Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments
typodupeerror delete not in
  • Preferences

Slashdot is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop

+-   Ten Things Mobile Phones Will Make Obsolete on Saturday November 21, @01:23PM Anonymous Coward

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 21, @01:23PM
An anonymous reader writes "recombu.com has an article examining ten things mobile phones will make obsolete, including phone booths, wristwatches and handheld games consoles. It's interesting to see how many devices have been absorbed into mobile phone technology and it begs the question, are we better off having everything in one device? The author poignantly concludes that while it's great to have so much power at our fingertips it does mean that some of us will rely on mobile phones for even basic mental tasks, which is great until the battery runs out."
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Augmented Reality Browsers -> on Saturday November 21, @09:18AM Anonymous Coward

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 21, @09:18AM
technology
An anonymous reader writes "If you have ever used one of the popular augmented reality browsers like Layar or Wikitude, have you ever wondered how they compare head to head? If not have you ever wondered if you can use your phone to find a good restaurant or point out popular sights around the world?

This is a two part head to head where the blogger has tested several mobile augmented reality browsers and their ability to find places to eat and function as a tourist guide by identifying tourist attractions in London.

This is the first review I have seen where all the browsers have been compared together, what's interesting is all the browsers use different data sources so either miss popular location so give the wrong location.

Interesting read and a good analysis

Part I
http://www.augmentedplanet.com/2009/11/augmented-reality-browsers-head-to-head-part-1

Part II
http://www.augmentedplanet.com/2009/11/ar-browsers-head-to-head-test-2"
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Google Phone, Myth or Reality? on Friday November 20, @02:27AM adeelarshad82

Submitted by adeelarshad82 on Friday November 20, @02:27AM
cellphones
adeelarshad82 writes "Recently Michael Arrington wrote a blogpost on Techcrunch about the Google Phone being real and hitting the market soon, even though this is something Google recently denied. According to the blogpost, this phone will be Google’s pure vision of what a phone should be. It will be manufactured by LG or Samsung, maybe even HTC even though Arrington believes that information is incorrect. He believes LG will most likely manufacture the phone given that Samsung is already producing parts for iPhone and Apple might convince them not to get into business with a competitor. According to another Techcrunch update the phone may be a data only VoIP device. The phone is expected to launch early 2010. While this will get many people excited, Lance Ulanoff of PCMag.com wrote a column saying that the entire “theory” is bogus and that only Michael Arrington can write anything he wants and get away with it. Lance questions Arrington’s motives behind the theory and reconfirms that Google Phone is indeed just a myth."
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Bizarre Droid Auto-Focus Bug Revealed-> on Wednesday November 18, @01:52PM itwbennett

Submitted by itwbennett on Wednesday November 18, @01:52PM
cellphones
itwbennett writes "Pity the poor engineer who had to find this one. One of the more interesting of the handful of bugs that have appeared since the launch of Verizon's Droid smartphone has to do with the on-board camera's auto-focus. Apparently it just didn't work. And then suddenly it did. Naturally, this off-again, on-again made the theories fly. But the real reason for the bug was revealed in a comment on an Engadget post by someone claiming to be Google engineer Dan Morrill: 'There's a rounding-error bug in the camera driver's autofocus routine (which uses a timestamp) that causes autofocus to behave poorly on a 24.5-day cycle,' said Morrill. 'That is, it'll work for 24.5 days, then have poor performance for 24.5 days, then work again.The 17th is the start of a new "works correctly" cycle, so the devices will be fine for a while. A permanent fix is in the works.'"
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Vodafone suffers massive network outage on Wednesday November 18, @11:11AM Alwin Henseler

Submitted by Alwin Henseler on Wednesday November 18, @11:11AM
Alwin Henseler writes "Telecom provider Vodafone is currently suffering a massive network outage. A quarter of Vodafone mobile customers is said to be affected, that is: unable to make or receive calls (or SMS messages). This has been ongoing for much of the afternoon, and no word yet on when the outage will end. Few sources reporting the outage can be found, see here for Google translation of report on Dutch news site Nu.nl. Vodafone websites in UK and the Netherlands are also offline."
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Smartphones on Wi-Fi vulnerable to security attack-> on Tuesday November 17, @09:54PM alphadogg

