Smartphones and Cell Phones

Today, T-Mobile USA is kicking off its web2go initiative that add Yahoo! oneSearch to some devices, a customizable home page, a new mobile shopping and download experience (I'll cover this in a follow-up post), and higher data rate plans. The press release actually states that the data rate plans were simplified, but that makes very little sense since T-Mobile already had a very simplified data rate plan structure in place that couldn't get any simpler. I went to the T-Mobile website and saw that most plans increased in price for data services. Just over a year ago T-Mobile decreased their data plan rates and were the leader in low cost and simplified data.

November 19, 2008 by Matthew Miller

3 Comments Vote

The holiday shopping season is upon us and with people's concerns about the economy spending will most likely be down and buyers will be looking for deals for gifts. In this first holiday shopping guide, I'll collect and present you with informaton for the best free cellphones on the market from each of the four major US wireless carriers.

November 19, 2008 by Matthew Miller

Comments Vote

I picked up a RIM BlackBerry Bold a couple of weeks ago and was extremely happy with the device. The inability to sync with my Exchange account forced me to return it though. If you own a BlackBerry Bold then you may want to check out one of these two OtterBox cases that offer differing levels of device protection. The OtterBox Impact Series and OtterBox Defender Series cases are attractive, durable solutions designed to protect your new device from minor to major impacts. You can check out my image gallery that shows both cases wrapped around the RIM BlackBerry Bold.

November 18, 2008 by Matthew Miller

1 Comment Vote

Wow, I just can't keep up with AT&T's high end mobile phone releases. Today, AT&T and LG announced the availability today of the LG INCITE Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional device. This is the first entry into Windows Mobile in the U.S. by LG and it looks like a direct competitor to the outstanding Samsung OMNIA that is a major iPhone challenger. I just picked up the HTC Fuze on Saturday and after looking at the specs on this device think the Fuze is still better for my needs.

November 18, 2008 by Matthew Miller

3 Comments Vote

The REDFLY Mobile Companion (now marketed as the REDFLY Smartphone Terminal) has served me well for a few months as I have stated in my first and second impressions. In October the price on the original C8 model was dropped to US$199 and then extended until mid-November. With today's announcement we now know that this model will be replaced by the C8N with the new C7 also available for those looking for a lower cost and smaller device. I've been using a beta version of the C8N for several days now and am posting my review below along with an image gallery and video of it in action.

November 18, 2008 by Matthew Miller

2 Comments Vote

I look at the Apple iPhone store and am blown away by the number, variety, and quality of applications that are now present after just a few short months in existence. Developers are definitely embracing the Apple iPhone and Apple has a winner on their hands with the App Store. I used to work with Joel Evans on Geek.com and when I saw that he was involved in development of an iPhone game I bought it as soon as it was released a couple weeks ago. Cronk is a moving matching game that seem to be quite popular today. I enjoy playing Astraware's Zuma on my Windows Mobile devices and Bonsai Blast on my T-Mobile G1 and now I enjoy playing Cronk on my iPhone. Check out some screenshots of the game in my image gallery.

November 17, 2008 by Matthew Miller

Comments Vote

After checking out my T-Mobile G1 review and reading how I was looking for a way to get my Exchange information on my device, Clay sent me an email with a link to the press release announcing MailShadow for Google Apps or MailShadowG. I have been using the free Google Calendar Sync tool to keep my Outlook/Exchange account calendar and Google Calendar synced up, but it would be nice to have full email, contacts, and calendar synchronization capability.

November 17, 2008 by Matthew Miller

3 Comments Vote

Last week I was quite excited about the BlackBerry Bold and think it is fantastic piece of hardware and the best BlackBerry device currently available. However, I could not get my Outlook Web Access to work with my work Exchange server and the BlackBerry (security settings prevented the connection) and as much as I loved the Bold hardware I couldn't get past the limited functionality with Exchange. After our Saturday morning soccer game I swung by the AT&T store and swapped the Bold for the new HTC Fuze. I was also sent the Sprint Touch Pro last week so this article is a first impressions of both with a bit of a comparison. You can check out my image gallery and video below for images and experiences with the devices.

November 17, 2008 by Matthew Miller

10 Comments Vote

I am quite impressed with the excellent applications developed by Spb Software House and I just wish that they were able to develop them for S60 and/or BlackBerry devices too. One of their latest titles that is a perfect fit for me and my regular travels is Spb Traveler 2.0. The software is designed for the mobile road warrior and offers several tools to help make your travel a much better and more organized experience. Please visit my image gallery for screenshots of the software running on my Palm Treo Pro. You can also view the video below to see the software in action.

November 16, 2008 by Matthew Miller

Comments Vote

I was pretty impressed by the RIM BlackBerry Bold (see my first impressions post) and the display and keyboard sold me on it. I still think the display and keyboard are both fantastic and it is definitely the best BlackBerry device to date. However, due to the lack of Exchange ActiveSync support I am being forced to return it and move on. I tried the Outlook Web Access (OWA) method of connecting to my work email account, but the security settings on our server won't allow it to fully function for me. Also, this would only give me email access and not calendar, contacts, or task synchronization. Is it too much to ask RIM to add support for Exchange ActiveSync like Palm, Apple and Nokia have already?

November 15, 2008 by Matthew Miller

9 Comments Vote