Hello Rhapsody, Says Verizon.

I’m sure you’ve been out of your house and had a song stuck in your head that you just had to listen to. If not, you’re an alien and I’m calling the FBI. For humans who also happen to be Verizon customers, get ready to rejoice: today, Verizon Wireless announced that it will be introducing Rhapsody’s subscription based music service on their network. This brings you unlimited mobile music downloads for $15 bucks a month - not bad!

Rhapsody appears to be following the footsteps of its siblings, Napster and iTunes. But breathe a sigh of relief, because they’ve taken off that ever so annoying DRM (Digital Rights Management) protection so you now have control over the music you buy.. unlike the past.

If you have however bought a song on VCAST before, you also received a copy of the MP3 track for your PC. Now, that copy will be unprotected… no DRM! While songs that are downloaded through this new service will still come with DRM protection, you need to connect it to your PC with Rhapsody installed to get the non-DRM’d MP3 for your PC. Mac users? Sorry, this won’t work for you yet.

This service will only work with the LG Chocolate 3 (available in July), LG Decoy and LG Dare; Motorola W755; Samsung U550, Samsung Glyde and Samsung Juke. However, if you’re using the Motorola RIZR Z6tv, Motorola RAZR2 V9m or LG VX8700 you’ll need to pop on in to your local Verizon store and get an upgrade of your phone’s software.

[Via Verizon Wireless]

Motorola Blaze: Verizon’s Next Touch Screen

The LG Dare came out less than a week ago but Verizon Wireless already has another all-touch screen device ready to battle the likes of the Dare, Voyager and Glyde… introducing the Motorola Blaze.

BGR describes the phone as, “A Ming crossed with a PEBL crossed with a RAZR 2.” Hmmm.. interesting. We’ve got (rumored) specs and pictures to give you a better idea:

Pictures:

[Via BGR]

Samsung Instinct Software Updates?

The guys at CrunchGear apparently went forum perousing (or more likely got a tip) that the Samsung Instinct will get a software update on June 30th.

There have been a few little bugs with the Samsung Instinct and supposedly, this quickly pushed update will cure those ailments. So if you’re inclined to believe a rumor from a rumor from a forum that nobody has ever heard of… follow these directions on the 30th and see if the Instinct Gods shine on you that day:

[Via CrunchGear]

You Say Goodbye, I Say Helio

If Helio had a theme song for a 2008 Soundtrack it would be the altered Beatles song mentioned in the title. With “You” being Helio Customers and “I” being Virgin Mobile. Virgin Mobile has just acquired Helio for $39 Million Dollars.

Helio was one of the most popular MVNO’s and considered to be the most innovative. MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operators - the actual carriers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless are MNOs. The difference? Helio purchased service from carriers and resold it to customers, making them “virtual” operators.

MVNOs are short lived and dying breed with Virgin Mobile being one of the last well known brand standing. There are some smaller ones out there but the future may not be too bright giving Helio’s fate.

One thing that could possibly revive these MVNO’s would be a willingness to adopt the open source phones such as Android, Limo Foundation phones and Open Source Symbian phones. If the put the user before the agenda of profits, as the main carriers will seemingly do, they may be able to gobble enough interested onlookers. But how long would that last before the big guys pull a simple switcheroo and cut them right back out?

BGR got a hold of a few Question and Answers about the aquisition from an internal e-mail that was leaked. Apparently customers will not lose service during the transition - it will be seamless - and it will take place over a gradual phasing out period.

Here is the email:

Q: What does this mean for current HELIO members? Can I still use my HELIO device, while keeping my HELIO service plan and number?

A: Current service plans will continue without interruption. HELIO members are at the center of this transaction and we’ll continue to bring them the innovative mobile services they’ve come to expect.

Q: Can new members still sign up for HELIO service?

A: Absolutely. HELIO will continue to offer exclusive, high-end devices and our innovative All-In plans.

Q: Will the HELIO brand be retained, or will everything migrate to Virgin Mobile USA?

