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Engadget Mobile Podcast 100 - 08.21.2011

Trent Wolbe — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:01:00 -0400

We're 100. 100! If you're like us, you totally can't believe it's been more than two years since we first started Mobile Podcasting but you totally can believe it at the same time because that's just how we roll: dedicated. To celebrate we've brought along Engadget Chinese editor Richard Lai and Noah Kravitz of TechnoBuffalo to weigh in on stuff like the Xiaomi phone and Symbian Belle leaking its way into the world. And...a couple of other things. We're old. It's a mobile party. You just got your pentaband invite to click on the play or download links below. Don't sleep on it: before you know it we'll be 200.

Hosts: Myriam Joire (tnkgrl), Brad Molen
Guests: Richard Lai, Noah Kravitz
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Music: Daestro - Light Powered (Ghostly International)

00:02:45 - HP will 'discontinue operations for webOS devices', may spin off Personal Systems Group
00:21:55 - Google acquiring Motorola Mobility
00:42:45 - Motorola's new Droid HD makes cameo alongside Droid Bionic
01:04:30 - BlackBerry Bold 9930 review
01:05:43 - AT&T streamlining individual messaging plans August 21st, leaving unlimited as the sole survivor
01:15:00 - Xiaomi Phone hands-on (updated with video)
01:25:40 - Symbian Anna now available for download on Nokia N8, E7, C7 and C6-01
01:26:30 - Symbian Belle download leaked to N8 community, quickly pulled from site (update: Anna available on NaviFirm)
01:30:57 - CNET: RIM in talks to squeeze out BlackBerry music service
01:32:50 - Motorola Photon 4G review
01:36:53 - Samsung Hercules, HTC Ruby available from T-Mobile on October 26th?
01:38:56 - Samsung Hercules gets its Telus on in leaked glamour shots
01:39:38 - HTC Holiday prototype shows up on Craigslist, gives us reason to celebrate (update: AT&T-bound)
01:45:55 - Why is LTE equipment being installed in an Apple Store?

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podcast (at) engadgetmobile (dot) com.

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@tnkgrl @phonewisdom @engadgetmobile

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RIM's Jim Balsillie hits back at the Steve Jobs rant, Apple's 'distortion field'

Paul Miller — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:50:00 -0400

You had to know that Steve wouldn't get away with putting his five minute, competition-slamming manifesto out into the ether without some snap back from the competition. We've already heard responses from TweetDeck and Andy Rubin, and now RIM's co-CEO Jim Balsillie has issued a statement in response to Jobs. Here it is:

"For those of us who live outside of Apple's distortion field, we know that 7-inch tablets will actually be a big portion of the market and we know that Adobe Flash support actually matters to customers who want a real web experience. We also know that while Apple's attempt to control the ecosystem and maintain a closed platform may be good for Apple, developers want more options and customers want to fully access the overwhelming majority of web sites that use Flash. We think many customers are getting tired of being told what to think by Apple. And by the way, RIM has achieved record shipments for five consecutive quarters and recently shared guidance of 13.8 - 14.4 million BlackBerry smartphones for the current quarter. Apple's preference to compare its September-ending quarter with RIM's August-ending quarter doesn't tell the whole story because it doesn't take into account that industry demand in September is typically stronger than summer months, nor does it explain why Apple only shipped 8.4 million devices in its prior quarter and whether Apple's Q4 results were padded by unfulfilled Q3 customer demand and channel orders. As usual, whether the subject is antennas, Flash or shipments, there is more to the story and sooner or later, even people inside the distortion field will begin to resent being told half a story."

Sort of a big one, but we figure RIM at least deserves some equal time. Interesting that RIM is fighting Apple's assertion of surpassing their handset shipments, we'll have to see how that one settles once we get some "official" numbers from an unbiased third party. Meanwhile, let the mudslinging continue!

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Steve Jobs drops knowledge on earnings call: calls out Google and RIM, says 7-inch tablets are 'DOA' (Update: complete Jobs audio!)

Paul Miller — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:10:00 -0400

Steve Jobs hit today's earnings call with the power of words. In a tone that could be described as "righteous anger" or perhaps just "reppin," Steve launched into a five minute rant that hit hard against RIM's entire business model, Android sales numbers and software fragmentation, and the impending wave of Android tablets. With the iPhone surpassing RIM, Steve says that he "[doesn't] see them catching up in the foreseeable future." As for Android sales, Steve takes issues with the market share figures that are currently floating around, saying that 275k iOS devices were activated on average per day last month, compared to Android's most recent estimate of 250k per day -- though he does admit that Android outshipped iPhone in the June quarter, during the "transition" to iPhone 4. That wasn't Steve's only problem with Android, he takes major issue with the fragmentation and the onus he believes it puts on the user: "we believe integrated will trump fragmented every time."

