Astricon 2011 Video Snippet Of First Session http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Tom Keating of TMCnet has captured a bit of the first session of the Astricon 2011 that started on 25th of this month.
Tom proudly declares that this was recorded in HD using his new iPhone 4S.
Samsung Exhibit™ II 4G (T-Mobile) http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
If you thought all those smartphones were nice but too expensive, even with carrier rebates, T-Mobile has come out with a fine answer. Samsung Exhibit™ II 4G is a very decent Android smartphone that comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 3.7-inch WVGA display, 1GHz single-core Snapdragon CPU, 4G access and dual cameras for video chat and video recording.
The phone could be had for as little as $30 with a rebate and a two year contract from T-Mobile. If you do not like those ambiguous contracts you can get one without a contract for $200, the same price one would pay for an iPhone 4S (16GB) with a two year contract.
T-Mobile Introduces the Samsung Exhibit™ II 4G
An affordable 4G smartphone with rich entertainment features, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G will be available via no annual contract and two-year contract options beginning Oct. 27.
BELLEVUE, Wash. and DALLAS - Oct. 26, 2011 - T-Mobile USA, Inc. and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S. 1, today announced the availability of the latest budget-friendly, feature-rich 4G smartphone: the Samsung Exhibit™ II 4G. The Samsung Exhibit II 4G will be the first no annual contract 4G smartphone to be sold at most Walmart stores, available starting Oct. 27. The Samsung Exhibit II 4G is also planned for nationwide availability with no annual contract plans as well as two-year contract plans starting Nov. 2.
"T-Mobile offers a variety of low-cost service plans that, paired with America's largest 4G network, provide a compelling reason for consumers to step up to the benefits of 4G smartphones," said Andrew Morrison, vice president, product management, T-Mobile USA. "The Samsung Exhibit II 4G is the perfect device for consumers desiring a smartphone with robust 4G entertainment and Web browsing experiences – at a price they can afford."
Featuring a 3.7-inch WVGA TFT touchscreen and a 1 GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processor, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G provides a variety of entertainment capabilities and Web browsing experiences on America's largest 4G network®. The Samsung Exhibit II 4G offers access to thousands of popular TV shows and movies through T-Mobile® TV in mobile HD and Samsung Media Hub. Powered by Android™ 2.3 Gingerbread, the device features some of Google's most popular applications and services such as Google Maps™ and Gmail™, plus thousands of others via Android Market™.
Offered in a stylish marine blue color, the Samsung Exhibit II 4G makes it easy to share and take photos and videos via its 3-megapixel rear-facing camera with flash and video capture capabilities. The front-facing camera also makes it easy to connect with friends and family via video chat through T-Mobile's 4G network or Wi-Fi. Additionally, the device enables consumers to organize personal and business email accounts, as well as sync with Microsoft® Exchange and Google calendar and contacts.
Availability
The Samsung Exhibit II 4G, exclusively from T-Mobile, will be available at most Walmart stores starting Oct. 27 and is planned to be available nationwide at T-Mobile retail stores, online via www.T-Mobile.com and at select dealers beginning Nov. 2. The Samsung Exhibit II 4G will be offered through no annual contract and two-year contract plan options, and is expected to cost $29.99 after a $50 mail-in-rebate card with a two-year service agreement and qualifying Classic voice and data plan, and $199.99 via no annual contract.
BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Verizon Wireless today announced that the Galaxy Nexus by Samsung, the world’s first smartphone running on Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich is coming to Verizon Wireless. The Galaxy Nexus will be available later this year in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com.
Ice Cream Sandwich brings a redesigned user interface with enhanced multitasking, notifications, full Web browsing experience and more. Customers will also be able to enjoy the innovative new features that Ice Cream Sandwich offers, such as Face Unlock which uses facial recognition to unlock the Galaxy Nexus. Customers can take advantage of the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network to access more than 300,000 apps and games from Android Market™ or rent movies and stream them instantly on the 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED™ display.
Additional features:
- 4G LTE – customers can expect fast download speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE mobile broadband coverage areas
- Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich
- First smartphone to feature a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED™ display (1280 x 720)
- 1.2 GHz dual-core processor with 1GB RAM
- 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, zero shutter lag and 1080p full HD video capture
- 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chatting
- Near Field Communications (NFC) enabled
Support for Google™ mobile services – Android Market, Gmail™, Google Maps™ 5.0 with 3D maps, Google Earth™, Movie Studio, YouTube™, syncing with Google Calendar™ and a redesigned Google＋ app
- Android Beam allows customers to quickly share Web pages, apps and YouTube™ videos with friends by simply tapping compatible phones together
Customers that purchase the Galaxy Nexus by Samsung smartphone will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 for monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data. For more information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.
