Nokia C5-03: end of the year, €170, runs Symbian^1 for some reason

Doesn't it seem a little odd for Nokia to be launching any new touchscreen devices on Symbian^1 now thatSymbian^3's been loosed courtesy of the N8 and C7? Alas, it looks like there'll be at least one new model running the old code -- in this case, the low-end C5-03. It's got a 3.2-inch display and 5 megapixel camera (no flash) -- and despite what you might be thinking, it does actually manage to pack both WiFi and 3G, pretty amazing for a €170 ($238) unsubsidized full-touchscreen device. Don't suppose we could expect an official firmware upgrade for this bad boy, could we? Look for it to launch at the end of the quarter, which also happens to be the end of the year.

Palm Pre 2 and webOS 2.0 showcased in new commercial

It's hard to tell if the ad embedded after the break is purely official, but it definitely reeks of HP. In a good way, that is. Uploaded by the same fellow that gave us our first sneak peek at webOS 2.0, this "Sizzle" ad shows 34 solid seconds of Palm Pre 2 action, complete with a glimpse at Angry Birds, Facebook and all sorts of new 2.0 features. We're aren't totally digging the tunes, but otherwise, it looks to be rather attractive -- way better than thefirst wave of original Pre ads, that's for sure.

Samsung Galaxy Beam projector smartphone helped to light up the lives of the Chilean miners

Did you hear the one about the trapped Chilean miners? Turns out they were a little bit under the weather. But, seriously folks, living in a cave for a couple of months is no fun, and thankfully those guys had a crew of support people sending down all sorts of toys. One of those toys, we're now learning, was a Samsung Galaxy Beam Android projector phone, loaded with a "message of encouragement" from Chile's Mining Minister along with a recording of an exhibition soccer match between Chile and Ukraine (which we were previously told was beamed down via fiber optics ). We have to admit feeling the smallest pang of jealousy, as down there is one of the few places where a six lumen pico projector is more than bright enough.

No custom ringtones for Windows Phone 7?

We just sat through an eight minute long video of someone at Pocketnow sampling every ringtone on his HTC Surround. Why did we do this? Just wanted to see if we could stand it; suffice it to say, we never want to hear a ringtone again. Perhaps more importantly, our man points out that Microsoft seems to have left the ability to add your own custom ringtones out of Windows Phone 7 altogether. The Surround itself has a couple recognizable fan favorites that we recognize from AT&T and HTC phones past, so it looks like manufacturers and carriers will be able to bring their own to the table, but for the end user, it looks like you won't be able to roll your own -- at least for the time being. And now we're going to go put our phones on vibrate.

BlackBerry PlayBook demoed in the flesh at Adobe MAX, Air-based SDK launched

RIM's PlayBook just got real -- quite literally -- at Adobe's MAX conference today. Granted, out-of-the-box Flashand Air support are being billed as a big deal for the PlayBook, but it still seems a little strange that the company showed non-functional dummies running video loops encased in Plexiglas at its developer conferencejust a few weeks back, only to let Adobe show the good stuff at its own event here. There is some logic behind it, for what it's worth: Adobe and RIM have announced availability today of an Air SDK targeting the PlayBook's QNX-based platform with deep hardware integration, giving devs plenty of ramp-up time considering that the tablet won't be available until early next year. Kobo was among the companies on-hand to talk about the sheer awesomeness of the dev environment, and the general attitude toward the PlayBook's ease of development seems to be a positive one; we all know how important third-party apps are to a mobile platform's success at this point, of course, so we'll need a few thousand more Kobos on board to leave these guys with a happy ending. Check the full demo from the MAX keynote stage after the break.

Update: RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis -- who was up on stage with Adobe's Kevin Lynch for the demo -- announced that devs who get PlayBook apps approved into App World will get a free PlayBook. Not a bad incentivizer, if we do say so ourselves.

Viper SmartStart app goes to 2.0, gets potentially cheaper and throws roadside assistance into the mix

About a year ago Viper got into the app game, releasing SmartStart the iPhone and allowing control of the locks, trunk, and ignition on their car. Since then Android and BlackBerry versions have trickled out, but now it's time for 2.0. What wondrous new functionality does this new major release offer? Not much, really, but it does come with one major improvement: cost. Before you were out at least $299 while the new version is said to cost as little as $199 according to the PR below, though the wording is awfully vague. PR states you can find "dealers advertising Viper SmartStart as low as $199," but under Viper's 2.0 site the MSRP is stated to be $299 -- the same as before. So, YMMV on the price cut, apparently depending on what your local dealer feels like charging, but know that whatever you pay you'll now get "Viper Motor Club" roadside assistance included. That should offer a little extra peace of mind as we enter dead battery season.

