Mobile Miscellany: week of December 5, 2011

This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of December 5, 2011:
  • C Spire announced this week that it's launching the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. The device is currently available for purchase for $50 with a two-year commitment and after a $50 mail-in rebate. [AndroidCentral]
  • Images and specs of Philips' first Android device, the W920, surfaced this week, and its spec sheet doesn't look very good: Froyo, a 1GHz Qualcomm QSD8250 CPU, 512MB of RAM, a 4.3-inch WVGA display, a 5MP camera, 10.5mm thin frame and it has a 1,280mAh battery. The fun part is the rumored price tag: £400 ($627). [LandofDroid]
  • Ting is a new Sprint MVNO that'll launch mid-2012. It'll be prepaid and use a bump-up and bump-down model for pricing -- in other words, going over your minutes will just bump you into the next higher plan, while using fewer minutes can bump you to a lower plan. [Cnet]
  • Another prepaid provider in the news this week is PrepaYd Wireless, which launched this week. It offers a "Y Pay More" plan that will give you unlimited talk, text and 3G data for $40 per month. If you don't need data, you can get all-you-can-eat talk and text for $35. Much like Ting, PrepaYd Wireless utilizes the Sprint network. [MobileTechNews]
  • If you use a BlackBerry OS 7 device on AT&T, the carrier is offering you two free months of BBM Music. Normally you need to pay $5 a month to store 50 songs. [Crackberry]
  • While we're on the subject of BlackBerry phones, Twitter for BlackBerry just got updated to version 2.1 and now offers multi-account support. In addition to being able to view up to five accounts in the same feed, it also includes the ability to tweet one thing to more than one account simultaneously. [BlackBerry]
  • Pandora and Windows Phone may never mix well, but at least the radio service can be enjoyed now through an unofficial Pandora app called MetroRadio. It's free, and is finally available in the Windows Phone Marketplace. [WPCentral]

Mobile Miscellany: week of December 5, 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba Thrive Review

The Toshiba Thrive is definitely an affordable option for people who would really like an excellent Google android Tablet computer. Having a good quality display screen resolution, many different storage space options along with a powerful NVidia Tegra Dual Core processor chip, this particular tablet computer might just turn into a competitor to the best-selling Samsung Galaxy Tab and Asus EEE Pad tablet computers. Toshiba Thrive Key specifications * Price: $370 – $580 * Launch date: 2011 * Operating system: [...]

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/toshiba-thrive-review/

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Help Bob make money in Sticks, a fun physics game

sticks
Sticks is another one of those rare games where the intro is actually worth watching. It introduces you to office worker Bob, who is basically a wage slave fantasizing about a better existence.

Then, on his way back home from another grueling day at the office, he passes a huge sign which says "Sticks." This is where the game starts.

Each level has a number of coins hovering in mid-air, and your goal is to place sticks that lead those coins to Bob -- but you only have a limited amount of wood to play with. As soon as you're done placing your sticks strategically, hit the big Play button and let nature, or rather gravity, run its course. The coins will drop down, and if you place your sticks correctly, they will roll all the way to Bob.

The soundtrack is soothing and playful, and didn't get on my nerves even after playing for quite a while. All in all, a very cute game, especially for a day at the office.

Help Bob make money in Sticks, a fun physics game originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/18/help-bob-make-money-in-sticks-a-fun-physics-game/

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Apple Made A Deal With The Devil (No, Worse: A Patent Troll)

gavelOver the last two years, Apple has been engaged in vicious legal battles over smartphone patents, many of which are aimed at squelching (or squeezing money out of) manufacturers of devices running Android. And now, for some reason, it has given valuable patents to a patent troll ? which is using them to sue many of the top technology companies in the world. Meet Digitude Innovations, a firm based in Virginia that recently filed suit with the International Trade Commission alleging patent infringement by technology companies including RIM, HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sony, Amazon, and Nokia (note that Apple is not on this list). The ITC is a favorite for companies litigating over mobile phone patent disputes, as it can block the import of products long before a case has actually concluded. Digitude was founded in 2010 and raised $50 million from Altitude Capital Partners, with aims to "acquire, aggregate, and license key technology areas within the consumer electronics and related technology fields in a patent consortium" ? in other words, it buys up patents and then sues other companies until they settle and agree to pay licensing fees, because it's generally less expensive than actually going to court.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/yVhFWg3zu-s/

