All Nokia N97 owners should know that Nokia has rolled out a new firmware update. Version 11.0.021 is available and you can get it over the air or through Nokia’s Software Updater. The new firmware brings on quite a few changes and fixes:

• USB detection error fix
• PC does not detect N97 or USB charging connection not detected
• Widget
• Home screen online/offline widget crash fix
• Fix for “Alphabetical and Number input are mixed in facebook until end key is pressed
• Widget UI improvement - New facebook widget fixes a problem of Home Screen background visible on soft-key area
• Browser fixes to improve widgets stability.
• MfE related fixes
• Partial fix for Messaging/calendar entry lost
• Mail for exchange calendar entry synchronization error fix
• UI transition error fixes (Portrait <-> landscape transition, there is a home screen corruption.)
• UI transition (Slowness and bad effects)
• Slow Touch UI response
• Picture of the device lock appears half of the screen when transitioning the UI sometimes
• Landscape: in some cases the soft buttons on touch (right hand) show the Home Screen in background (install maps.google.com)
• Photos thumbnail performance and stability improvements
• Device performance deteriorates when lots of content in the device - especially photos
• Partial fix no display backlight illumination when unlocking lock-key - CAP Genius reported already
• New version of Accueweather to improve the “Connection error” situation
• Device reset when browsing with high speed packet access (for Malaysia)
• “Browser soft key UI doesn’t work after putting Chinese character with qwerty keyboard”
• Java fixes (TCK, Pre-install app disappearing, *#7370#*)
• Operator fixes (CMCC, Hutchson and Telefonica, Vodafone)
• Ovi store client now embedded in the core image
What say you folks? Enough changes for you?

Verizon will launch a new Samsung handset soon, the Glyde 2. The phone hasn’t been officially unveiled yet but someone managed to snatch a picture of the Glyde 2 with Verizon’s logo all over it. We’re looking forward for some leaked specs too as we don’t have any idea what this Glyde 2 has to offer. According to rumors we can expect the phone to have an impressive AMOLED screen, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and Samsung’s TouchWiz UI. What do you say Samsung? Verizon? Anyone willing to tell us more?

via howardforums

Google Voice is not here yet for the masses so while we’re waiting for access we might as well talk about it. It looks like a new feature is now available to anyone currently using Google Voice and I don’t mean that rumored number porting. Google Voice will let you change your number if you choose to do so.

Simply go to the Phones menu under Settings and change your number for a one-time fee of $10. The best part of it is that Google is offering you a number picker tool that will help you match words with numbers and check for their availability. The old number will be available for an extra 90 days so you’ll have plenty of time to get used to your new phone. What do you say? Ready to make a change?

via Google Voice

What carrier is going to be the first one to launch a 3G femtocell in the USA? Any bets? AT&T will say that its MicroCell solution will be available to customers before the end of the year. Sprint on the other hand is saying that its model will be the first 3G femtocell in the USA.

Mathew Oommen, Sprint’s VP of device and technology development apparently promised that Sprint will in fact be the first carrier to have a 3G femtocell device:

Just like Sprint was the first with 2G, we’ll definitely be the first in the 3G space as well. We’re not talking about trials; we’re talking about full commercial service.

Said device will offer extended EV-DO Rev. A coverage for all those Sprint 3G gadgets in your home. No specific details have been revealed so far and we have no prices details just yet. We’ll be back with all the specs once Sprint makes them available.

via Unstrung

Besides cars Land Rover is able to manufacture cell phones too. And the company seems to follow the same concepts when building phones as they do when making cars. Land Rover phones are very durable and you can expect them to withstand some harsh conditions.

The S1 is so tough that it could actually stand being run over by an actual car. The phone can resist temperatures of up to 300 degrees, it can be immersed in water or any other liquids and it will surely work nicely in colder environments.

Unfortunately this S1 phone is not a smartphone. It offers features like a 2.0 megapixel camera, a battery capable of 1,500 hours of life and a loud ringtone which you’ll never miss. The phone is currently available in the UK for £25 per month with an Orange contract or for £249.99 from Tesco.

via telegraph

It seems a user by the name of vofffka got their hands on what they are calling a prototype version of an iPhone 3GS. How do they know it’s a prototype? Well, when they connect it to iTunes it says “iPhone can not be restored, because software for this iPhone is not available yet”.

Not only that but it also has E10633 engraved on the front. Before you go and place a bid, this phone doesn’t work and the eBay user has doubts it will ever work.

However, if you’re a nifty iPhone hacker maybe you can pull a few strings and get yourself a cheap iPhone 3GS?

Read (eBay)

Despite being released in Canada only recently, Rogers Wireless has announced that they will be lowering the prices of both the HTC Dream and HTC Magic to $99.99.

Of course, you’ll have to opt for a 3-year contract before you get the lowered price but $99.99 for an Android phone? Count me in.

