Thursday, September 17, 2009

Comcast could serve TV over WiMAX, inflate your bill even higher

HTC Hero for Sprint hands-on and impressions

by Joshua Topolsky posted Sep 17th 2009 at 12:01AM Featured Story


When we first caught wind of HTC's Hero coming to Sprint, we were more than a little hopeful that the issues we experienced with the European version would be alleviated. If you'll recall, we had a bit of a love-hate affair going on with the chinny, wine-drinking iteration of the Android-powered phone due to a seeming lack of horsepower required to push HTC's totally amazing Sense UI. In the last few weeks, we've heard lots of chatter about the forthcoming Hero update and the wonders it would do for the speed of this phone... but unfortunately there's no such luck in the US, CDMA version of this device.

So, the point here is we were planning on doing a whole new review to showcase the differences between the old and new version of the Hero, but there really aren't any besides the obvious physical changes. Sprint has added some great new apps, like its visual voicemail, which works like a charm (oh by the way Coleen, you got that job -- maybe you should give them your new number too), and Sprint Navigation, though it's also muddied up the mix by including the yawn-maker NASCAR app. Of course, this phone provides a full-on 3G experience, unlike the European version (for obvious reasons), and Sprint's network seems as snappy as ever -- general web browsing was a noticeably more enjoyable experience, for instance.

Here is what we can say about the phone: the industrial design of this version versus the older model is a marked improvement, chucking that awkward chin shape for a proper bottom half, and rearranging the hard buttons so that you're not constantly getting your hands cramped up. We also have to mention the trackball, which is the most comfortable we've ever used. While the performance is still not where we think it should be, the Hero is an awesome addition to Sprint's growing line of serious contenders in the smartphone game. If that new update is all it's supposed to be (and if Sprint is expedient in bringing it to market), many of our complaints should be quelled -- and this will be the killer device we know it can be.

Update: To commenters asking for a longer review, or asking about discrepancies in our findings versus other sites -- we can only report on what we observed. In our eyes, there is nothing significantly different or improved about the Sprint version to warrant a second review. There are some very minor differences in camera quality, and obviously the network performance is better (since it's not EDGE), but a full-length review did not seem necessary (you'll note many of our contemporaries also have short-form reviews). While reports may differ (especially those stating that this phone has the updated ROM we've heard about), we're still seeing the same kind of sluggishness and slowdown we experienced with the European version. What we said in the original Hero review very much applies to the Sprint version, and we suggest you take a peek.

Gallery: HTC Hero for Sprint hands-on

Case-Mate offers $0.99 iPhone recession case... a day after recession ends

by Darren Murph posted Sep 16th 2009 at 10:42PM


In life, you'll quickly learn that everything is about timing. And thankfully for us Earthlings, Case-Mate seems just 24 hours off with this one. A day after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke declared that this so-called recessions was "very likely over," the aforesaid accessory maker has popped out an iPhone case for those of us who vehemently disagree. The aptly titled iPhone recession case is quite possibly the greatest thing since sliced bread the AirMail, and at just $0.99 including shipping, we figure you'll have a tough time finding a better way to protect your cellie. Or waste $0.99, now that we think of it.

[Thanks, Andy]

BlackBerry Tour mired by trackball problems, Verizon losing patience?

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 16th 2009 at 8:19PM

You might remember our complaint that the Tour's trackball seemed a bit too recessed -- and while we're not ready to connect the dots just yet, this does seem rather convenient. Some research investment dude is reporting that the phone requires frequent trackball cleanings -- which users aren't taking to heart, assuming they know it needs to be done in the first place -- and a lack of maintenance quickly leads to stuck trackballs. From there, it doesn't take a wild imagination to believe that the phone is quickly sent back to the Sprint or Verizon shop from whence it came, and therein lies the problem: rumor has it that Sprint's seeing fully 50 percent of Tours brought back, and they're estimating that quality control measures totaling a 2 to 3 percent boost in production costs would bring that stat way down. A trackball that's too recessed seems like more of a design issue than a "quality control" one to us, but who knows -- maybe they can get it fixed without rearchitecting the whole phone. For what it's worth, we've gotten an official statement from Sprint:
"We experienced a small percentage of early production BlackBerry Tour smartphones with trackball issues. As soon as the issue was identified, we worked closely with our partners at RIM to resolve the problem quickly. We recommend any customer experiencing issues with the trackball on their BlackBerry Tour smartphone visit a Sprint Service & Repair Center."
The "early production" part of that leads us to believe this might already be fixed on the assembly line, in which case new buyers shouldn't feel bad about marching into the store -- Verizon's allegedly threatening to give more love for the Sholes if the problem doesn't go away, but considering that BlackBerrys and Android devices don't really play in the same space yet, that's a pretty meaningless threat as far as your average business user's concerned.

[Via Electronista]

Video: BlackBerry support coming to REDFLY Mobile Companion, adds only marginal appeal

by Ross Miller posted Sep 16th 2009 at 7:48PM

Listen, we feel your pain, we know you've been dying to find another use for your REDFLY Mobile Companion, and while we're not sure this is it, at least you've got another thing you can tell your friends when justifying the purchase. Celio Corp's announced it'll be bringing BlackBerry support to the Companion C8N and C7 as a free update in mid-Q4 of this year. It works via either physical cable or Bluetooth, and at this point supports Bold 9000, Curve 8900, and Tour 9630, with more phones promised as they're released. Crackberry's managed to obtain a video demonstration, which is after the break if you're interested. It's okay if you're not, we understand.

Read - Press release
Read - First look

Continue reading Video: BlackBerry support coming to REDFLY Mobile Companion, adds only marginal appeal

Clearwire says it's not married to WiMAX for 4G, would be easy to switch

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 16th 2009 at 6:33PM

Save possibly for Sprint, no one's pushing WiMAX harder in the US than Clearwire -- but the commitment doesn't run as deep as you might think. Investing billions in a 4G network that goes brashly against the popular LTE grain is a huge gamble since Clearwire and its partners won't be able to throw as much weight around with manufacturers or achieve the same economies of scale that LTE carriers will, but these guys were smart: CEO Bill Morrow claims that the company has unprecedented flexibility built into its infrastructure, and he's willing to switch gears if LTE or something else ends up burying WiMAX down the road. Boasting that "we're the only carrier that can do this," Morrow says that a move to LTE would be a simple software upgrade for much of its equipment, meaning Clearwire could almost literally change technologies overnight and with minimum expense -- we're sure it'd still put a strain on the bank, but it theoretically wouldn't be as ambitious as changing from CDMA 1X to GSM, for example. Of course, the company's still got all its eggs in one basket for the moment with a clear commitment to WiMAX -- but from a shareholder perspective, it's at least good to know that it's easy to move the eggs.

Comcast could serve TV over WiMAX, inflate your bill even higher

by Darren Murph posted Sep 16th 2009 at 5:03PM


Think you're good at turning down the upsell? Try saying no to adding WiMAX to your home internet service for the low, low price of whatever Comcast wants to charge. Thanks to a multi-billion dollar tie-up with Clearwire, Comcast has been offering WiMAX-based internet services in a few markets, but now that On Demand Online is a go, it makes sense to think that the operator would use that as leverage to get people hooked. For those unaware, ODO enables Comcast pay-TV subscribers to watch a vast array of programming from any internet connection, which of course means that any ole 3G / 4G data connection would work just as well as Comcast's own. Oh, and while mobile TV is pretty good -- and we're going to let Comcast finish -- watching HDTV at home with a DVR is definitely the best scenario of all time.
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