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DODOcase Now Available for Kindle Fire

We’ve told you about DODOcases before.  These cases look like Moleskine notebooks, complete with the elastic closure strap.  Inside, your device is cradled in a bamboo tray for security and protection.  Now there’s a DODOcase available for the Amazon Fire.  It’s also handmade in San Francisco using black Moroccan cloth and traditional bookbinding techniques.  The DODOcase [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/12/09/dodocase-now-available-for-kindle-fire/

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Deal of the Day: Seidio ACTIVE Case for HTC EVO Design 4G

Seidio ACTIVE Case for HTC EVO Design 4G

The Dec. 9 Deal of the Day is the Seidio ACTIVE Case for the HTC EVO Design 4G. The two-layer case has a compact and lightweight rubber polymer with a hard exoskeleton for added protection, extending to the corners and sides of your phone. And it does so with minimal added thickness, keeps the camera and flash available, and the power and volume buttons at the ready. It's available today only in one of four colors for just $19.95 -- that's 33 pecent off! Plus you can save 17 percent on the Seidio ACTIVE Holster if you buy them together. Get yours while supplies last!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/OkJzAZ7If1Y/story01.htm

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TweetDeck to launch as HTML5 Web app, now accepting beta testers

When TweetDeck landed in the Chrome Web Store, it seemed like an indication that it might eventually evolve into a pure HTML5 Web app. Now it looks as though that's exactly what's going to happen, with TweetDeck announcing that a new, not-just-for-Chrome Web client is ready for beta testing.

It's a natural progression for TweetDeck, especially since its originally Adobe Air app is practically all Web code. TweetDeck Web will sport a feature set which is nearly identical to the Chrome app, with the notable exception of Twitter streaming.

Initially, TweetDeck is targeting Firefox 4 and 3.6, Google Chrome, and Safari. Opera and Internet Explorer 9 won't be invited to the dance until a bit later on.

If you'd like to get in on the TweetDeck Web beta, head on over and register -- or sign up using your existing TweetDeck account.

TweetDeck to launch as HTML5 Web app, now accepting beta testers originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/06/tweetdeck-to-launch-as-web-app-now-accepting-beta-testers/

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Recent developments and rumors

The recent developments and rumors about the new ipad 3 has left the market not sure of which way to go. Many predict that apple is bond to keep all secrets about the upcoming ipad 3 a secret. Apple Company does not deny or confirm the rumors about whether they will be an ipad 3 released this year or in the near future. Many are aware that apple does business slightly different from others and this can just be a [...]

Source: http://tabletbuzzblog.com/recent-developments-and-rumors/

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Scientists Discover Dolomite in Coral—The Search for Queen Bee Continues [Science]

Dolomite—the mineral, not Rudy Ray Moore—is found in abundance in fossilized coral but virtually never in modern reefs. For more than a hundred years, scientists have searched for it but without luck. Turns out they were looking in the wrong place. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/iOO7DtORuWs/scientists-discover-dolomite-in-coral++the-search-for-queen-bee-continues

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Engadget Distro Issue 17 takes a bite out of Android Ice Cream Sandwich -- get your om nom on!

No matter how you feel about Roboto, there's no denying the anticipation that's built up around the latest overhaul of the Android operating system. In this week's issue of Distro, Brad Molen gives you the sweet lowdown on Mountain View's Ice Cream Sandwich, while Zachary Lutz explores why Carrier IQ is leaving a sour taste in some user's mouths. We also have reviews of two Android tablets: Motorola's Xoom 2 and ASUS' Eee Pad Transformer Prime. Zach Honig and Richard Lai take us inside Tokyo Motor Show 2011, Ross Rubin considers a trip with Siri and Box Brown tackles the cosmos and Facebook's "like" button in the Engadget comic. So hit that download button and feed your brain.

Continue reading Engadget Distro Issue 17 takes a bite out of Android Ice Cream Sandwich -- get your om nom on!

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Engadget Distro Issue 17 takes a bite out of Android Ice Cream Sandwich -- get your om nom on! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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