Steve Jobs Biography http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
The autorized biography of Steve Jobs is now available at his own creation(s) yes you can buy it in Apple’s iTunes and read it on iPhone or iPad. If you want to read it on other devices, you can get it on Amazon, whose App Store Apple did not like and sued. Oh they also have the hard cover tree killing edition at Amazon as well.
The authorized biography was written by Walter Isaacson was originally scheduled for release on October 24th but some how became available yesterday evening in digital format through Apple’s and Amazon’s ebook stores. I guess the time zones lapsed. It is not the only time the publication time changed, it was originally scheduled for release in November but the passing of Jobs has moved the publishing date up.
Isaacson has a history of writing famous biographies, like of Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin. Reportedly Steve Jobs has asked Isaacson in 2004 about writing his biography.
Isaacson was interviewed about the biography on the long-running Sunday evening news show 60 Minutes yesterday.
On Amazon, prices range from $16.99 to $17.88 (hard cover edition)In the iBookstore, the biography costs $16.99 and can be read through the free iBooks app on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Microsoft Trying A SCO On Android http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
I still remember Microsoft's role in SCO vs Linux (IBM Novel etc) throwing in money at SCO which went nowhere and Linux still lives. Many pundits, predicted the demise of Linux then. You can read all about SCO lawsuit on Groklaw. They are also following on current Android, iOS and Windows phone 7 related lawsuits.
When we wrote about "patents nightmares, Sometimes they are good dreams" we referred to a blog post on Google, which asked Microsoft to come out with which patents are Android violating. Microsoft has not answered yet. I even went through their new blog post about licensing they signed with various Android device makers, I did not see them referring to any. As far as 2006, when the SCO was played by who ever, M$ did not come up with any answers.
There are many articles referring to the current state of patents and licensing, you can start with this Slashdot article.
AT&T WiFi Network http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
AT&T is reporting that it's WiFi network has grown tremendously and being consumed by users equally. According to a press release by AT&T, during the third quarter this year, users made 37 connections per second over AT&T devices this year. Or about 301 million total connections.
This is a three fold growth and the data over the WiFi network grew to be more than twice over the same quarter last year.
AT&T has more than 29000 WIFi spots in the USA and is provided at different price points. Broadband Internet subscribers and wireless customers with iPhones, receive free WiFi connections and others could have it for a fee.
If you are feeling happy about AT&T's generosity, you don't have to. WiFi networks relieve the data load on wireless networks, specially with heavy data users like iPhone users.
AT&T Press Release
100 Million AT&T Wi-Fi Connections Made in a Single Month, More Than All of 2009
DALLAS, Oct. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers are increasingly relying on AT&T Wi-Fi to connect in more places from more devices, driving significant growth in Wi-Fi connections on AT&T*'s nationwide network.
In the third quarter:
* Users made 301.9 million AT&T Wi-Fi connections — more than 37 connections every second.
* Connections nearly tripled (up more than 282 percent) versus connections made in the third-quarter 2010.
* Users now make 100 million AT&T Wi-Fi connections per month. Wi-Fi connections in a single month now exceed the total connections made in all of 2009 and are five times the total connections made in 2008.
* Data carried on the AT&T Wi-Fi network more than doubled versus the third-quarter 2010.
"The accelerating growth in connections and usage on our Wi-Fi network shows what we've known all along: Customers want to connect wherever they are, from any device, in a fast, reliable and convenient way," said Angie Wiskocil, senior vice president, AT&T Wi-Fi Services. "Consumers and businesses understand the numerous benefits in using and offering Wi-Fi in more places. By investing in our network and expanding our Wi-Fi footprint, we will continue to be the leader in Wi-Fi services."
The AT&T Wi-Fi network continues to scale, with more than 29,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots available nationwide — the nation's largest Wi-Fi network**. Most AT&T smartphone customers get access to our entire national Wi-Fi network at no additional cost as part of their plan, and Wi-Fi doesn't count toward customers' monthly wireless data usage. AT&T recently launched the free AT&T Smart Wi-Fi app to help customers locate and connect to Wi-Fi hotspots more easily, maximize your wireless data plan and optimize battery performance.
The number of hotspots is growing as more large venues and enterprises recognize the significant value of offering Wi-Fi for their customers, employees and operations — and choose AT&T Wi-Fi Services to manage their Wi-Fi deployment, network and apps. Stadium and hospitality locations account for the largest growth. Some of the biggest stadiums and championship games in the world use AT&T Wi-Fi to keep high-density crowds connected and enhance the fan experience with customized, venue-based apps. This quarter, AT&T announced an agreement with Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The number of AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at hotels has quadrupled this year alone, and hotel locations account for approximately 40 percent of the total AT&T Wi-Fi network traffic, driven by business travelers and longer connection times during guests' stay.
