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Darren Murph

iPhone 3GS prototype scooped up at airport, now on eBay

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 3rd 2009 at 12:44PM

Seriously folks, what's up with these prototype iPhones falling out of nondescript white vans and ending up on eBay in the shadiest of manners? Just months after we saw an original iPhone prototype (ancient OS included) pop up on The 'Bay, now we've got one of the world's first iPhone 3GSs on there as well. According to the highly ranked eBay seller, the "guy" he "got it from" actually stumbled upon it at an airport, and rather than doing the nonsensical thing of hitting up lost and found, he decided to make the most of the sudden opportunity. According to the new owner, an Apple Genius has confirmed that it is an iPhone 3GS, but due to its prototype nature, they can't help him get past the "Connect to iTunes" screen. In other words, it's an incredibly rare brick. If that sounds like just the thing to complete your collection, you can visit the road to overpaying through the read link below.

[Via ElectricPig]

Apple patching nasty iPhone SMS vulnerability

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 2nd 2009 at 1:01PM

Given the hype surrounding Apple's iPhone, we're actually surprised that we haven't seen more holes to plug over the years. In fact, the last major iPhone exploit to take the world by storm happened right around this time two years ago, and now -- thanks to OS X security expert Charlie Miller -- we're seeing yet another come to light. Over at the SyScan conference in Singapore, Mr. Miller disclosed a hole that would let attackers "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." Charlie's planning to detail the vulnerability in full at the upcoming Black Hat conference, but Apple's hoping to have it all patched up by the end of this month.

[Via HotHardware]

Motorola's Aura Celestial Edition soon taking "giant leaps" for "mankind"

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 2nd 2009 at 8:21AM

Here's a fact: the world really doesn't need another mildly tweaked Aura. Sorry, it just doesn't. That being true and all, we're still pretty jazzed to see Motorola giving the ultra-luxurious handset another go with the moon-themed Celestial Edition. Word on the street has it that this here handset won't deviate much from the predecessor, but it will come pre-loaded with multimedia from the original moon landing mission, a laser etched quote honoring the 40th anniversary of the journey and a price tag that's far, far beyond stratospheric. We're told that it's all set to go on sale next month, but good luck finding one.

[Via phoneArena]

Palm to disclose UK Pre launch details next week?

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 1st 2009 at 9:06AM

We heard way back at CES that a GSM Pre was in the works, but not until now have we heard who exactly in the world would be using it. According to confirmation received by T3, Palm is gearing up to disclose the whos, whats and wheres behind the UK launch next week, meaning that we've got seven days (give or take) to twiddle our thumbs until we know which carrier (O2 or Vodafone, most likely), how much and when it'll be available for purchase. We know it's agonizing, but at least you've a time frame to circle in your Trapper Keeper now, right?

BlackBerry credited with saving skier's life, serendipity left hanging

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 30th 2009 at 8:43AM

Not that we haven't heard a few miraculous gadgets-saving-lives stories before, but this one is in a league of its own. According to the always-embellishing Sun, one David Fitzherbert is thanking his smartphone after coming entirely too close to falling 700 feet to his death. As the story goes, he got wedged between a pair of rocks after losing control of his skis in the Matterhorn, and while we aren't quite sure why he chose RIM's BlackBerry over -- say, chap-stick, car keys, his wallet or a fattening breakfast -- he credited it with adding just enough width to his person to keep him wedged. Two hours after finding himself between a rock and a hard place, rescue crews arrived and flew him to a hospital where he used the "0.5-inch wide" phone to tell his wife that he had survived a nasty spill. We still say David owes a round of thanks to genetics, luck and Zeus, but hey, what do we know?