A: Over time, we expect that all aspects of the customer experience will be integrated under the Virgin Mobile USA brand.  Integration of the direct sales channel will begin immediately, and we expect that existing HELIO products and services will soon be offered through the Virgin Mobile USA website at www.virginmobileusa.com.

Q: So what’s next?

A: We’re excited by the possibilities our new, combined team offers. We have some big ideas, but as you can imagine, a little bit of housekeeping is in order before we share them. Stay tuned!

Q: Does this affect my current contract with HELIO in any way? When Virgin Mobile USA does acquire HELIO, can I end my current contract without paying an early termination fee (ETF)?

A: HELIO contracts remain in effect and unchanged by this transaction. HELIO members who wish to end their contract early will still be subject to an early termination fee (ETF).

[Via BGR, Engadget]

T-Mobile Announces Motorola ROKR E8

T-Mobile has officially announced a new member of the family, the ROKR E8, meaning Motorola has officially made its first significant foray into North America with what we would term, its new generation.

What makes it the new generation? Well, the new Linux OS for starters, plus a unique profile, cool morphing keypad, excellent music capabilities and design and function that is totally unrelated to the RAZR (sorry, RAZR 2 V8…you’re out).  Personally, given the extent of T-Mobile’s 3G network, we are not at all hurt by the absence of 3G on the E8. We hope this is just the beginning for Motorola (and their comeback?), this device certainly deserves to do well.

It will available July 7th, for $199.99 with a 2-Year Contract.

[via Engadget Mobile]

iPhone Remote Control for iTunes

Apple seems to be proving themselves as perpetual innovators… and successful ones at that. In the readme of an upcoming iTunes update released only to developers, the following lines were found:

Use iTunes 7.7 to sync music, video, and more with iPhone 3G, and download applications from the iTunes Store exclusively designed for iPhone and iPod touch with software version 2.0 or later. Also use the new Remote application for iPhone or iPod touch to control iTunes playback from anywhere in your home — a free download from the App Store.

And you thought nobody would ever read the fineprint… HA!

We see what you’re doing there Apple. Anybody will be able to download an application to their iPhone via the application store, for free, and sync it via Wi-Fi to the iTunes on their computer. WIth that connection established, you’ll be able to use your iPhone as a remote control for your iTunes from anywhere in your house!

That’s pretty sweet if we may say so ourselves. While the initial iPhone 3G announcement didn’t seem too mind blowing, these little details that seem to be trickling out 1 by 1 are pretty intriguing - we admit.

[Via MacRumors]

HTC Touch Pro Gets Fondled

The “business professional” version of HTC’s highly anticipated and self congratulating HTC Diamond recently got played with by MobileBurn, SlashGear and PhoneMag. The Touch Pro and Xperia will go head-to-head for your hard earned bucks in a few months, but why wait to start information gathering?

The folks at MobileBurn liken the Touch Pro as a Diamond clone… with a slideout full QWERTY keyboard added and an inherently thicker body. This QWERTY Keyboard is of course what helps pit it directly against the Xperia X1 from Sony Ericsson. Early reports of the Xperia were that the tactile feedback on the full QWERTY buttons were less than par, giving the Touch Pro an easy advantage should its keyboard be worthy.

According to SlashGear, although the QWERTY buttons on the HTC Touch Pro are smaller than on some of the other HTC devices, they still have a good feel to them and are “usable”. That sounds like an advantage over the Xperia… but not much of one. And some folks, like the boys at IntoMobile, have contested the school of thought that the Xperia keyboard is dysfunctional to begin with.

Its early… but its nice to see the Touch Pro get played with. Here is the video but unfortunately, the secretive folks at HTC removed the battery beforehand, so its a hardware only demo!

Overall this phone looks pretty snazzy. Kudos to HTC… and well done on offering the same phone with a touch screen only and full QWERTY version - the more options the better!

[Via MobileBurn, PhoneMag, SlashGear]

LG Dare Now Available!