Hell, after seeing that a hacker got HTC’s Sense UI running on one of these phones makes the deal even more enticing.

Read (Rogers)

Apple’s been known for some crazy patents in the back but I think this one tops the cake. Their recent patent filing is for something they are calling ‘active packaging’.

Essentially, ‘active packaging’ is a retail package that charges the device inside while also transmitting data to and from it. For instance, if an iPhone had this kind of packaging the device would not only be fully charged but would have the latest firmware even if it was released after the phone was packaged.

Sure this is cool and all, but how much is it going to cost us just to get this new kind of packaging? If it costs more money, I’ll settle for the normal cardboard box.

Read (PhoneArena)

Facebook has recently announced that they are gearing up to launch version 3.0 of their iPhone app. If you are waiting for Facebook push notifications a la iPhone OS 3.0, you’re going to be disappointed, because it doesn’t add it.

However, there are 15 features that have been added such as Events and the ability to create photoalbums with the full list included below:

1. The “new” News Feed
2. Like
3. Events (including the ability to RSVP)
4. Notes
5. Pages
6. Create new photo albums
7. Upload photos to any album
8. Zoom into photos
9. Easier photo tagging
10. Profile Pictures albums
11. A new home screen for easy access to all your stuff, search, and notifications
12. Add your favorite profiles and pages to the home screen
13. Better Notifications (they link to the comments so you can reply)
14. Quickly call or text people right from the Friends page
15. Messages you are typing will be restored if you quit or are interrupted by a phone call

The announcement says that the Facebook 3.0 iPhone app is about 98% done with no real release date announced. They also added that users should expect a 3.1 update before the end of this summer that will add the much sought after Push Notifications.

Read (Facebook)

Normally, an iPhone jailbreak doesn’t hit the scene until the Dev Team deems it appropriate. They even went so far as to delay the release of an iPhone 3GS jailbreak due to fear that Apple would discover and fix the hole they used. Well, it seems that an iPhone hacker by the name of GeoHot got sick of waiting for the Dev Team to release it and went ahead and released what he is calling ‘purplera1n’:

Normally I don’t make tools for the general public, and rather wait for the dev team to do it. But guys, whats up with waiting until 3.1? That isn’t how the game is played. We release, Apple fixes, we find new holes. It isn’t worth waiting because you might have the “last” hole in the iPhone. What last hole…this isn’t golf. I’ll find a new one next week.

GeoHot says that all you need to do is download the purplera1n file at www.purplera1n.com on a Windows (not 7) PC, run the file, connect your iPhone to iTunes, click “make it ra1n”, then “on bootup, run Freeze, the purplera1n installer app”.

Of course, this jailbreak is in its beta form so make sure you backup everything and do all of this at your own risk.

Read

The Eclipse AVN726E is a powerful tool that features well designed maps that come with elevation data as well as 3D buildings. The company has added some nice features to this product as well, including USB and iPod integration (though you do have to purchase a cable to do this) and DVD/DivX playback. It also features Bluetooth hands free calling, a feature becoming more popularly sought.

On the downside, if you hope to add traffic data to the device for navigation needs, it will require the Sirius satellite radio to be used. Still, this device is a nice, hands free calling tool that tells you where to go using audio and visual elements.

Many people worried when they noticed that Apple was talking about heat and the new iPhone 3GS. People thought the company was admitting that the phone had heat issues and that potentially it could overheat or be otherwise dangerous to users.

This is not true. Apple simply updated the previously published tech note about safe operating temperatures for the iPhone 3GS. The company regularly does this as part of their practices for giving consumers information they should have. The note simply advises individuals using the phone not to leave the device in a hot car. It also states that the device should not be placed in direct sunlight for an extended amount of time. There is no risk to the user.

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LG Going for Second Place in the Mobile Business
Apple to Address iPhone SMS Vulnerability
Apple Acknowledges iPhone 3G and 3GS Overheating Issues
HTC Hero Gets Approved by the FCC
Apple to Replace NVIDIA with Intel?
Sprint Music Store Flooded with Michael Jackson Song Seekers
MyGlobalTalk Now Available for the iPhone
Nickelodeon’s Addicting Games Coming to iPhones by July
goPostal App Now Available for iPhones
WhosHere Counted Among Top Free Apps for the iPhone
Toshiba’s TG01 shows up from Orange UK
Psystar Survived Chapter 11 and It’s Launching New Hardware
No Blackberry Tour pre-orders on Sprint?
Verizon Wireless Lets Everyone Pre-Order the BlackBerry Tour
Apple’s New Patents for Haptic Screen, RFID Reader and Fingerprint Identification
HIGHSCREEN PP5420 Android Phone
Velocity Mobile Set For Newest Windows Phone
Colorware Stealth MacBook Pro
Zer01 Mobile to Launch Nationwide?
O2 to Launch the Palm Pre in the UK
Secret Code Unlocks the Landscape Email on the Pre
NEC LaVie Light Lui Mobile Netbook
6 Tips For Extending Cell Phone Battery Life:
Is the Pink Smartphone a Microsoft Phone?
Inkia Reveals 5″ & 7″ OEM MID Models
iPlayMusic Unveil Chords for iTunes
Hawaiian Church To Stream Services via iPhone and iPod Touch
Toshiba TG01 Available in the UK on July 9
Xilisoft iPhone Transfer Software Now Supports New iPhone OS 3.0
Total Baby App for iPhones Released
Nokia to Launch 12-Megapixel Camera Phone
iPhone OS 3.1 Updates Unveiled?
Palm Pre Available in the UK Starting Next Week?

