stop the music when there’s an incoming call and slightly lower the volume for incoming texts insuring you don’t miss a beat when rocking out.
Can the T612 work without the iPhone or iPod?
Yes, but it’s primarily designed to be used with one of the two. Included on the rear of the device (see picture) is an AUX/HEADPHONE in. Altec also included a 6″ AUX cord for plugging in headphone-to-headphone.
How’s the sound quality?
Unfortunately, the sound quality is just mediocre at best. If you listen to country and soft rock you’ll be some what satisfied, but the T612 can’t handle low bass so hip-hop and rap are probably out. Furthermore, the T612 tends to distort when approaching max volume - usually an indicator of not enough ampage. Whilst listening to ‘classical’ at max volume there were noticeable audio vibrations. At low volume, though, the T612 performed satisfactorily and was a nice addition to my small kitchen - it’s not ideal for large rooms. Fortunately, you can manipulate the bass and treble settings, but I found it tough to find a setting to satisfy all music genres. The T612 includes four speakers: two tweeters for highs, and two drivers for mids and bass. The T612’s sound quality is probably on par with some of iHome’s larger alarm clocks, although it lacks the associated functionality. It should be interesting to see how the T612 stacks up against the yet to be released iHome iP99BR iPhone Alarm clock/stereo.
Any design flaws?
Actually, it’s quite well put together. It’s not too heavy - could be lugged from room-to-room - and since the only cord necessary is the power pack (the power pack is located mid cord making it compatible with older sockets and heavily populated power strips), it’s a pretty mobile device. Altec Lansing outfitted the back of the device with a rubber finish, which makes it easy to grab and less fragile when transporting. Volume, bass, and treble levels are indicated by 5 blue LEDs located behind its mesh face. The volume has 50 levels (5 increments per LED), while the bass and treble have 10 each (2 increments per LED). The LEDs illuminate for a few seconds after volume, bass, or treble have been adjusted.
Is there a remote?
Absolutely. You can skip songs ahead and back, adjust volume, pause music, and power on/off. The remote’s footprint is equal to that of a pack of gum, and no thicker then two sticks of gum. In other words, it’s small, takes one of those over sized watch-like batteries, and may be easy to lose if you’re of the forgetful type. A mount or dock for the remote would’ve been a welcome addition.
Anything else?
One more thing. The T612 is wall mountable as evidenced by the three holes on its back. Unfortunately, I can’t find (online) the necessary bracket(s) to do so, and it doesn’t appear to be included in the package.
Would you recommend buying it?
For me, it doesn’t meet my sound quality or versatility needs (I would want an alarm clock and radio for the price). But if you can’t wait for the iHome iP99BR, which may or may not sound better, and can’t stand switching to airplane mode then hop aboard the Altec Lansing T612.
Wake up and smell the bandwagon. With more and more people and companies going “green” to help preserve our wonderful planet, it’s a logical step for consumer electronics and accessories to adhere to sustainable practices. This iPhone case by Agent 18 is probably one of the first of many to go this route.
Features:
Simple two-piece slide on/off design
Form-fitting and sleek
Full-access to bottom connectors, microphone, and touch screen
Docks with universal dock
Eco-friendly material with minimum carbon impact
Packaging made from recycled materials
Upon first notice, the case doesn’t add much extra dimension to the iPhone and conforms to the shape quite nicely. It also provides a little more traction to the slippery feel of the iPhone but not nearly as much as the heavy rubber INCASE covers. This can be good or bad depending on the tightness of your jeans, and I’m not sure if the Agent 18 plastic is all that shock absorbent in comparison. The only thing to be conscious of would be sitting in a car and being subject to loose change syndrome, as we all loathe that for sure. All in all, the Agent 18 feels nice in your hand and you’ve done your planet a favor. Just don’t drop it, and take it out of your pants pocket before you get in a car, especially if you are a thug with baggy ass pants. Eco friendly thugs…look for em’.
selected as their device of choice. A month and some back I got wind of an 