The LG Dare is officially “for sale” on the Verizon Wireless website. If you’re the type that needs to go into the store and play around before deciding, you’ll have to wait until next weekend. With that being a holiday weekend, we’d opt for the convenience of ordering online.

Some of the features of this sexy phone are a touchscreen that comes with a stylus for handwriting recognition, a 3.2MP camera with face detection, LED flash and autozoom as well as picture and video editing tools and a nice multimedia suite. It’s looking pretty good.

Here is the “official” information from Verizon:

Dare to be different with Verizon Wireless’ newest phone - Dare™ by LG. This new handset will surpass your expectations with a large 3–inch touch screen that recognizes your handwriting and gives you tactile feedback. Zoom in closer to find a 3.2 megapixel camera/camcorder with advanced features like face detection for outstanding image quality. Of course, the Dare sounds just as good as it looks with a music player and Bluetooth® stereo. With HTML web browsing and a host of other alluring features, it’s up to any mobile challenge.

Design

  • Large 3″ Touch Screen with Tactile Feedback
  • Virtual QWERTY Keyboard

Camera/Video

  • 3.2 Megapixel Camera & Camcorder
  • Camera Resolutions: 2048×1536, 1600×1200, 1280×960, 640×480, 320×240
  • Video Resolution: 640×480, 320×240, 176×144
  • SmartPic Technology for Improved Image Quality
  • Face Detection – automatically detects a face when taking a picture
  • Panorama, Split Shot, & Frame Camera Setting
  • Image Editor – zoom, rotate, crop, add frames, icons, and write over images

Music

  • Music Player for MP3, WMA, unprotected AAC, & unprotected AAC+
  • Preset Sound Effect Equalizer
  • Multitask While Playing Music
  • Create and Manage Playlists
  • microSD™ Memory Port with up to 8GB Support
  • USB Mass Storage

Bluetooth®

  • Send all Contacts & Calendar Events via Bluetooth
  • Print & Send User–Generated Pictures (JPEG) via Bluetooth
  • Supported Profiles: Headset, Hands–free, Dial–Up Networking, Advanced Audio Distribution (stereo), Phonebook Access, Basic Printing, Object Push for vCard and vCalendar, File Transfer, Basic Imaging, Human Imaging Transfer
Services

    Only Available on Nationwide Plans

  • Nationwide Premium Plan Capable
  • V CAST Music
  • V CAST Videos
  • Text/Picture/Video Messaging/Mobile IM/Voice Mail
  • HTML Web Browser with Touch Navigation
  • Media Center – download games, ringtones, and more
  • Mobile Email & VZ Navigatorsm

General

  • One–Touch Speakerphone & Speaker–Independent Voice Commands
  • Calculator, EZTip Calculator, Calendar, Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, World Clock, Notebook, Notepad & Drawing Pad with handwriting recognition
  • Up to 1000 contacts, 5 entries per contact
  • Device Software Update – Download software upgrades over the air

Specifications

  • Frequency: 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS, 800 MHz CDMA
  • Data Transmission: EV–DO Rev. A
  • Dimensions: 4.1″ (H) x 2.2″ (W) x 0.5″ (D)
  • Weight: 3.76 oz.
  • Hearing Aid Compatibility = M3/T3
  • Meets FCC SAR limit. Manufacturer’s highest FCC reported SAR 1.09 W/kg at ear, 0.987 W/kg on body
  • Display: 260K Color TFT, 240×400 Pixels, 2.98″
  • Handset Usage Time: Up to 280 Minutes OR
  • Handset Standby Time: Up to 360 Hours
  • 3.5mm Headset Jack Capable
  • Handset Insurance is Available

Open Source Symbian: 2010 or Later

The muffled hoopla surrounding around Android enjoyed a temporary spike in interest earlier this week when Symbian, the operating system on more smart phones than any other platform, announced they wree going Open Source. The explosion of articles pitting Open Source Symbian vs. Android could not be avoided.