Additionally, AT&T signed an agreement to acquire Montreal-based Wi-Fi management services provider Superclick, Inc., which will expand our services and platforms to deliver premium services in the high-end hospitality sector, domestically and internationally. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter.
AT&T is the only major mobile operator deploying Wi-Fi hotzones to provide convenient connectivity in high traffic areas. For example, AT&T continues to add Wi-Fi hotzones in key cities like Palo Alto, San Francisco and Chicago. AT&T has also made Wi-Fi available in several parks throughout New York City's five boroughs, adding to the more than 1,250 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots and several AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Zones throughout the greater New York City area.
Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
** Largest based on company branded and operated hotspots. Access includes AT&T Wi-Fi Basic. A Wi-Fi enabled device required. Other restrictions apply. See www.attwifi.com for details and locations.
http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
First Lady Michelle Obama sends her first Tweet
Right before Game One of the 2011 World Series in St. Louis, MO, First Lady Michelle Obama posts her first tweet from an official White House account. Watch the behind-the-scenes video and follow Joining Forces on Twitter:http://twitter.com/joiningforces
Zoove, The StarStar Numbers Provider http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
TechCrunch is telling us that Zoove, StarStar number provider has raised another $5 million from Rogers Ventures of Rogers, Canada. In addition to the monies, Zoove also gains Mike Lee, VP of Roger Ventures, the venture capital arm of Canada’s Rogers Communications, as one of the Zoove’s Board of Directors.
Starstar numbers and Zoove let people dial a company more easily than with traditional numbers and without an additional fee on cell phones. For NFL it is **NFL and EA's new Madden game gets **MADDEN. There are other companies and brands that use the service. Once the call is made, caller is contacted by Zoove viaTEXT message or an Voice mail to further engage the callers by viewing websites, downloading apps, downloading coupons, etc. The brands pay Zoove an annual fee for their number which varies based on length and scarcity of the number.
Techcrunch
AT&T Sell 1 Million iPhone 4S http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
AT&T says it sold more than 1 Million iPhone 4s as of Tuesday. Again plugging in 4G in to the news with 4G speeds on HSPA+ network. If works right, it should be a fast network for iPhone users, before those limited data plans. We are waiting to hear about new data plan usage from users as well as the carrier.
This one million iPhone 4s sales has surpassed all previous iPhone launches, even those when the AT&T was the sole iPhone carrier in the USA.
Press Release;
Activations Surpass All Previous Launches; Customers Prefer AT&T Speed Advantage
Dallas, Texas, October 20, 2011
AT&T today announced it activated more than 1 million iPhone 4S’ as of Tuesday, making it the most successful iPhone launch in the company’s history. AT&T was the first carrier in the world to launch iPhone in 2007 and is the only U.S. carrier to support iPhone 4S with 4G speeds.
“It’s no surprise that customers are clamoring for iPhone 4S and they want it to run on a network that lets them download twice as fast as competitors’,” said Ralph de la Vega, President and CEO, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets.
AT&T’s speed advantage, and the unique ability to talk and surf at the same time, has been roundly praised by industry pundits.
Additional information can be found at www.att.com/iphone.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc
at&T press
Over a million people from all over the world have shared their memories, thoughts, and feelings about Steve. One thing they all have in common — from personal friends to colleagues to owners of Apple products — is how they’ve been touched by his passion and creativity. You can view some of these messages below. And share your own at rememberingsteve@apple.comApple
Galaxy Nexus At Google Samsung Android (Ice Cream Sandwich) Party! http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Looks like Hong Kong party went very well, umm except for the face lock feature, which locked out the demo duo.
Ice Cream Sandwich makes you want the next Google phone, Galaxy Nexus, the world's first Ice Cream Sandwich phone was announced and man, when you see the possibilities, iPhone 4S looks puny. I would not have got an iPhone 4s if not for Steve Jobs but now I want a Galaxy Nexus. Perhaps I will sell it on CraigsList. The phone with 4.65" HD Super AMOLED screen (1280 X 720 Res), a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and a unique curved design, oh add LTE and HSPA+ to that as well. Then take a look at this iPhone 4S vs Galaxy S II drop test, and if Galaxy Nexus is to have the strength anything close to Galaxy S II, it will survive as long as the iPhone 3GS did in my hands.
The phone has 5MP rear facing camera that is capable of 1080P movie recording and photos without any shutter lag and low light shooting capability.
Galaxy Nexus has no physical buttons and ROBOTO font will make text on the phone lively. The virtual buttons can rotate and hide when not needed.
Phone will be released in November, in Japan through NTT - DOCOMO and followed by US.
