I don’t know if it’s the economy or the fact that Apple has some really cool products available but it looks like people are even considering robbing Apple Stores. The Apple Store Clarendon in Arlington, Virginia, was robbed and the perpetrator shot and wounded one of the employees. Nobody died but I am sure some people got scared. The victim was shot in the shoulder and it will survive as the injuries occurred are not life-threatening. The robber hasn’t been caught yet and we can only assume he will try to rob various establishments in the future. Especially since we don’t have any idea of what was stolen. Did he get the money he was looking for? Was he looking for iPhones or Macs?

via Washington Post
Photo: Tracy A Woodward/twp - Tracy Woodward/The Washington Post

Tags: Apple, Crime, iPhone, MacBook, Mobile News, Police, Portable Devices, Robbery, store

You must have heard about Michael Arrington’s CrunchPad web tablet concept by now. Well then you should also know that the device is said to arrive really soon. According to various sources the CrunchPad is expected to be available “as soon as possible” and an official release should occur sometime in July or August.

The CrunchPad will cost around $300 but will you pay that much for just a web-oriented device? That’s right, the CrunchPad will only get you Internet access! There’s no internal hard drive and there’s no Windows support. It’s not a netbook tablet but an Internet tablet that boots straight to its WebKit browser. The device will offer you a 12-inch touchscreen, Flash support, an Atom processor and support for a physical keyboard.

The CrunchPad might just be the gadget we’ve been waiting for. Unfortunately it will be quite useless when there’s no Internet support, wouldn’t you say?

via Bits

Tags: CrunchPad, internet, Laptops, Mobile News, netbook, Portable Devices, tablet

While you’re still deciding if you want a new Archos 9 tablet, UK customers can already know what to expect from Archos. The manufacturer announced the pricing system for the UK. The Archos 9 will come in two versions: 80GB and 160GB. These will cost around $735 and $816, respectively, and according to the latest available rumors the tablet is coming sometime in September. That’s earlier than expected since Windows 7 is going to be officially out on October 22. And the Archos 9 is going to have Windows 7 under the hood. You do the math! And while you’re at it, figure out a way to get the money for the Archos 9 in these weird financial times.

via stuff.tv

Tags: Archos 9, microsoft, Mobile News, Mobile Software, Portable Devices, tablet, UK, Windows 7

As you are already aware, there’s a jailbreak solution for the iPhone 3GS and it hasn’t been developed by the iPhone Dev Team. And while the Dev Team is still working on its own version, the purplera1n has been updated. The jailbreak solution has now support for that upcoming Windows 7 and it will work well on 64-bit systems too. Other improvements include various kernel patches, correction of terminal errors, an enhanced payload execution and more. Winterboard support is expected in a future version. OS X compatibility is also coming in a future update so hang on to your hats if you’re not using a Windows-based computer at home. And just in case you upgraded your iPhone to OS 3.1 then you should also put your jailbreaking thoughts at ease for now.

Tags: 3gs, 64-Bit. iPhone, Apple, iphone dev team, jailbreak, Mobile News, Portable Devices, purplera1n, Windows 7

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?

Tags: firmware, Mobile News, N97, Nokia, Nokia, Portable Devices, Update

It seems that the highly sought after Toshiba TG01 has finally made its way onto a carrier, unfortunately only in the UK.

This doesn’t mean UK cellphone users will be able to get their hands on the phone right away as Orange’s website states the handset is coming soon. And for those who don’t know, the TG01 is just 9.9mm thick, has a 3.1MP camera, 4.1″ touschscreen, YouTube and Windows Mobile 6.1.

Just when will the TG01 be available? Well, come July 9th, we’ll probably have a more solid answer.

Read (Engadget)

Tags: Cell Phones, coming soon, Mobile News, orange uk, Portable Devices, TG01, thin, Toshiba

The BlackBerry Tour is coming officially on July 12 from both Verizon Wireless and Sprint. But it’s only Verizon Wireless that’s currently offering the Tour for pre-order. Until yesterday pre-orders were opened only to new customers but it looks like Verizon has changed its mind and it lets everyone pre-order the Tour now. Current Verizon wireless clients can start ordering the Tour tomorrow and the phone will be shipped out starting with Monday, July 13.

Existing customers will be able to upgrade or purchase the BlackBerry Tour on this site very soon. Please check back with us tomorrow.

What say you Sprint customers? Would you like to be able to pre-order the Tour too?

Tags: BlackBerry, Mobile News, Portable Devices, pre-order, Research In Motion, Sprint, Sprint, Tour, Verizon, Verizon Wireless

What will the next generation iPhone bring? Well it’s a little too early to speculate on that but Apple is certainly working on it. A few new patents have emerged and they depict a few new features like haptic screens, RFID readers and fingerprint ID. The picture clearly suggests that such technology would definitely apply to the iPhone or the iPod touch.