LG is holding the third spot after Nokia and Samsung when it comes to market share but the manufacturer has big plans for the future. By 2012 LG plans to get that second spot currently held by Samsung. It’s going to be a fierce fight since Samsung is a force to be reckoned with in the mobile business.

In order to accomplish its plans, LG will launch a “Black Label” phone before the end of the year meant to compete against the iPhone. LG is also working on the third version of the Prada III and other smartphones are expected too. Windows Mobile and Android will be the chosen OS for these future smartphones so we’re definitely interested to see LG’s future line up.

What do you think? Will LG be able to conquer that sweet second spot position?

via yonhapnews

Besides that overheating problem which can’t exactly be corrected right now, there’s another important issue with your iPhone. There’s a certain SMS vulnerability which puts your iPhone at risk. Apparently it’s possible to:

run software code on the phone that is sent by SMS over a mobile operator’s network in order to monitor the location of the phone using GPS, turn on the phone’s microphone to eavesdrop on conversations, or make the phone join a distributed denial of service attack or a botnet.

The flaw has been discovered by OS X security expert Charlie Miller and it was presented at the SyScan conference in Singapore. Apple is probably going to patch this security issue pretty soon and we’ll keep you updated.

via HotHardware

The iPhone is a hot handset and we do mean its temperature. The phone can overheat and that can be pretty annoying. Even Apple has officially acknowledged the problem. A little late you might say since the iPhone has been around for more than two years. Nevertheless the company has released a document concerning the issue. It refers to iPhone 3G or 3GS acceptable operating temperatures. Remember to keep the phone between 32º and 95º F when using it or between -4º and 113º F when simply storing it and you should be fine. That means you should let the phone cool down whenever you feel it’s too hot to play with. In case it keeps overheating you’ll notice unwanted side effects like shorter battery life, display dimming, connection loss and more. And you don’t want that, do you?

via Apple

The Hero has been approved by the FCC now and the newest HTC Android phone is ready for the U.S. market. The FCC mentions that the Hero comes with 850/1900 MHz 3G support which suggests that AT&T could launch the Hero at some point in the future. A few days ago we heard that Sprint is going to get the Hero but according to the FCC there’s no CDMA support for it. Is HTC going to create a CDMA version of it? In the mean time the phone is already scheduled for two European markets, with Orange UK and Orange Spain preparing to sell it in the UK and Spain. We’ll keep you posted once other carriers decide to commercialize the Hero!

via FCC

Now don’t get all scared/excited folks! This is just a rumor circling the web today. It seems that Apple is considering replacing NVIDIA chips in its future Macs as it looks like negotiations between the two companies have come to a halt. Is AMD/ATI stepping in? Are we going to see Apple work with Intel? Are the new Macs going to have Core i7 chips under the hood? Is that even possible at this point? Right now we don’t have any official position from neither Apple nor NVIDIA. We can assume that Apple is punishing NVIDIA for the recent chip defects spotted in new Macs. And considering the fact that the Cupertino-based company has been hiring lots of former AMD graphics employees we can also assume that something’s happening and the future of MacBooks might be totally different.

via semiaccurate

It is no secret that ever since Michael Jackson passed away last week, millions of fans have been trooping stores buying his albums which contains hit songs like Billie Jean and Thriller. This includes online stores which have ran out of supplies of the famed King of Pop.

Now, people are turning their attention to the Sprint Music Store, purchasing and downloading the famous tunes of the late Michael Jackson. Sprint is the best alternative for music seekers looking for Jackson’s hits and it has shown from the past days.

The week before his death, Jackson ranked 80th in Sprint Music Store sales. Since he died, he’s catapulted to No. 1. The most popular downloaded tracks are “Billie Jean” and “Thriller,” both from the 1982 blockbuster album “Thriller.” In addition, Jackson ringtones constituted 28 percent of total sales on Friday. Top three ringtones are “Thriller,” “P.Y.T.” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.”

Sprint Music Store and Sprint Radio are available through affordable Everything Data plans, starting at just $69.99 per month. With a Simply Everything plan, customers can get unlimited data, talk and messaging for $99.99, which offers individual customers a savings of $1,200 over the course of two years vs. a comparable AT&T iPhone plan.

(Source) Press