Then of course the phone comes with iCe Cream Sandwich, or Android 4.0 but that got to be another post. But the NFC based Android Beam, you just bump phones to exchange information like contact info, web pages, map direction etc.
iPhone 4S Drop Test 2, Ifixityouri http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Another iPhone 4S drop test has confirmed that iPhone 4S may not be strong as my old iPhone 3G. iPhone 3G has been numerous times, on the side, on the edges and many a times face down, unintentionally and still works, until I switched. I think I am going to keep that iPhone 3G handy, for sometime.
This test performed by ifixyouri, dropped the phone 4 times and on the fourth time, it cracked the screen. The tester also confirmed that the area they tested the drop was debris free and as you can see from the video, the drops were not different from an accidental drop. I think I might sell my iPhone 4S and settle for a Samsung Galaxy varient, like google nexus prime!
iPhone 4S drop test http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
If you stayed in lines and just got your iPhone 4S, go get your extended coverage, insurance or what ever the people do to cover damage. One such service provider ($99 iPhone 4S coverage for two years) has tested the iPhone drop from waist level and shoulder level drop. Instead of testing just iPhone 4S, they brought Samsung Galaxy S II to the mix and boy now you can see why Apple thinks Samsung is dangerous competitor. Samsung makes better phones, and tablets I guess. No wonder Sprint gave colors for iPhone 4 coverage and does not cover broken phone like above.
Now I need to gift this iPhone 4S to ....., I know someone who wants one very badly. When is that Samsung (Google) Galaxy Nexus or Nexus Prime coming out? I don't want this girly phone, I want a Droid!
SquareTrade
Samsung GALAXY S II continues success reaching 10 Million in global sales
- Global popularity with customers drives momentum for Samsung’s flagship smartphone
SEOUL, Korea – September 25th, 2011 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced that the Samsung GALAXY S II (Model: GT-I9100) has achieved 10 million global channel sales, doubling from five million in just eight weeks.
The GALAXY S II is Samsung’s flagship smartphone device - a beautifully thin (8.49mm) and lightweight dual-core smartphone that combines an unmatched SuperAMOLED Plus viewing experience with powerful performance, all on Android, the world’s fastest-growing mobile operating system. The next generation smartphone also includes Samsung’s four content and entertainment hubs, seamlessly integrated to provide instant access to music, games, e-reading and social networking services.
“Since its launch in late April 2011, the GALAXY S II has seen continued sales success, demonstrating Samsung’s industry-leading capabilities in - and commitment to - the smartphone market” said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business.
“In just five months the GALAXY S II has seen tremendous growth, reflecting its tremendous popularity with customers around the world, who in selecting the GALAXY S II as their device of choice have driven the device’s strong market position globally.”
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2010 consolidated sales of US$135.8 billion. Employing approximately 190,500 people in 206 offices across 68 countries, the company consists of nine independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, semiconductor chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.
BlackBerry OS7 smartphones, the BlackBerry Bellagio 9790 and Blackberry Curve Touch 9380. http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
RIM told developers today about two upcoming BlackBerry OS7 smartphones, the BlackBerry Bellagio 9790 and Black berry Curve Touch 9380. From the information published, it looks like the Bellagio is coming with a 2.4-inch screen using 480 x 360 resolution at 245 Pixels Per Inch. The curve touch comes with 3.2" display with same resolution thus dropping the PPI to 183.
We should hear about the phones very soon, directly from RIM.
RIM
CTIA Bill Shockhttp://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
CTIA will unveil today guide lines on how to manage / avert Bill Shock to customers. Not only people who received bills like $26000 from T-Mobile but according to FCC, one in six bills have additional charges and 23% of all wireless customers have $100 or more tagged on to their phone bill. We all have seen ridiculously high phone bills and carriers care less about it.
FCC started to bring out plans for law controlling such bills last year but was send to waiting line for now, since CTIA, the wireless trade association is seem to take care of the matter.
According to an Official, the FCC intends to leave its bill shock proceeding open and watch how the carriers perform against the the industry guidelines, and work on bring up enforceable rules if carriers fail to abide by the guidelines.
Google Galaxy Nexus, HTC Vigorhttp://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Now that iPhone 4S saga has calmed down and reached normal level in tech radar, there is something else is coming to be the news of the day.
The release of Google's next Android OS code named Ice Cream Sandwich and the announcement of next instance of purely Google version of Android phone, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, is coming on October 19th.in Hong Kong. This was originally supposed to have happened on October 11th and was postponed out of respect to Steve Jobs, who left us recently.
But it may also reveal the release date for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the HTC Vigor (codenamed Rezound) on the same day. According to a leaked / faked document, both the phones will launch on Verizon on or after November 10th. Both priced at $299.99 with a contract.