Submitted by alphadogg on Tuesday November 17, @09:54PM
security
alphadogg writes "A new report from a mobile security vendor details how the most popular smartphones, including the iPhone, are very vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, carried out via public Wi-Fi connections. According to the report by SMobile Systems, smartphone users connecting to unencrypted Wi-Fi hotspots can be easily compromised by knowledgeable attackers using an array of existing tools. The authors of the study http://threatcenter.smobilesystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/MIMT-Whitepaper031.pdf used those tools to intercept username/password combinations sent from several different smartphones. The tests used a laptop with software tools to intercept communications between smartphones connecting to a Wi-Fi access point, and then to bypass SSL. That information was then used to access a variety of e-mail accounts. The same information could be used to access an online banking account or other information."
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Why is Google Android beating Symbian?-> on Tuesday November 17, @03:50PM wiseandroid

Submitted by wiseandroid on Tuesday November 17, @03:50PM
google
wiseandroid writes "In the battle of the open-source mobile platforms, developers have at least two choices: Google Android, which is open source but (relatively) closed development, or Symbian, which is open source...once it gets around to releasing the full source code. Guess which one is winning? Gartner expects Android to become the second-most popular mobile platform within the next few years as it continues to gobble up Symbian's declining market share. But why?"
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Web Foundation Pushes Voice Access-> on Tuesday November 17, @09:02AM waderoush

Submitted by waderoush on Tuesday November 17, @09:02AM
internet
waderoush writes "When only 25 percent of the world's people have computers but 75 percent have access to a mobile phone, maybe efforts to make the Web more accessible should focus on mobile platforms. Seems like a no-brainer — but Steve Bratt, CEO of the new World Wide Web Foundation, says in his first detailed press interview that it's a neglected area of R&D. Bratt says the first two big projects for the Web Foundation — which was unveiled November 15 in a speech by Web inventor and W3C director Tim Berners-Lee — will focus on helping farmers in Africa and schoolchildren in Brazil build voice-enabled Web applications."
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Hands on with the HTC Touch HD2-> on Monday November 16, @05:35AM Barence

Submitted by Barence on Monday November 16, @05:35AM
cellphones
Barence writes "Pc Pro has its hands on the much-anticipated HTC Touch HD2, and first impressions are good. The huge screen earns much of the praise, balanced out by the necessarily bloated size of the handset. In fact the initial verdict is that it's "in many ways better than the iPhone. And that’s despite the use of Windows Mobile 6.5.""
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Fujitsu's latest mobile phone splits in two-> on Thursday November 12, @06:37PM angry tapir

Submitted by angry tapir on Thursday November 12, @06:37PM
cellphones
angry tapir writes "Fujitsu is breaking new ground in the cell phone market with the imminent introduction of a cell phone that splits into two parts. The F-04B was announced as part of NTT DoCoMo's new line-up and is scheduled to hit Japanese shelves in March or April next year. At first glance it looks like a conventional slider cell phone: grab onto the bottom of the phone and a numeric keypad slides out. But decouple a catch and the entire back half of the phone can be pulled off."
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Making carriers shoulder smartphone security-> on Wednesday November 11, @11:51AM alphadogg

Submitted by alphadogg on Wednesday November 11, @11:51AM
security
alphadogg writes "Georgia Tech researchers have received a $450,000 NSF grant to boost security of iPhones, BlackBerries and other smartphones and the wireless networks on which they run. And it’s those networks where the researchers are really zeroing in. The researchers are looking into ways wireless carriers such as AT&T and Verizon can detect malware on devices and clean up the devices before they do further damage. "While a single user might realize that a phone is behaving differently, that person probably won’t know why," says Patrick Traynor, assistant professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Computer Science. "But a cell phone provider may see a thousand devices behaving in the same way and have the ability to do something about it." Georgia Tech is going to build out a cellular network test bed to try out its remote repair techniques."
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

Comments: 1 +-   China lauds iPhone app that spreads state views-> on Wednesday November 11, @01:17AM angry tapir

Submitted by angry tapir on Wednesday November 11, @01:17AM
angry tapir writes "China's film and TV regulator has praised the growth of an iPhone application from state broadcaster CCTV as the country looks for new ways to project its political views abroad. The free iPhone app, one of a growing number from Chinese state-owned news outlets, has gained 500,000 users in the month or so since it went online and is adding 2,000 new users each day, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television said in a statement on its Web site. The CCTV app has shown "favorable performance" and proven especially popular during broadcasts of major events, such as a high-flown military parade held in Beijing last month, the statement said."
Link to Original Source
Read More... 1 comments submission