The screen is using a grid of piezoelectronic actuators that will offer a tactile vibration response every time you press the screen. Do we need a haptic touchscreen? Yes we do:

However, one of a touchscreen’s biggest advantages (i.e., the ability to utilize the same physical space for different functions) is also one of a touchscreen’s biggest disadvantages. When the user is unable to view the display (because the user is occupied with other tasks), the user can only feel the smooth hard surface of the touchscreen, regardless of the shape, size and location of the virtual buttons and/or other display elements. This makes it difficult for users to find icons, hyperlinks, textboxes or other user-selectable input elements that are being displayed, if any are even being displayed, without looking at the display.

As for fingerprint identification or RFID reader, these are not exactly must-have features but they would be also useful in a future iPhone.

Tags: Apple, Apple, fingerprint, haptic, ID, iPhone, Mobile News, patent, Portable Devices, rfid readers

There’s a new Android phone available out there and I don’t mean any new HTC phone. The HIGHSCREEN PP5420 made by Vobis Computer will offer you quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, dual-band 7.2Mbps HSPA connectivity, a 528MHz processor, 256MB ROM, 128MB RAM, 3-inch WQVGA touchscreen , a 3-megapixel auto-focus camera, WiFi, aGPS, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, and a 1080 mAh battery. The phone will go on sale in Russia starting with July 6 and you can expect it to cost around $500 without a contract. Would you pick the HIGHSCREEN PP5420 over the HTC Hero?

via vobis

Tags: Android, Hero, HIGHSCREEN PP5420, HTC, HTC, Mobile News, Portable Devices

Inkia International have revealed their latest 5-inch and 7-inch OEM MID models, each offering Intel Atom processors, 800 x 480 touchscreens and up to 32GB SSDs. The 5-inch model has a choice of Atom Z510, Z520 or Z530 processors, each with the US15W chipset, and measures 6.2 x 3.7 x 0.86 inches; weighing 12.3oz. The 7-inch version has a 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor with the 945GSE chipset, measures 8.0 x 5.1 x 0.81 inches and weighs 1.5lbs.

Each has integrated WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth and GPS, as well as a 0.3-megapixel webcam; the smaller adds a 3.2-megapixel camera, stereo speakers and a microSD card slot, while the larger instead has an SD/MMC card slot, 10/100 ethernet and two USB 2.0 ports. It is likely that Inkia are looking for other firms to acquire one or both of the MIDs and rebrand them, however we may never see either of these released in the US or Europe.

Tags: 3G, bluetooth, GPS, Inkia International, Intel Atom, MID, OEM, Portable Devices, processors, webcam, WiFi

A GSM Palm Pre has been spotted in Vietnam recently which led many people to believe that the handset must be on its way towards various GSM markets. One of them is the UK and from the looks of it, we might see the phone arrive in the UK sometime next week.

Rumors point to a July 7 launch but, as always, there’s nothing official about it. We’ll have to wait until next Tuesday to find out more about Palm’s intentions in the UK. Should we assume that other Europeans carriers are planning to launch the phone in the following months? In the mean time we wouldn’t mind getting leaked photos and details about the UK version of the Pre!

via T3

Tags: Europe, GSM, Mobile News, Palm, Palm, Portable Devices, pre, UK, webOS

Are you looking for a smartphone or a laptop? What about both? Dell has a hot offer for you right now. The Vostro and the Nokia N97 will be sold together for the special price of $730.  You can get that special price after applying a $399 off coupon to your shopping cart but you have you have to act fast! The offer will be available until July 1 or until supply lasts. If you take advantage right away of this deal and then sell the Vostro for around $400 (retails regularly at $420) then you’ll actually end up paying only around $350 for the unlocked N97. That’s a more than impressive price to pay for Nokia’s current flagship phone. Right now the N97 is not available from any carrier in the USA so anyone interested in it would have to get it for the regular price of $699 from a Nokia store. And if you do decide to keep the laptop for yourself you’re still the winner! You’ll be paying just $730 for a combined value of $1,120.

via logicbuy

Tags: Dell, Laptops, Mobile News, Mobile Software, N97, Nokia, Nokia, Off The Topic, Portable Devices, vostro

It’s no secret that the Palm Pre is a highly sought after handset, especially considering it’s running Palm’s intuitive new webOS. But one may ask themselves just how sought after is Palm’s comeback device, let’s take a look.

According to latest reports, the Palm Pre has sole over 300,000 units since earlier this month. Of course, this number is much less than those of the iPhone 3GS but considering the Pre is a first-gen device they are still reputable numbers. Furthermore, reports say that Palm is increasing production to 15,000 units a day to prepare themselves for further sales.

What do you guys think, will the Palm Pre 2 or even 3 be able to oust the iPhone? Only time will tell.

Read (Pocket-lint)

Tags: Apple, Business, Cell Phones, iPhone, iPhone 3GS, Mobile News, numbers, Palm, Palm Pre, Portable Devices, sales

Just a few days ago a leaked advertisement displayed the BlackBerry Tour’s Verizon Wireless release date as being July 12th. Well, it looks like that advertisement held some truth as Verizon has come forth and confirmed that the phone will in fact be hitting the carrier on July 12th for $200.

So what have you, will you be purchasing a BlackBerry Tour?