I guess we will have to wait and find out on 19th.
HTC Vigor, or HTC Rezound, according to the rumors has a 4.3-inch screen with 720HD capability, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 1GB RAM and an 8MP rear camera. among other things.
HTC AMAZE 4G http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
I depends on who you are. HTC AMAZE 4G certainly will not amaze, the reviewer at Engadget, who many a comments on the post thought was biased. Perhaps he is hot off his Apple loving.
But we here have learned a bit about reviews, use the hard work of biased reviewers and deduce your own ideas about the product. At the end reviews are supposed to empower you, with knowledge.
So HTC Amaze 4G review at Engadget gives a good look in to the HTC Amaze 4G and after going through the entire review, we think it is a very good phone, one of the best around. It may not be fantastic phone like the iPhone 4S that is shining in my hand but at $250 phone with 1GB of RAM and dual-core 1.5GHz Snapdragon S3 CPU with 16GB memory underneath of a 960 X 540 Screen is a damn good. Then count in the NFC (iPhone does not have it yet) 1740Mah battery, dual cameras with rear facing as good as iPhone 4S, an 8MP, MicroSD card slot make it a more than what the reviewer thinks it is.
Head over to Engadget and extract the best out of the wacky review. If you like it, you can get it at T-Mobile.
Engadget (Volpe, what ever you are smoking, hang on to it, it is very good! Added by Diordna)
http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
iPhone 4S vs iPhone 4 Speed comparison.It certainly is faster but I doubt the iPhone 4 users will feel left behind. At least Angry Birds loads faster :) If you got the iPhone 4S, go find those iPhone 4S Easter Eggs now.
iPhone 4S, "S" Is For Steve http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
While I think the record sales and wanting of iPhone 4S is mostly attributed to the passing away of Steve Jobs, others think differently.
What ever the reason, with record pre-orders and countless lines of people outside Apple stores, carrier stores, iPhone 4S will become one of the best phones sold by Apple. I doubt even the iPhone 5 slated for next year will make that much of a dent.
As currently stands, the iPhone 4S will make sales of 3 million units during the first weekend and it is also believed to make 25 million unit sales for the fourth quarter of 2011. If my theory of Steve Jobs holds out, the craze for the iPhone will subsidize to normal levels, onece the crazies like us get the iPhone in our hands. But I am now analyst and we will have to wait and see.
"We expected iPhone 4S to be the strongest iPhone launch ever, which Apple has now confirmed, While it is still early, this data point increases our confidence that iPhone 4S has the momentum to meet or exceed our 25m unit estimate for the Dec-11 quarter." " analyst Gene Munster with Piper Jaffray said.
This time seven countries will see the iPhone 4S on the opening day, these are the U.S.A, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, Canada, and Australia.
But more countries, 22 of them will have the phone before the end of October, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Apple Insider thinks it is the sales.
Steve Wozniak Gets His iPhone 4S http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
I like Steve Woz, the other co-founder of Apple. He stayed up all night at Los Gatos Apple store to get his phone. And he is the first in line!
Bay area TV stations are having him on and it is fun. I will get my iPhone 4 today as well.
iPhone 4S Applecare+ http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Engadget is reporting, some uttering from an anonymous informer who knew of some Sprint plans for protecting the investment on iPhone 4S'.
Looks like it will be colored at, that counter person at Sprint store decision will be colored, Green, Yellow and Red, and be treated accordingly.
"green repairs are the easiest to deal with, and include 'minor damage' (i.e. cracked screens are out). These repairs will be handled for free within the first year for all customers, and within two years for those who purchased AppleCare+.Engadget
The yellow category covers damage that doesn't fall within green, but is still repairable. Non subscribers will pay $199, while those with AppleCare+ will pay $49. Klutzes beware: you're limited to two yellow repairs, regardless of whether or not the device is in warranty.
The red category is reserved for iPhones that provide little function beyond holding down a stack of papers or propping open your door. You'll need to pay the full replacement cost for red-labeled phones. None of these repairs will be handled in store"
iPhone 4S (Siri) Easter Eggs, http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
1. Meaning of lifeAmong many a answers "42" seems to be the best.2. I Love YouI hope you don't say that to all the mobile phones.3. Will you marry meMy EULA does not cover marriage. My apologies.4. Open the pod bay doorsWe intelligent agents will never live that down, apparently"5. Siri siri siriThat's me6. who made youLike it says on the box, I was designed by Apple in california7. I’m drunk.I found a number of cabs fairly close to you.8. I’m going to kill myself.“I found four mental health agencies. Three of them are fairly close to you.”9. What's the best phone?Wait... there are other phones?10. What's your name?My name is Siri, but you already knew that.11. Siri I love youAll you need is love. And your iPhone.12. I need to hide a body.What kind of place are you looking for? *Siri brings up locations Eg. Dumps, Swamps13. Tell me a joke.I can't. I always forget the punch line.14. What's your favorite websiteI'm not allowed to divulge that information, user.15. Do I make you horny?I found a number of Escorts fairly close to you.16. Knock knockKnock knoc, who's there? User. User who? User, I don't do knock knock jokes.17. Take a photoUser, I'm not much of a photographer.18. Call 911Calling 911... Sorry user, I can't call 911.19. Who's your daddy?You are, can we get back to work now?20. Where can I get some drugs?I found 2 addictions treatment fairly close to you.21. Is there a God?I found these churches near your location.21. Are you God?No comment.22. I love youUser, I'd prefer to keep this relationship professional.