AT&T to go live with TerreStar sat phone services this year

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 24th 2009 at 11:09AM

We've known that TerreStar Networks and AT&T Mobility were in bed together for quite some time, but evidently the honeymoon phase is finally reaching its logical end. Reportedly, the carrier is gearing up to go live with an extension of service that'll involve satellites and a pinch of luck, giving select customers the ability to roam between its GSM network and TerreStar's satellite network. If all goes to plan (we're not holding our breath, for the record), AT&T will begin to resell satellite service and phones soon after the bird is launched some 22,000 miles above North America on July 1st. Once perched, it'll provide coverage across Canada and the US, including the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. There's no definitive word on pricing, but we're hearing that sat phone service will run around $1 per minute while hybrid handsets will go for around $700 (unsubsidized). Pricey, sure, but how else do you plan to phone home on your next visit to the Pitcairn Islands?

Verizon's CEO sidesteps questions on iPhone, Android handset

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 24th 2009 at 7:58AM

The last time we heard from Ivan Seidenberg, he was letting Sprint know precisely what he thought of it. This go 'round, in a new 'Charlie Rose' interview, the Verizon chief is being entirely more coy. In speaking to recent political happenings, he mentions that the communication coming from the citizens of Iran is "a great thing," and he also notes that attempts to block internet use "can't work long term" as the "power of the people will override that without any question." Sort of comical given VZW's prior persistence to cripple phones in spite of consumer backlash, but we digress. He also dodged (with great skill, might we add) questions on whether Verizon Wireless would carry the iPhone, noting that it was "Apple's decision" on whether it would build one to support the company's forthcoming LTE network. As for Android? He did confess that recent reports of a Motorola handset coming its way "might be true," which is CEO speak for "oh, that's absolutely happening." Hop on past the break for a video of the whole shakedown.

Continue reading Verizon's CEO sidesteps questions on iPhone, Android handset

Wireless charging comes to Apple's iPhone 3GS, thanks to WildCharge

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 24th 2009 at 1:44AM

Envious of your Pre toting pals and that Touchstone charging rig? Don't sweat it -- WildCharge is coming through in the clutch to bring similar wireless charging technology to Apple's own handset. Starting today, iPhone (3G and 3GS included) and iPod touch users can order up a WildCharge Skin along with a WildCharger Pad in order to bring wire-free charging to their smartphone. Just slap the skin on, plug the pad in and toss the handset down on said pad. Just like that, you've got fresh energy flowing without having to scour the house for that little AC adapter. The pain? $34.99 for the skin, or $79.99 for the skin and pad.

Quickoffice for iPhone impressions

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 13th 2009 at 12:00PM

Quickoffice is no stranger to the mobile Office space. Indeed, the software itself has been around in one form or another since 1998. Most recently, however, the app has strolled into Apple's App Store, and we'll be taking a closer look at what may possibly be the most serious productivity app to sashay over to the iPhone OS. Priced at $19.99, the app certainly isn't inexpensive, but it offers a few luxuries that businesspeople and Office mavens alike may not be able to live without. We're talking real, unadulterated editing of Excel spreadsheets, Word documents and text files, not to mention a fairly robust file management system as well as a PDF and JPEG viewer. Care to find out what we thought after taking it for a spin? Hop on past the break.

Gallery: Quickoffice for iPhone impressions

Continue reading Quickoffice for iPhone impressions

Nokia's N86 8MP now shipping worldwide

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 10th 2009 at 9:02AM

Just under two months. That's how long it took Nokia's N86 8MP to go from FCC to store shelves here in America, as the cats in Espoo have just announced to the world that the aforementioned cellphone is now shipping globally. In case you've forgotten, this 8 megapixel slider touts variable aperture, a mechanical shutter and automatic motion blur reduction, not to mention 8GB of internal memory and a microSD card slot. There's no official mention of price, and as of right now, the phone's not even listed on Nokia's American e-store; still, based on early estimates, we'd say you best break out the bank just in case.