Oh, and 7-inch tablets? You're in for a bag of hurt. Steve pretty much outright killed any potential for 7-inch iPad rumors, saying that the software just isn't right for that size ("This size is useless unless you include sandpaper so users can sand their fingers down to a quarter of their size."), and that users have no need for a pocket sized tablet when they already have a smartphone. He called the iPad's upcoming competition in the space "DOA." After he calmed down a bit, the call entered a Q&A period, where Steve was happy to point out that the iPad has already surpassed Macintosh in sales, and that it's going to affect laptop computers: "it's not if, it's when." We'll get a copy of the audio and put it up as soon as possible... like most CEO outbursts, this is not one to be missed. Hit up our liveblog of the call for a bit more context, and you can try the source link for Apple's stream of the entire earnings shindig.

Update: We just ripped the first part of the call, which featured Steve's prepared remarks -- we'll have an edited version of the Q&A session in just a bit.

Update 2: And here's an edited version of the Q&A with just Jobs's answers -- hit the source link for Apple's archive of the whole thing with Peter and Tim's answers as well.

Update 3: And just for the completists out there, here's an MP3 of both segments combined.

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Editorial: For the umpteenth time, copy 'protection' only hurts people who actually buy your product

Paul Miller — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 12:24:00 -0400

It's been said so many times, but I just got stung hard by the DRM bug, and since there's a "Senior Associate Editor" next to my name somewhere I get to complain about it. Now, if you're a regular consumer with a modicum of common sense, nothing I'm going to say here will come as a surprise or revelation. You're welcome to come along for the ride, but I'm pointing my quivering pen today at the media execs and their willing technologist accomplices that have the nerve in 2010 to enforce HDCP and other completely inane DRM and copy protection schemes to "protect" their content from theft:

You idiots.

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JooJoo creator rips into the iPad, says an app store only sells 'stripped down versions of actual websites'

Donald Melanson — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:02:00 -0400

Fusion Garage CEO and JooJoo creator Chandra Rathakrishnan has certainly discussed the iPad before in talking up his own tablet, but nothing could have quite prepared us for the bit of bombast he unleashed on the occasion of the iPad's international launch. While he started out with the usual line that the "JooJoo delivers the entire Internet -- including Flash-based websites," he soon took things to a whole new level, saying that "we don't see the need for an app store," because "an app store sells stripped down versions of actual websites" -- stripped down websites like Brushes, KORG iElectribe, and Real Racing HD, we suppose. Believe it or not, however, Rathakrishnan didn't let things sit there, and apparently went on to describe the iPad as just "another storage device with web capabilities." Of course, there's at least a chance Chandra was actually paying the iPad a compliment, since a "storage device with web capabilities" would be a pretty big step up from the JooJoo.

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Boost Mobile sweetens unlimited plans with free 411, adds Samsung Rant this month

Chris Ziegler — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:55:00 -0400

Boost is already known for offering up one of the more aggressive prepaid unlimited plans in the industry, pushing all-you-can-eat voice, messaging, and web for $50 a month -- but it's upping the ante just a tad today on news that customers of both its $50 plan and its $60 BlackBerry plan now have free access to 411 information, instant messaging, and email. Then again, it seems like we're past the point where carriers should be differentiating between types of data, but the fact that Boost offers dumbphones almost exclusively across its range gives it more leeway than most for this sort of stratification. Oh, and to take advantage of the new hotness, Boost would like to cordially invite customers to take a look at the Samsung Rant, a device that actually launched a good long while ago on Sprint but now makes its way over to Boost on May 19 for $149.99 (contract-free, of course). The landscape slider's got full QWERTY, EV-DO, a 2 megapixel cam, microSD support up to 16GB, and an analog of Sprint's own One Click UI. Like red? Good, 'cause it's launching in red. Follow the break for Boost's full press release.

Filed under: Mobile

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Samsung's Slyde m540 comes to Telus in grey and pink

Darren Murph — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:15:00 -0500

For Telus subscribers who've been unbelievably envious of Americans yapping on the Rant, it's time to kick back a cold one and relax. Telus Mobility has just introduced the renamed Samsung Slyde m540 into its lineup, and the pricing is mighty palatable if you've got three years to burn. Available now, the handset can be acquired gratis on a 3-year plan, while it'll run you $49.99 with a 2-year agreement, $179.99 on a 1-year deal and $229.99 with no strings to speak of. Now, if only choosing between grey and pink were that simple...

[Via mobilesyrup]

Filed under: Handsets, Samsung, Telus Mobility, EV-DO, CDMA, Mobile

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Hands-on with Samsung's Rant and Highnote

Sean Cooper — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:48:00 -0400

Well, that about covers Sprint's new handset binge at CTIA,and we got hands-on with both the Samsung Highnote (pictured left) and the Samsung Rant to wrap up the announcements. The gallery covers the range of colors that'll be available -- and the purple is a glowing example of ugly -- when these two hit in October. You know the drill, hit up Engadget Mobile for the goods.