As usual, people broke out their “Jump to Conclusions Pad,” and begun writing articles claiming that Android and the iPhone are doomed, Symbian will rule the world and its only a matter of time! Muahahah. Afterall, developers can start building for the platform TODAY and were promised their applications would work on the first devices to come out.

And then we found out the earliest these open source Symbian phones will launch is 2010. Before me start making assumptions about NEXT decade the 1.5 years left in THIS decade will have a lot to say.

That’s not to say that Symbian should be written off or underestimated - afterally, they DO dominate the smart phone platform market and their Open Source announcement is incredibly meaningful. While there won’t be any immediate implications it illustrates the direction in which the mobile industry is headed.

And we like that direction.

Whether the iPhone, Android, Open Source Symbian or another platform earns dominance in the next decade, it doesn’t really make a difference. We’re just happy to see this strong movement and new direction the mobile world is taking towards providing consumers with the greatest choice and flexibility.

Or we could be bitter… took ya long enough, didn’t it?

Motorola Alexander = Android Phone ?

Motorola’s struggling handset division has been the subject of spinoff/sale rumors for quite awhile now. But with the launch of the new Motozine line and  its first phone, the Motozine ZN5, Motorola seems to have a lot more up its sleeve.

The story of the codenamed “Motorola Alexander” was scooped by BGR and described to him as, “Motorola’s Last Stand.” The Boy Genius has a knack for leaking soon-to-be-proved-true rumors and he claims, “this is said to be Moto’s last big attempt at getting back their market share and reclaiming victory. If this doesn’t work out, we’re told it’s all over for them and they will sell the company.”

Meanwhile, Daniel Roth from Wired Magazine dropped a gem of an article about Android in the publication’s July issue titled, “Google’s Open Source Android Phone Will Free the Wireless Web.” Besides being a darn good read, check out what he has to say about Motorola and Android:

The company’s handset business, slated to be spun off, is on life-support, and it’s counting on Android for a comeback. It has assigned its top designers — the people who crafted the Razr — to create new must-have models. Engineers from Good Technology, the BlackBerry competitor Motorola purchased in 2006, are now writing applications for Android. For Motorola, Android has to work.

Could the Motorola Alexander be an Android Phone?

Based on the alignment of these articles, it would certainly seem that way. And, it would make a lot of sense. We’ve also got some rumored specs for the phone:

Hmmm… but the OS is already said to be UIQ? This seems to be somewhat of a paradox. How could the Motorola Alexander be the “last stand” and happen around October and Android also be a “last stand” that happens late 4th quarter? It doesn’t seem to make sense.

Of course if the Motorola Alexander ISN’T an Android Phone than what IS it? How about the Motorola Blaze or Motorola Utopia? Both of these brand new phones were leaked when information about Verizon Visual Voicemail dropped on Engadget:

Something is fishy. Maybe the Alexander is an Android Phone… maybe it isn’t. But if it ISN’T then we can probably assume that it also isn’t the company’s last stand. Unles… they wait for Android and make their “last stand” a barrage of sick handsets so that if they go out, they go out in style.

What if the Alexander IS an Android phone AND its named the Motorola Utopia, which would mean its on the Verizon Wireless 700MHz open network for which at least one handset has already been approved.

The possibilities intrigue us… don’t let reality disappoint, dear Moto. If you’re looking to hit a walk off grand slam or go home as losers, you’d better have some pop in your bat. Cork it for all we care. Or better yet, take some anabolic androids.

Nokia N78 Hits American Shores (Not Stores)

We’ve got a quick little ditty for you: the Nokia N78 is now available in the good old US of A. It will only set high rollers back $560 while it will set chumps back a whopping $560 (see what we did there?).

Remember, that $560 is an unsubsidized price that isn’t tied to any service agreement with a carrier. Carphone Warehouse in Europe is selling the phone with service in that region for about $40 with a 2 year contract. For some reason, no American MNO’s have picked up the phone.

Soooo… you can grab your Nokia N78 online or at one of their two flagship stores in NYC or Chicago.