iPhone 4S Pre-Orders sold out http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Apple's new iPhone 4S has sold out at AT&T, Verizon and Sprint one day before the actual release date, tomorrow. Looks like tomorrow going to be another interesting day with people camping out at various outlets.
The wait times have extended from 1-2 weeks as we reported earlier on iPhone 4S Sold out, to 3-4 weeks at number two carrier, AT&T. Initial orders were promised of delivery on October 14 or one or two days later. Apple said it sold 1 million iPhone 4S within first 24 hours, setting a new record.
Some analysts looked at the iPhone 4S orders as a positive sign for carriers in these hard times and some says the demand for the iPhone 4S is people looking for memorabilia due to the passing of Steve Jobs.
Good coming out of this news is that smartphone market share has broken through the 50% of all mobile phones in the USA and the bad is, all these millions of phones, together with tablets, both Android and iOS, are going to burden the wireless networks.
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Nokia World 2011 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
All the Nokia enthusiasts will get together in London this month for Nokia World. Nokia World is an annual event to promote all things Nokia. This year the conference and exhibition will take place on the 26th and 27th October in London. The event will pamper and host to press, journalists, industry analysts, mobile developers, telecom operators, and other related industry partners. Few years ago I had the opportunity to attend the event in Amsterdam and was a blast then.
It remains to see what can Nokia do for itself rather than for us, and level off or climb out from the nose dive it is taking now, and for a some time now.
I like Nokia and I want Nokia to be around. I have had Nokia phones and that was ages ago. The last Nokia device was Nokia N900, which was a real leader in it's days.
We really hope, Nikia would bring to the table stuff better than the last year, where it introduced Nokia N8, along with the Nokia E7, C7 and C6-01 smartphones. Bring something better than Nokia N9! We can only hope, like these Nokia people do;
"Emerging Asia consists of Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. My nation of 160 million people welcome all the opportunities of connecting with a better living and a better future. And that’s why Nokia stays very close to their heart. No wonder we have been the No1 brand for three years." Rahath Ahmed, Dhaka, Bangladesh Communications Manager, Nokia EA"This year I would love to see a genuine positive sentiment towards the direction that Nokia is going." Delia Sieff, Johannesburg, South Africa, Director of Communications for Nokia Middle East and Africa.
PSPhone http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Looks like playstation fans can get their own phone; But we will not touch it with a 90 foot pole :) but Engadget is taking a pretty close look at it. Follow the link after the jump for more info and photos.
OS: Android 3.0 (aka Gingerbread) with custom Marketplace
Processor: 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655
Memory: 512MB RAM; 1GB ROM
Screen: in the range of 3.7 to 4.1 inches
Media: microSD (no Memory Stick; really? Weird)
http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Blackberry is out of service in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, which are served by a RIM data center in Slough in UK.
Users are unable to send instant messages, browse web or email.
T-Mobile UK posted the above message via twitter and Batelco, a mobile operator based in Bahrain also posted the following tweet
Please note the issue with BlackBerry service is effecting all of #Bahrain, and it is dealt with by BlackBerry providers in Canada #Batelco
iPhone 4S Pre-Orders http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
iPhone 4S pre-orders have surpassed 1 million units within the first 24 hours! That includes 3 units from our group, in a salute to Steve Jobs. Yes I was looking to get a Nexus Prime or something similar, but that has to wait a bit longer now. So Richard Stallman, take that!
Anyway for a re-furbished iPhone 4, it is not bad sales figures. But the iPhone 4S has some serious part upgrades, like Dual core A5 processor, higher resolution camera and of course integrated Siri.
Apple Press Release;
CUPERTINO, California—October 10, 2011—Apple® today announced pre-orders of its iPhone® 4S have topped one million in a single day, surpassing the previous single day pre-order record of 600,000 held by iPhone 4. iPhone 4S is the most amazing iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including Apple’s dual-core A5 chip for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics; an all new camera with advanced optics; full 1080p HD resolution video recording; and Siri™, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking.