BlackBerry Style first hands-on!

Yes, folks, it's true: Engadget's capable of scooping itself at its own reader meetup, as evidenced by the BlackBerry Style we just checked out at RIM's booth here. The phone is pretty much what you'd expect from what you've seen in the shots so far, essentially a clamshell riff on the Curve line; to that end, we'd argue that it feels a little cheaper than your average Bold, but it still seems to be a marked improvement from the Pearl flips of days gone by -- and at $99 on contract, we think that's exactly the market they were likely going for. Interestingly, the keyboard looks more like a Bold component than a Curve one... and depending on the faction of BlackBerry users you fall into, that's either a very good or a very bad thing. Like the old Pearl flips, the Style's definitely large and in charge, boasting dimensions barely smaller than the Bold

Mophie Juice Pack Boost review

For extended trips away from an outlet (or "mains," for the British among us), the iPhone instills far less confidence than some of its rivals for two simple reasons: one, you can't carry a second battery even if you want to; and two, the ubiquitous, dime-a-dozen micro-USB cables that you find everywhere simply aren't going to do you any good in the event you want to jack in to your laptop's USB for a quick charge. Sure, your local Apple Store is happy to rob you blind of $20 for an extra iPod cable... but we digress.

Naturally, the iPhone's ginormous accessory industry has come to the rescue in a pretty big way. Mophie'sJuice Pack Air series (and products like it) are the most integrated solution: you trade in some of your phone's slimness and sexiness in exchange for a combination case and extended battery. Unless you're taking your phone to the backwoods and you don't plan to reemerge for a few days, it's theoretically going to have you covered -- you just need to be willing to carry around some extra girth. Another option, though, is to simply carry around an external battery pack. Doesn't sound very appealing at first, but consider the advantages: your iPhone still looks like an iPhone, you can use the designer case of your choosing, and if you're in a situation where you don't think you're going to need it, you just don't bring it with you. No muss, no fuss.

Lumigon T1 with ICEpower amplifiers officially unveiled, to arrive 'by the very end of this year'

Just as promised, Denmark-based Lumigon has finally lifted the curtains over its much hyped T1 Android handset. Specs include an 800MHz Freescale i.MX515 chipset with an optional Qualcomm HSDPA modem, along with a 3.5-inch 480 x 800 capacitive touchscreen LCD, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, A-GPS, Bluetooth and FM radio. What the Scandinavian company's really selling here, though, is the phone's multimedia features: not only does it have a FM transmitter, a HDMI dock and Bang & Olufsen's renowned ICEpower audio amplifiers, but it also doubles up as an "innovative" universal remote control for your various AV devices -- pretty unique for an Android device, we'll give you that. Interestingly, the press release omits any mention of Froyo, so here's a glimmer of hope that Lumigon will manage to skin whatever the latest version of Android will be in time for the launch -- a few lucky outlets will receive the phones "by the very end of this year," just in time for your Christmas refunds.

Oh, and remember the sister handset S1? We're now told that this T9 slider won't be out until Q3 2011. Sometimes it's better to take one step at a time, eh?

Nokia C7 has NFC capability, won't say what it's for -- yet

We like us a little intrigue in our handsets, and we'd say this definitely qualifies: Nokia has apparently quietly slipped NFC circuitry into its just-launched C7 without bothering to mention it in any of the phone's literature. What does that mean? Well, Nokia's not saying, curiously -- but the company has experimented with using NFC for a variety of things over the years, and cashless transactions and contact information exchange are obviously two of the biggies. This actually dovetails nicely with that teaser for the Swipe payment and receipt management system that Nokia put out not long ago, so we wouldn't be surprised if it ultimately had something to do with that; they're saying there'll be an announcement eventually, but for now, all we can do is let the theories run rampant

Remote control app for Logitech Revue hits the Android Market

Logitech may have it's own set of accessories for its Revue Google TV box, but the best peripheral may just be that Android phone you already have, which can be turned into a full-fledged remote control with the Logitech Revue app that's just hit the Android Market. Like other similar smartphone remote apps, it will give you both a trackpad and a keyboard in addition to the usual remote control buttons, and it's thankfully free to download. Hit up Android Market to find it right now, or head on past the break if you'd prefer to download it QR code-style.

