Cell Phone Hub

You’re surely aware that your cellphone bleeds radiation into your face the whole time you’re on the phone with your mom, best friend or lover, right? Yes, it’s a fact we try not to think about most of the time, but now there’s a tool out there on the internets for the more reality-facing folks among us. The Environmental Working Group’s launched a website dedicated to rating cellphones on their radiation output alone. Ranking highly (meaning they put out the lowest levels of radiation) are the Motorola RAZR V8, and AT&T’s Samsung Impression. In fact, it seems that Samsung is cranking out the healthiest phones these days! Phones with poor showings includes T-Mobile’s myTouch 3G and the Blackberry Curve 8830. So hit the read link and tell us, how does your phone rate?

[Via bookofjoe]

Filed under: Cellphones

Website rates best and worst cellphones by radiation output levels — how does yours stack up? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While several shipping dates have come and gone, we’re still hopeful of seeing Garmin’s nuvifone in the flesh and on the street at some point in the future. If you’ve forgotten (and nobody would really blame you), the HSDPA, quad-band handset will boast GPS (of course), WiFi, Bluetooth, plus a full browser. The G60’s been available in Asia for some time now, and while a confirmed US launch has been much anticipated, no pricing has ever been announced. Rumors now abound that the device will carry a $300 price tag on contract, running about $550 without. Of course, it is just a rumor — and one that we hope is off base, too.

[Via Navigadget]

Filed under: Cellphones, GPS

Rumor: Garmin-ASUS nuvifone G60 to run $300? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hey, thought that $99.99 Amazon deal for a Palm Pre was really snazzy? Well today, Walmart appears to go one better by cutting the smartphone’s price down to a staggering $79.99 (on contract and with mail-in rebate). If prices keep going this low, you can probably expect the Pixi to show up for about nothing (zero, zip, zilch) sooner rather than later. If you’ve been looking for a deal to get into the Pre, this is it… but too bad if you dropped $200 a few months ago.

[Via everythingpre]

Filed under: Cellphones

Pre drops to $79.99 at Walmart originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We’d heard that Archos had teased an Android-based phone when it launched the new Archos 5 Internet Tablet, and now we have video proof. We don’t speak French well enough to translate what’s being said here (or, really, translate anything other than “le singe conduit l’autobus”) but that spec sheet isn’t too hard to figure out: we’re looking at a 1GHz ARM Cortex processor under a 4.3-inch 854 x 480 screen in 10mm thin titanium casing with what looks like a front-facing camera. Yeah, not too shabby at all, especially considering Archos has that interesting media layer running on top of Android already — let’s hope we find out even more soon. Video after the break.

[Thanks, Fernando]

Continue reading Archos Android Phone Tablet introduced on video

Filed under: Cellphones

Archos Android Phone Tablet introduced on video originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The HTC Leo is shaping up to be a pretty monumental Windows Mobile launch, and not just because of that high-res capacitive touchscreen and 1GHz Snapdragon processor — it’s also running a nicely refreshed version of TouchFLO 3D. The cats at PocketNow managed to grab an early ROM and install it on a Touch Diamond2, check the video after the break to see the new icons, dynamic background wallpaper, and much, much more.

[Via MobileTechWorld; thanks Mistyk]

Continue reading HTC Leo’s TouchFLO 3D build demoed on video

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC Leo’s TouchFLO 3D build demoed on video originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We were already pretty sure that reports that Verizon was passing on the Palm Pre were unwarranted, but the rumors just keep coming. Now BGR is reporting that it’s confirmed — albeit through an unnamed source — that the carrier will in fact land the device. It’s all starting to seem like a non-starter of a story at this point, considering we sort of already knew the Pre was probably going to Verizon, but at least now we’re less unsure that it’s not not on its way, right? Right.

Filed under: Cellphones

Palm Pre confirmed for Verizon? Probably. originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We already heard about a potential October 12 launch for the HTC HD2 (Leo) on O2 in the UK, and now we’re hearing October for the Netherlands as well — with a 550 to 600 Euro price range. Of note, the tipster who dropped this knowledge on pocketnow.com also says that Pocket IE on the phone won’t have multitouch gesture support, despite the capacitive screen’s support for multi-finger input — though with Microsoft’s own Zune HD sporting a multitouch version of Pocket IE, we have to believe it’s in the works. Just like everything good and decent planned for Windows Mobile.

[Via All About Phones]

Filed under: Cellphones

HTC HD2 inches closer to reality, hitting Europe in October for around 600 Euro? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Steve Ballmer’s talk at Microsoft’s Venture Capital Summit yesterday may have only been open to a select few, but non-VCs can now get the next best thing courtesy of TechCruch, which got a chance to sit down with Ballmer following the event. In the wide-ranging interview, Ballmer discusses Microsoft’s new “three screens and a cloud” strategy, which he describes as a “fundamental shift in the computing paradigm” (and can’t help but compare to Three Men and a Baby), as well as Microsoft’s “fun year” with things like Bing, Windows 7, and Project Natal, and Microsoft’s future acquisition strategy (it’ll probably buy about another 15 companies next year). Of particular note, Ballmer also went some way to dampen any talk of a Microsoft-banded phone, saying that while an Apple or RIM can “do just fine,” Microsoft still thinks a software play is right for them in such a high volume market — noting that, “when 1.3 billion phones a year are all smart, the software that’s gonna be most popular in those phones is gonna be software that’s sold by somebody who doesn’t make their own phone.” Head on past the break to see the whole thing for yourself.

Continue reading Steve Ballmer talks ‘three screens and a cloud’ and more with TechCrunch

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Steve Ballmer talks ‘three screens and a cloud’ and more with TechCrunch originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Vertu’s not known for making cut rate electronics, so this is probably the closest it’ll ever come. The company’s just unveiled its latest flip phone, the Constellation Ayxta. The Ayxta is aimed at citizens of the world who are looking for a “high quality product to assist in maintaining their standard of living wherever they may be,” — i.e., lazy people who’d rather throw money at something than figure out what to do on their own on a Friday night in Vienna. We can sympathize — sort of. To that end, the handset will be kitted with all manner of awesomeness, including Vertu’s own Concierge service which puts you on the line with a customer service representative directly — no hold required. Users will also get access to Vertu Select — which, as we said before, will help you out and tell you where all the cool people are in whatever one horse town you happen to be in at the moment. It’s got 3G and a micros SD slot for up to 8GB of storage, plus a 3.0 megapixel cam with integrated flash (which is always nice), but other than that it’s pretty unimpressive. The Constellation Ayxta is available in Europe now, and for a very affordable €4,900 to €6,500 — somewhere in the neighborhood of $7,000 - $10,500.

[Via T3]

Filed under: Cellphones

Vertu announces Constellation Ayxta flip phone for the discerning, friendless traveler originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a Pre for $100, but coming from Amazon, the legitimacy level is at an all-time high. If you’re up for a contract renewal, it begs the question why you wouldn’t do this over… oh, pretty much anywhere else where you’re still paying the recently-reduced $149 rate — and it also makes you wonder just how much price pressure’s going to be on the Pixi’s diminutive shoulders by the time it launches.

[Via Gear Diary and everythingpre]

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds

Palm Pre going for a nice, round $100 on contract at Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.