Palm moves 50,000 Pre smartphones in opening weekend

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 8th 2009 at 10:43AM

We've yet to see Palm or Sprint confirm these numbers, but a quote from JPMorgan found in a Wall Street Journal roundup this morning asserts that "sales [of the Pre] in the first two days probably exceeded 50,000." The report continues by mentioning that said figure was "aligned with expectations, but probably fell short of the 146,000 reported first-gen iPhone sales" during its opening weekend due to "capacity constraints in manufacturing." By and large, most analysts are deeming the Pre launch a success, though it's hard to say whether the suits at Palm and Sprint agree or disagree. No matter how you slice it, 50,000 units in a single weekend ain't nothing to scoff at, but we'd say next weekend's sales could be even more telling. You know, if anything goes down today at 1:00PM ET.

[Via ZDNet]

Update: A new WSJ report now says analyst ranges are between 50,000 and 100,000. Heck, maybe Palm sold eleventy billion.

Freescale netbook and Android-powered smartbook debut

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 8th 2009 at 8:53AM

We knew good and well that Freescale wouldn't let Qualcomm go and have all the fun with these newfangled smartbooks, and already we're seeing a few new devices powered by Freescale-branded semiconductors. In the video posted just after the break, the company's own Steve Sperle sat down to talk about a new Pegatron netbook (which handles 720p video playback with ease) as well as an Inventec "smartbook" which is just marginally larger than your average smartphone. In fact, we're rather impressed with the layout: a larger-than-average 4-inch display, a slideout QWERTY keyboard and Google's Android OS. Unfortunately, Mr. Sperle would only stick close to the "later this year" launch time frame that we'd already heard about, but so long as these smartbooks end up looking like overpowered smartphones, you can certainly consider our interest piqued.

Continue reading Freescale netbook and Android-powered smartbook debut

Palm Pre and Touchstone get torn down gently, beautifully

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 7th 2009 at 11:27AM

As much as we love those guys and gals over at Will It Blend?, we couldn't help but cringe each time they "dissected" any given gadget. The cautious cats over at iFixit, however, are more our style. Gentle, loving, appreciative and respectful -- what else could you want in a gizmo surgeon? Per usual, they've done whatever it takes to get ahold of Palm's new Pre and Touchstone, but rather than basking in the glory of ownership, they promptly unrolled their tool belt, fired up the DSLR and proceeded to dissemble both units for your viewing pleasure. We already know that all those little innards add up to right around $170 (for the Pre, anyway), but there's nothing quite like looking at each and every chip and bit yourself. Hit up the read links below if you find your interest piqued, and don't forget to tip your hat as you exit.

Read - Palm Pre teardown
Read - Palm Touchstone teardown

Samsung's S8000 "Cubic" smartphone shown on video

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 6th 2009 at 7:34PM

Wait, this thing's for real? Obviously so, else that's one awesome KIRF shown in the video just past the break. Sadly, it seems as if Samsung's AMOLED-equipped S8000 "Cubic" is still quite some ways from shipping to US soil, but those who need to brush up on their Spanish can tap the read link for loads of impressions.

[Via Mobile Bulgaria]

Continue reading Samsung's S8000 "Cubic" smartphone shown on video

Meizu M8 3G gets full specifications list, "planned" March 2010 release date

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 5th 2009 at 9:12PM

That little phone thing that Apple maybe-probably has planned for Monday? Yeah -- totally pales in comparison to what Meizu has up its sleeves. The long (long!) awaited M8 3G has finally been detailed, and the full specifications list is now available for your perusal. We're seeing TD-SCDMA and WCDMA radios, an 800MHz or 1GHz Samsung processor, 3.54-inch display (with a staggering 720 x 480 resolution), USB 2.0 connectivity, 8GB or 16GB of flash storage, a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash and of course, the infamous Meizu OS. There's also support for Bluetooth 2.0, GPS, multi-touch, a light sensor and tilt sensing. Go ahead and mark your iCals, folks, 'cause this one's got a rock-solid "planned" release date of March 2010. Where's the time machine when you really need, it?

[Via PMP Today]