Winamp comes to Android, one of our childhood dreams is realized

Here's a blast from the past: Winamp, that mainstay media player of college dorms and LAN parties since time immemorial (er, 1997 or so) has made the leap from PC to handset with the release of Winamp for Android. This bad boy is available for Android 2.1 and up, and features a playback widget for the Android desktop and Last.fm integration. But that ain't all! If you install Winamp 5.59 beta on your PC, you can sync and manage your libraries via USB or WiFI. Pretty sweet! We only have one questions, really: will it still whip the llama's ass? Check out the QR code after the break (or search the Android Market) for the mobile app

Tablets: A Prescription for Confusion

“It appears to be just a handful of credible entrants” said Apple CEO Steve Jobs on iPad rivals, “not exactly an avalanche.” It’s certainly been a shaky few weeks for tablets in general; while Apple’s slate can apparently do little wrong, contributing nicely to another record financial quarter for the Cupertino company, the rest of the market is looking deeply troubled. Qualms over platforms, sizes, pricing and usability have all come to a head over the past seven days, leaving manufacturers looking almost as confused as the would-be consumers.

Jobs laid into Android as a “fragmented” platform and 7-inch displays as “too big to compete with a smartphone, and too small to compete with an iPad.” Nonetheless, Android appears to be the horse on which most Apple rivals are betting. Reviews of the first new batch of Windows 7 slates proved less than positive, with models likethe Tega v2 criticized for shortfalls in usability. While Microsoft’s latest version is certainly stronger than Windows XP Tablet Edition ever was, gauged against finger-centric platforms like iOS and Android it lacks the immediacy and intuitiveness users have come to expect.
In response, we’ve seen a gradual distancing of manufacturers from Windows 7, fleshing out vague rumors of reluctance over Wintel slates reported for the past few months among OEMs. MSI has apparently frozen its Windows 7 tablet development, and Lenovo has dismissed the platform as too tied to the keyboard/mouse paradigm as to be suited to pure slates. The question now is not so much whether Android, but which Android, and that’s a thick vein of confusion which even Google itself seems mired in. “What does it mean when your software supplier says not to use their software in your tablet?” Jobs asked, referring to Google’s apparent guidance to manufacturers to wait until at least the next Gingerbread release of Android for tablet use. The first Gingerbread models are expected to arrive at CES 2011 next January – including the new Android model that MSI is supposedly focusing on in favor of Windows 7 – but other manufacturers are even more wary. Lenovo, while eschewing Microsoft’s OS, has said it intends to wait until Honeycomb, the version of Android beyond Gingerbread, before making its play.
On the flip side, Android 2.2 Froyo models are reaching store shelves now, or are expected to in the next few weeks. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is perhaps the best known, already on sale in some mainland European markets and hitting the UK on November 1st and the US through that month. As well as being one of the 7-inch models Jobs was so eager to dismiss, the Galaxy Tab has found itself mired in controversy over the apparent premium price Samsung – and its carrier distributors – is charging. In the UK, pre-orders have currently settled at around £530 ($830), the same local price as a 16GB iPad WiFi + 3G; in the US, meanwhile, Verizon has been the only network to announce solid numbers, prompting an outbreak of surprise by asking $599.99 for the unsubsidized slate.
Leaked figures from T-Mobile USA, meanwhile, have previously suggested the GSM carrier will be offering the Galaxy Tab at $399 with a two-year data plan, still an expensive option. It seems a risky strategy on Samsung’s part (though carriers set the final subsidized numbers, they’re obviously dependent on the manufacturer’s RRP and wholesale cost), when many had hoped they would significantly undercut the iPad in an attempt to secure market share (and for what is a significantly smaller device).

Ortus Technologies Full HD 4.8-inch display makes Retina Display look low-res

There’s plenty of argument over what distance you should be sitting from an HDTV in order to make the most of Full HD resolution, so we can only imagine the heated debate over Ortus Technology‘s new Full HD MID-scale panel. The 4.8-inch display runs at 1920 x 1080 resolution for a whopping 458 pixels per inch; in contrast, Apple’s lauded Retina Display manages a “mere” 326 ppi.

There’s no information on the company’s site about the new panel at present, but it’s believed to have viewing angles of 160-degrees and be constructed using Ortus’ proprietary HAST manufacturing system. That uses a combination of low-resistence wiring, super-narrow bonding and better quality optics to reduce the distance between individual pixels as well as to increase aperture for better brightness (or, conversely, allow for normal screen brightness with 30-percent lower backlighting requirements).
HAST has allowed Ortus – which is a collaboration between Casio and Toppan Printing – to produce a 546ppi display, though it runs at 960 x 540 rather than the Full HD of the newest panel. The company is also planning 6.5-inch 960 x 540 OLED displays running with a TFT substrate.