Tags: blackberry tour, Cell Phones, Mobile News, Portable Devices, release date, Research In Motion, Verizon, Verizon, wireless

They have already proven themselves as energy savers and now Innergie sweetens the deal even more by announcing a 20% price slash on these multi-port universal adapters, the mCube90 ($99.99) and mCube90DC ($49.99). Both will be available at the Innergie website and Amazon.

Innergie’s mCube90 is actually two power adapters in a single stylish package - an AC adapter that plugs into the wall for home and office use and a detachable DC adapter — the mCube90DC — for charging consumer electronic devices while on an airplane, a train or in an automobile.

Exclusive to the mCube90, this Auto/Air feature makes the product an especially convenient travel power adapter. The mCube90 is designed for those users who want power whenever and wherever they need it, while the mCube90DC is aimed at consumers who want an adapter when they are on the road.

Both products are energy efficient. They are compatible with most computers and common gadgets which include the likes of laptops, camcorders, digital cameras, portable game consoles, MP3 players, and mobile phones.

(Source) Press

Tags: ac adapter, Accessories, airplane, Amazon, auto air, automobile, consumers, Digital Cameras, electronic devices, energy savers, gadgets, Laptops, mobile phones, Portable Devices, portable game consoles, slashes, stylish package, train, travel power adapter, universal power adapters

Do you remember when HTC announced that their sleek new user interface dubbed Sense would only be made available for phones without the “with Google” branding? Well it looks like some Italian hackers weren’t pleased with this and decided to take maters into their own hands.

Featured in the above video is a T-Mobile G1 running HTC’s Sense UI and from the looks of it is relatively smooth. Other than Sense’s obvious graphic enhancements this hack will actually enable the G1’s multitouch, a feature that was not enabled out of the box.

Ths hack came about by the Italian group of hackers flashing their G1 with what they are calling the SuperHERO ROM.

Read (AndroidGuys)

Tags: Cell Phones, flash, G1, hack, HTC, htc hero, Mobile News, Mobile Software, Portable Devices, Sense UI, superhero rom, T-Mobile

Active Media unveils another unique USB drive, this time pertaining to U.S. President Barack Obama. The device is an 8GB USB drive which contains pre-loaded with President’s Obama’s Inaugural Address. It also comes preloaded with 80 MB of free bonus materials that include:

• High resolution photos of President Obama and the First Lady
• Over two hours of landmark speeches in MP3 format including the Inaugural Address and the Victory speech
• Text of 35+ speeches that track the President from 2002, to Senate addresses, the campaign trail, Presidential addresses and college commencement addresses in PDF format

All Obama USB drives will also come with smiling rubber Obama charms that fit on a keychain. The drive itself is an impressive product. The waterproof drive features a chrome plated steel pivot-style lid that is adorned with a holographic image of the President.

Measuring only 40 x 14 x 5 mm, the drive is exceptionally small and lightweight. The Obama drive is USB 2.0 compliant and works in any computer.

(Source) Press

Tags: 8gb usb drive, active media, Barack Obama, bonus materials, campaign trail, chrome plated steel, college commencement, commencement addresses, computer source, free bonus, high resolution photos, holographic image, impressive product, inaugural address, keychain, pivot style, Portable Devices, presidential addresses, speech text, USB drives, victory speech

One important difference between Apple’s iPhone and Palm’s Pre is that the iPhone can virtually go anywhere. Besides the USA, the iPhone will be available in 70 more countries in the following months but the Pre won’t. Carriers and customers around the world are waiting for Palm to launch the GSM version of the Pre since that CDMA model Sprint is selling is no good in Europe and other markets.

Good news though, it looks like there’s at least a Pre unit that can deal with a GSM network. And it has been seen in Vietnam where we can safely assume that the phones are being made. Should we assume that a GSM launch is imminent? Is anyone waiting for the GSM Palm Pre?

Tags: Apple, Apple, CDMA, Europe, GSM, iPhone, Mobile News, Palm, Palm, Portable Devices, pre, Sprint, Vietnam

Today is definitely a BlackBerry Tour day. The handset is already available for pre-order from Verizon Wireless in two versions, with or without a camera. And if you’re currently residing in Canada, you should know that the Tour is going to be available from Bell on July 17.

The phone will be available for $699.95 if you don’t want another 3-year contract or for $249.95 if you do want the new contract.

via BGR

Tags: 9630, Bell, BlackBerry, Canada, Mobile News, Portable Devices, Research In Motion, Tour

What would you choose between a BlackBerry Tour with a camera and one without a camera? What do you think your employer or your employees prefer? In order to please any type of future customer Verizon will sell two versions of the BlackBerry Tour. First we have the regular model that’s equipped with a camera, or you can choose to purchase the second version, a Tour that’s deprived of that camera.

The Tour is now available for pre-order from Verizon Wireless and you can get either one for the same price. You’ll end up paying $199.99 for any chosen model with a two year contract and after a $70 online discount.

via Verizon

Tags: 9630, BlackBerry, camera, Mobile News, Portable Devices, Research In Motion, RIM, Tour, Verizon, Verizon Wireless