Filed under: Cellphones

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Hands-on with Samsung's Rant and Highnote

Sean Cooper — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:48:00 -0400

Well, that about covers Sprint's new handset binge at CTIA,and we got hands-on with both the Samsung Highnote (pictured left) and the Samsung Rant to wrap up the announcements. The Highnote's the music centric handset -- isn't there always one? -- in this launch, but sadly, the speaker seems to lack oomph in the sonic delivery department, but the dedicated messaging button's kinda useful. The Rant is built like a tank, and the very solid metal construction is top notch -- so if you're prone to dropping your phone, it's worth checking out. The gallery covers the range of colors that'll be available -- and the purple is a glowing example of ugly -- when these two hit in October. You know the drill, the read link has the goods.

Gallery: Hands-on with Samsung's Rant and Highnote

Filed under: Handsets, Samsung, Sprint, EV-DO, CDMA, Mobile

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Sprint shows fall dumbphone lineup, new "One Click" user interface

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:06:00 -0400

Sure enough, there wasn't anything squished about the image we saw of the LG LX600 a while back -- it was just loosening the belt a couple notches to make room for a full QWERTY keyboard running across its naughty bits. Oh, and it's no longer the LX600; turns out Sprint is releasing it as the Lotus, one of four all-new dumbphones for the autumn months to complement today's announcement of the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro. It'll be available next month for $149.99 on contract. Others in the mix include the Samsung Highnote -- a music-focused dual slider that dedicates one slide direction to a hefty little loudspeaker -- and the curiously-named Rant, which apes the LG Rumor's form factor to give text addicts another affordable option. Like the Lotus, the Highnote and Rant will both hit in October for $99.99 and $49.99, respectively. Meanwhile, iDEN freaks (and we use that term in the most loving way possible) will be happy to see that they're getting their grubby, calloused hands on another rugged option, the Motorola i576 flip. It'll start getting beaten senseless at retail come October 19 for $69.99.

Sprint's also using those three new consumer sets (sorry, i576) to premiere "One Click," a new UI paradigm for its non-smartphone devices that allows folks to drop all sorts of commonly-used features with information-rich icons right on the home screen for... well, one-click access, hence the name. New Katana Eclipse colors coming later this fall will feature the new software, too. Check out Engadget Mobile for a full gallery of all the wares!

Filed under: Cellphones

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Sprint shows fall dumbphone lineup, new "One Click" user interface

Chris Ziegler — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:06:00 -0400

Gallery: Sprint shows fall dumbphone lineup, new "One Click" user interface

Filed under: Handsets, LG, Motorola, Samsung, Sprint, EV-DO, CDMA, Mobile

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Dvorak: Apple should pull the plug on the iPhone

Thomas Ricker — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:38:00 -0400

Prepare to have your feathers ruffled Apple fanboys, John Dvorak -- a name synonymous with curmudgeon -- has called on Apple to "pull the plug on the iPhone" and pass it along to some other "suckers" before it's too late. Hell, you don't even have to be a fanboy in this case to feel the retch of his nonsensical nausea welling within. His case? Essentially, as a newcomer "there is no likelihood that Apple can be successful in a [cellphone] business this competitive." Echoing similar sentiments shared by Palm's Ed Colligan. Of course, we've already witnessed a newcomer step into the mobile handset business, which Dvorak describes as a "buzz saw waiting to chop up newbies," and emerge as the boutique, go-to provider for high-end handsets -- right, HTC? We're not saying Apple's success is guaranteed, but let's call this rant what it is: shameless attention whoring. Well, he's got it.

Filed under: Handsets, Apple, Mobile

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Dvorak: Apple should pull the plug on the iPhone

Thomas Ricker — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:38:00 -0400

Prepare to have your feathers ruffled Apple fanboys, John Dvorak -- a name synonymous with curmudgeon -- has called on Apple to "pull the plug on the iPhone" and pass it along to some other "suckers" before it's too late. His case? Essentially, as a newcomer "there is no likelihood that Apple can be successful in a [cellphone] business this competitive." Echoing similar sentiments already shared by Palm's Ed Colligan. Of course, we've already witnessed a newcomer step into the mobile handset business, which Dvorak describes as a "buzz saw waiting to chop up newbies," and emerge as the boutique, go-to provider for high-end handsets -- heard of HTC? Hell, you don't have to be a fanboy or even an iPhone fan to feel the retch of nonsensical nausea welling within. Look, we're not saying Apple's success is guaranteed by any stretch, but let's call this rant what it is: shameless attention whoring. Well, he's got it.

[Photo by Jason DeFillippo]

Filed under: Cellphones

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