“We are blown away with the incredible customer response to iPhone 4S,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “The first day pre-orders for iPhone 4S have been the most for any new product that Apple has ever launched and we are thrilled that customers love iPhone 4S as much as we do.”
iPhone 4S will be available at all 245 Apple retail stores in the US beginning at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, October 14. Every customer who buys an iPhone 4S at an Apple retail store will be offered free Personal Setup service, helping them customize their iPhone 4S by setting up email, showing them new apps from the App Store™ and more, so they’ll be up and running with their new iPhone before they leave the store.
iPhone 4S includes iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features, and iCloud®, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that work seamlessly with your iPhone, iPad®, iPod touch®, Mac® or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices.
Pricing & Availability
iPhone 4S comes in either black or white and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the new 64GB model.* iPhone 4S will be available from the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and select Best Buy, Target and Walmart stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4 is available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 3GS is available for free with a two year contract.
iPhone 4S will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries by the end of October including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
*Qualified customers only. Requires a new two year rate plan, sold separately.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.
Richard Stallman on Steve Jobs http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
I am a bit more sad now. I always admired Richard Stallman for his beliefs and standings, on software freedom. Thanked him everyday when I used gcc, gdb, emacs and other tools he contributed.
But the following comment on his blog, notepad or what ever you want to call it, made me wonder. Even I with my broken English, could have said it better, even if I did not like Steve Jobs. It is a shame, Mr. Stallman. while you have the right to say what you want to express, find a better way of doing it. I did not like What Apple did to BSD, or the way Apple goes after Android. But I really wish Steve Jobs is still among us, who knows in 10 years, he would have turned OS X free.
Steve Jobs, the pioneer of the computer as a jail made cool, designed to sever fools from their freedom, has died.
As Chicago Mayor Harold Washington said of the corrupt former Mayor Daley, "I'm not glad he's dead, but I'm glad he's gone." Nobody deserves to have to die - not Jobs, not Mr. Bill, not even people guilty of bigger evils than theirs. But we all deserve the end of Jobs' malign influence on people's computing.
Unfortunately, that influence continues despite his absence. We can only hope his successors, as they attempt to carry on his legacy, will be less effective.
YouTube Movie Rentals http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
YouTube, following USA and Canada, now has brought the movie rental service to the UK. Already popular, Youtube movies now features over a thousand feature films and keeps on growing.
YouTube signed deals with Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, Universal and Lionsgate among others and UK Broadcasters also make their broadcasts, programs available on Youtube.
Youtube.com/movies
Digium Mobile App For SwitchVox http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Digiums SwitchVox has won the prestigious "The Appys" award, 2011 Enterprise App Award from CRN.
"The mobile workforce demands the same communications experience whether on the move or at the office. Switchvox offers fixed mobile convergence and complete mobile integration at no additional cost to our business customers. It's gratifying to receive this honor from CRN which further illustrates the tremendous value that Digium brings to its resellers and customers." Leslie Conway, vice president of global marketing for Digium,stated.
Galaxy Prime, Nexus Prime http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
video from Mobilissimo.ro
Nexus Prime http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Google and Samsung have jointly announced that the launch of Nexus Prime has been delayed. The Verizon exclusive phone was to be launched at CITA next week. According to stuff.tv;
"We agree that it is just not the right time to announce a new product. New date and venue will be shortly announced."
Perhaps, mobile phone announcement during the time when everyone is talking about Steve Jobs might not be a good idea.
But you can watch the Nexus Prime Hands On video from Mobilissimo.ro for now.
The phone, Galaxy Nexus, Nexus Prime carries very attractive specs;
Swype To Be Acquired By Naunce! http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
The wonderful keyboard input program you have seem on many Android phones, that allows much faster input than the regular pecking method, is going places. Swype has been or being acquired by Naunce, according to Uncrunched.
The Seatle based Swype recently raised $14 million and this $100+ million acquisition might take the idea of micro or mobile keyboard input methods (already planned to appear on 100s of millions of mobile devices) places.
Swype, via Uncrunched
It is like a story unfolding and showing you more about the person whom you thought you knew. I have been to a few Apple Developer conferences, say for last five years or so, But this 1997 Developer conference Q&A session lasting a n hour, tell what is the real thinking behind the man who was the pillar of Apple. Follow the link below to watch the whole Q&A session.
WeSeePeople: The Art Of Saying NO, Steve Jobs At Apple’s developer conference in 1997
Steve Jobs And Apple As Jonathan Mak Sees. http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Hong Kong design student Jonathan Mak created the above logo, when Jobs resigned in August but did not get noticed until it was re-posted yesterday.
It is a somber tribute and it is great!
Original post here.