[Via Gizmodo]

ZN5 Gets Reviewed, Compared With The Best

From Russia with love comes these two extremely thorough reviews. SMAPE and Mobile-Review each found plenty of reasons to love the first MOTOZINE model, citing its large and beautiful display, imaging specific processor (delivering unparalleled speed when taking and viewing photos), extensive and balanced feature list, excellent build quality and good use of materials. Mobile-Review even goes as far as to say “now I can’t stop praising the ZN5, can I?”

But the initial excitement is tempered with the overall conclusion: for Motorola its a step in the right direction… a pretty sweet phone but not all that and a bag of whatever snacks your mom has around the house. For that, we’ll have to wait for the “Motorola Alexander” which some have hinted may be the ZN12.

SMAPE Review - ZN5 Review & Comparison
Mobile-Review.com - Full Review

BlackBerry Kickstart Pictured and Compared!

Perhaps RIM has just given up with secrets because it looks like the folks hanging around them are quite the shutterbugs. A plethora of blurry photos of the first ever (and unannounced) Blackberry flip phone - the Kickstart - have surfaced over at BlackberryShack.com. The shot above shows it beside the Blackberry Bold.

While it won’t be the sexiest new BlackBerry - the Bold and Javelin are more our type - this device represents an important step for RIM by appealing to the broad consumer market with several new form factors.  The Kickstart looks like it won’t disappoint the clamshell fans. The familiar Blackberry silver and black design graces the Kickstart along with the beloved/hated Suretype keyboard and now ubiquitous trackball.

Seriously though, with this much leakage happening, someone at RIM needs to find the hole in the dike…. and then show it to us so we can have a look!  Hit the link for more photos.

Read

Cell Phone Tricks from Google!

How to blend your iPhone! How to save the world with Google Maps for Mobile! You can learn it all with a new YouTube Mobile Tricks Channel that Google has started for mobile enthusiasts to share great tricks and tips for their mobile phones:

And while blending your iPhone and saving the world probably aren’t on your “to do list”, chances are that this could be a great place to learn a thing or two. Or you could just subscribe to the Mobile Roar RSS Feed because we’ll keep you up to date with the best ones anyways!

Watch the iPhone turn into a smoothie:

Watch a regular guy save the world with Google Maps for Mobile:

[Via Google Mobile Blog]

Openmoko’s FreeRunner Races Towards Release

Off the treadmill and onto the trackmeet! Oddball Korean phone manufacturer, OpenMoko, is headed straight for a July release with its newest device - the FreeRunner. Although originally scheduled for spring delivery, it was postponed. The company now says units should be arriving during the first week of July.

The FreeRunner features a 2.8 inch VGA touchscreen(!), assisted GPS, microSD slot, Bluetooth, USB, WiFi and is powered by a 500Mhz processor. It is noted for its entirely open OS for which development by the consumer is actively encouraged.

The FreeRunner is a follow-up to the Neo1973, which was so popular that Openmoko’s supply of the device is completely exhausted. The FreeRunner will be going for approximately $399 USD, plus applicable costs for getting the device shipped into the country. Those of you who are programming phenoms (or otherwise) and are planning on purchasing the FreeRunner when it arrives next month will want to make sure they get the tri-band version that comes with GSM 850, as this version is meant specifically for the North American market.

[Via The Inquirer]

Motorola’s MING Series: We’re Here Too!

Coming on the heels of Motorola’s biggest announcement in far too long, comes the quiet release of updates to the MING series. Certainly among the more interesting designs in the industry the MING series can, technically, be considered a clamshell (although a somewhat eccentric one). The MING never found popularity in North America but has been a success in China, so in many ways this update is just as important to Motorola as the ZN5.

Announced as a MING series addition today was the A1600, which runs on Linux OS, and features a 2.4 inch QVGA touch-screen, a 3MP camera with continuous autofocus and card reader mode, microSD slot, stereo Bluetooth, a microUSB port, built-in FM radio, and GPS receiver. As with most Motorola products the A1600 falls just a little short, offering neither WiFi nor 3G connectivity. It does however feature quad-band technology (EDGE only), which means it will work well for us North Americans.