WiFi-only Samsung Galaxy Tab listed at Best Buy

Best Buy is apparently throwing in with the Samsung Galaxy Tab crowd, with Pocketables spotting an in-store listing for not only the Sprint and Verizon versions of the 7-inch Froyo slate, but the WiFi-only Galaxy Tab as well. Pricing for each model isn’t listed, but Best Buy says the range starts from $499.99 and that there will be both contract and month-to-month data plans available.

We’ve already seen Verizon’s pricing for the Galaxy Tab, with the carrier offering very little in the way of a subsidy. The tablet itself is $599.99, with month-to-month data plans from $20 for 1GB. That seemingly leaves Sprint to offer the contract plans that Best Buy is talking about; it’s unclear whether the $499.99 is Sprint’s subsidized price, or the cost of the WiFi-only model.
According to Best Buy, the 1409447 WiFi-only Galaxy Tab will be silver, as will be the 1411072 Sprint 3G version; the 1411045 Verizon 3G model will be black. Verizon has already confirmed that the Galaxy Tab will be launching on its network on November 11, but leaks this weekend suggest Sprint will be offering it from November 14.

Dutch Microsoft subsidiary says Windows 8 is under construction and about two years away

Microsoft launched a big pile of meh with Vista when it hit the market a few years back. The follow up to Vista, Windows 7 has been much stronger in sales with lots of consumers and corporations upgrading to the latest OS from Microsoft after abstaining from Vista.

Windows 8 is still really new on the market having only celebrated its first birthday recently. According to the blog post over the weekend the follow up to Windows 7, being called Windows 8 for now, is under construction.
The OS is about two years away according to the post. We all know that new OS’ from Microsoft have a tendency to be delayed, sometimes for years so don’t hold your breath on that two-year launch window. There have been leaks that suggest the next version of Windows will have an app store like Lion will bring to Mac users.

PSP Go price cut confirmed by Sony Japan

Remember the PSP Go that a lot of us were excited about when it was leaked ahead of E3 last year? The Go turned out to be a steaming pile of fail with consumers and many gamer sellers avoiding the Go like the plague. We reported earlier in the month that a leak was pointing to a price cut for the Go.

That price cut has now been confirmed with an official blog post from Sony Japan noting the cut. The PSP Go will get a price cut in Japan to 16,800 yen with tax included, which works out to about $208 here in the US.
That is very close to the $199 price leak and if you take the tax that is included away that leaked price should be accurate. That new price is about $50 cheaper than the PSP Go was before. I still don’t see a $50 savings making the Go any more appealing to most gamers. The real issue is still the fact that you can’t play any of your old games from your PSP collection on the Go.

Nokia N900 gets Maemo update: Ovi Suite & extra speed

Nokia maintains that regular N900 users will be better served sticking with Maemo than trying to persuade them to jump the device to MeeGo, and it seems that the Finns are at least following up on their promises to maintain the open-source OS. A new software version for the Nokia N900, v.20.2010.36-2, has been released, adding full Ovi Suite support and various bug fixes and speed improvements.

That includes the ability to make on-device music purchases through the N900′s browser and Nokia’s Ovi Music Store, with the downloads non-DRM encrypted. You’ll either need a PC and the Nokia Suite to install the update manually, or wait until the “new software a

Nintendo: 65.3m Wiimotes in the US, just in case you were curious

We never had Nintendo down as stat-addicted number fanciers, but the company’s latest press release is all about how many Wii gamers could motion at their consoles at the same time. According to Nintendo’s figures, more than 65.3m Wii Remotes have found their way into the wilds of the US market, with an average of 46,000 sold daily. Since it’s hard to visualize that many Wiimotes, Nintendo helpfully tells us “that’s enough for every man, woman and child living in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, Detroit and San Francisco, and enough still remains for every resident of Florida, Ohio, Virginia and North Dakota.”

Most have been sold as part of a Wii bundle and with the Wii Play; when bought separately, white is the most popular color (18.56m) with black trailing a long way behind (2.44m). There are also 52.9m Nunchuck controllers out there too. Is this any use beyond Nintendo getting the Wii into headlines ahead of the holiday shopping season? Of course not, but we love stats just as much as they do.

Samsung Galaxy Tab hits Sprint Nov 14 for $400

Sprint has officially confirmed availability and pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which will land on the CDMA network come November 14 priced at $399.99 with a new, two year 3G data plan agreement. The Sprint Galaxy Tab is up for pre-order from today, at sprint.com/tab.

As we’ve seen before, the Galaxy Tab has a 7-inch touchscreen, runs Android 2.2 Froyo on Samsung’s own 1GHz Hummingbird processor, and has a 3.2-megapixel camera on the back. There’s also the company’s own modified Android apps, to suit the larger 1024 x 600 display.