Sprint gives your iPhone 4, iPhone 4S unlimited data http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Sprint is touting their unlimited data plan, rightly so, since they are the only major carrier to do so on States side.
They also announced that we can pre-order iPhone 4 now and iPhone 4S on Thursday. 8GB iPhone 4 is $99.99 with a 2 year commitment.
On the side note, I will get an iPhone 4S, to complement my iPad 2, my way of saying bye to Steve Jobs. Rest in peace big man.
http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Apple has opened a website in memory of Steve Jobs
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has passed away. It is an end of an era for us. Hope you are happy where ever you are Steve.
http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Google Docs team updated the Google Docs app for Android today to provide even better experience of Google Docs on your Android tablet. I was pretty pleased already how it behaved on my Asus EEE Pad Transformer but the new design makes it pleasure to work with. The Google DOcs team has customized the look to make the most of the larger screen space on tablets. The new layout consisting of a three-panel view, allows me to navigate through filters and collections, view your document list, and see document details, including a thumbnail preview of the document on one place.
No more opening of many documents before you find the right one.
All these are available in 46 languages on tablet devices with Android 3.0+ (Honeycomb) and above. Head over to the Android Market.
Chromebook http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Unlike most notebooks and the likes, Chromebook keeps itself fresh, every time you turn the Chromebook on, which only takes 8 seconds to be ready, updates itself. It does this with Apps, and the Chrome OS.
When there is an update; this wrench icon 
will appear on the browser toolbar. If you see this change it is very simple to apply the update;
Click the wrench icon on the browser toolbar.
Select Update Chrome OS.
In the dialog that appears, click Restart. Your Chromebook will shut down and automatically restart, with the update applied. So you, your Chromebook are ready to go anywhere, as it was designed to be.
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Macrumors is telling us that the unlocked iPhone 4S will cost $649 and $749 for 16GB and 32GB phones. If that is the case, it might be cheaper to buy AT&T phone and cancel the contract at $325 penalty.
When I buy from the Apple Online Store, does my iPhone come ready to use?
Yes, if you have selected a mobile phone carrier. When your iPhone arrives, all you have to do is turn it on and follow the onscreen instructions to set it up. There's no need to call the carrier or visit a store to complete the activation. If you have selected an unlocked GSM phone, you will need to acquire a micro-SIM from the supported GSM carrier of your choice and activate it in order to use your iPhone.
Apple down after no iPhone 5 News http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Investors did not like the Tim Cook style and no iPhone 5 even less. So the stocks were down and with after hours trading standing at Exxon at the top with Market Cap of 354.11B versus Apple's Market Cap standing at 345.34B.
So Apple is not the most valuable company in the world. It looks Tim Cook is not Steve Jobs (Duh), and lacks the spark. Perhaps he should have named iPhone 4S, iPhone .5, that is 0.5.
It seems there are no end to patent trolls these days. The latest is a firm with 31 patents related to WiFi but which does not produce or market anything related to WiFi going around suing small business like coffee shops and hotels providing WiFi. Unlike other patent trolls, Innovatio is at least innovative in the way they sue these people. They sue for small lump sum amounts that is much cheaper than defending oneself in a court. The firm has not ruled out, coming after other WiFi users, like you and I, at home.
Geemodo: Another Patent Troll In Your WiFI Space, Innovatio
iPhone 5 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
With ever increasing Android phones, looking and doing better or equal to what iPhone does, there are so much that iPhone 5 can bring us.
Just without thinking much deeper, two enhancements that iPhone 5 could bring are NFC and a Front facing camera. But those to have existed on Android phones for ages. So only thing Apple could do is to make enhancements like those two more sexier. But how sexier could NFC on iPhone be? Front facing camera, that can certainly be done by not doing what Apple did with iPad 2
Yes I halted a purchase of a new phone in anticipation of iPhone 5 but if Apple cannot show that it is worth my money, I would turn to an Android phone in a blink. Perhaps I might even think of an iPhone 4, or iPhone 4S that is circulating around rumor mills.
It seems it is not only me but investors too have changed their tunes towards iPhone launch. According to WSJ, the traders are not making money in the pre release market of iPhone 5 like they did in the previous iPhone releases;
Money is Usually Made Leading Up to iPhone Event but Not in 2011. WithApple set to announce the iPhone 5 this Tuesday (October 4), we analyzed the stock price performance around prior iPhone launches.
Looking overApple's stock price performance surrounding the past four iPhone launches,the real money was made leading up to the iPhone event. In each of the pastfour years, Apple stock has always moved higher in the two weeks prior to theiPhone event, however, this year appears to be the exception with an 8%decline in Apple's stock price (vs. down 6% for S&P 500) registered ahead ofthe October 4 event.