The A1800 adds both CDMA (1x only) and triband GSM support (GPRS only) but still lacks WiFi and 3G. We think this will prove an interesting possibility for either Sprint or Verizon should they choose to release it, given that both carriers have recently brought out other hybrid phones (ahem, 8800 series).

[Via GSMArena]

Samsung Omnia: Coming Soon to AT&T

Rumor has it that the Samsung Omnia will suit up for the Blue Team with AT&T offering the phone in the near future. And by near future we mean July, August or September. Seeing as how initial conventional wisdom reported the Omnia wouldn’t make it to the states, this news couldn’t be any more exciting.

In addition to the regular AT&T multimedia features such as AT&T Music, AT&T Video and AT&T Navigator, the Omnia will also feature AT&T Mobile TV!

Here are some other specs to keep your mouth watering:

[Via Samsung Omnia]

BlackOutBerry: RIM Service Outage Midnight Friday

Mark your calendars BlackBerry faithful. From midnight on Friday, June 27th to 8AM on the 28th your trusty BlackBerry may not be, “unable to send or receive messages, use the BlackBerry Internet Service web site or perform activities such as creating new accounts, accessing your Internet mailbox, integrating 3rd party email accounts or viewing email attachments.”

Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

In reality, BlackBerry folks should be very happy. The planned “outage” is due to an upgrade from version 2.4 to 2.5 of the BlackBerry Internet Service Pack.

This means no more ridiculously ugly and basic emails! Version 2.5 supports reading of HTML emails complete with images, tables, hyperlinks, paragraph formatting, font formatting and a bunch more. It also improves download and editing of attachments with various file types.

A small sacrifice to make for a pretty cool update!

[Via BlackBerry, DataOutages]

MotoZine ZN5 Finally Official

It seems like years ago that we first heard rumors about Motorola’s new “Zine” product line that would supposedly feature a bunch of cool phones. No more dragging it out because we’re finally pulling in news from a Motorola Press Release stating that, “MOTOZINE ZN5 is the first device to carry the MOTOZINE franchise name, Motorola’s new label for its multimedia-optimized devices.”

So there you have it - the wait is over… kinda. According to EngadgetMobile, the phone will first be made available in China and start a World Tour about one month later. And from what we’re hearing, the entire MotoZine lineup could be well worth the wait.

Manufacturers have really been in an arms race over camera phone megapixels with Sony Ericsson having just announced their 8.1 MegaPixel C905. The ZN5 comes in at an impressive and competitive 5MP, but its not the MP alone that give this device photo power.

How about this for the Kodak branded phone:

It sounds like Motorola has a few tricks up their sleeve. If this is any sign of whats to come… the MotoZine line could be a pleasant surprise. Remember, the MOTOZINE ZN5 is just the first of many media-centric devices to be featured on this new brand.

Great… so now our impatience for the rest of the handsets begins!

[Via Motorola]

Motorola Goes Back 2 The Future!

As if Motorola doesn’t have enough problems already, it seems they’re burning the midnight oil working on great new phones that fit on your face like an ugly mixture of 3D glasses and car phones from the early 90s. Are you kidding me Motorola?

The “glasses” make sense in theory and this isn’t the first time we’ve seen something like this. Watching a movie on a long plane, train or bus ride? Want to play a mobile game in virtual reality type 1st person shooter mode? The concept is actually pretty cool and a mobile phone makes sense to use as a “base device” for such a gadget.

But when you see the figure above which was submitted to the FCC, you can’t help but laugh. The interesting thing here is that this makes NO sense given the restrictions of today. But if the CONCEPTS found in this application were applied 10 years down the road with methods we currently don’t know and cannot comprehend, Motorola could cash in.

Now, it seems like you’re putting a brick on your face. But take a look at the type of flexible material BMW is developing for use with cars in the video below. What if these concepts were applied to mobile phone manufacturing?

Perhaps now the concept doesn’t seem so goofy.

[Via Engadget, UnwiredView]

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