+-   Samsung may drop Windows Mobile for Android-> on Tuesday November 10, @01:19PM wiseandroid

Submitted by wiseandroid on Tuesday November 10, @01:19PM
google
wiseandroid writes "Reports are coming in that Samsung will be moving away from Windows Mobile in its handsets and moving towards using Android. According to analyst Greg Noh from HMC Investment Securities Samsung will move from 80% Windows Mobile usage to 50% in 2010."
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   A Gift From Google: Free Airport Wi-Fi-> on Tuesday November 10, @10:09AM itwbennett

Submitted by itwbennett on Tuesday November 10, @10:09AM
google
itwbennett writes "Google is giving you something to be thankful for as you travel over the river and through the woods this holiday season. The company announced today that it is offering free Wi-Fi at 47 airports across the U.S. between today and January 15. If you haven't booked your flights yet, you want to factor this into your plans. The 47 airports include Las Vegas, San Jose, Boston, Baltimore, Burbank, Houston, Indianapolis, Seattle, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, St. Louis and Charlotte."
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Google Announces Free WiFi in 47 Airports-> on Tuesday November 10, @07:50AM damn_registrars

Submitted by damn_registrars on Tuesday November 10, @07:50AM
google
damn_registrars writes "Google has announced their sponsorship of free WiFi in 47 Airports across the United States for the holiday season. Travelers tired of paying for internet access while waiting for their flight should be happy to find free wireless internet at several airports across the country."
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Verizon Droid Tethering Comes at a Hefty Price on Sunday November 08, @11:39PM Pickens

Submitted by Pickens on Sunday November 08, @11:39PM
business
Pickens writes "Tom Bradley reports in PC World that the new Motorola Droid smartphone will cost users $199.99 with a 2-year contract, with an additional $30 per month for the mandatory 'unlimited' data plan that has a monthly cap of 5Gb. Verizon will charge $50 for each additional gigabyte over the 5 Gb limit on the unlimited data plan. Verizon has confirmed that tethering will cost another $30 per month for an additional unlimited data plan that is also limited to 5Gb. If you want tethering you will pay $60 above and beyond the monthly contract for service for an 'unlimited' 10Gb of data per month and if you plan on connecting with an Microsoft Exchange email account you have to pay another $15 a month. "Verizon seems to be doing everything it can to make the Droid as unappealing as possible by nickel and diming customers so that actually using it is not cost-effective," writes Bradley. "After all of the hype around Verizon's marketing efforts, and generally favorable reviews of the Motorola Droid, users that rush out to get the new device may be in for a shock." Droid users will have to wait until sometime in 2010 for tethering. "That service is on our schedule for next year," says Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney. The delay is due to the fact "the service has to be tested on the phone so until we know it works, we don't offer the service. It is not uncommon for us to introduce the phone and continue to test the service and offer it later.""
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   AT&T's city-by-city plan to up wireless covera-> on Friday November 06, @09:36AM alphadogg

Submitted by alphadogg on Friday November 06, @09:36AM
wireless
alphadogg writes "AT&T has created different mobile calling models for every major city in America as it tries to improve a network that has come under fire for poor performance as the data-friendly iPhone has proliferated, an executive said Thursday. Other carriers just use one nationwide calling model to plan for all cities, claimed Chief Technology Officer John Donovan, speaking at the Open Mobile Summit conference in San Francisco. The nation's second-largest mobile operator has a hard time planning for bandwidth needs in the rapidly changing mobile world, Donovan said. AT&T has seen rapidly growing mobile data usage — and much criticism over its 3G coverage — as the exclusive iPhone carrier in the U.S.

"If a network is not fully loaded, it's hard to know exactly how much demand is out there," Donovan said. "You put all you can in the ground, and they eat it all up, and then you put more in there, and they eat it all up.""
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Telecom providers announce LTE standard-> on Thursday November 05, @11:17PM suraj.sun

Submitted by suraj.sun on Thursday November 05, @11:17PM
cellphones
suraj.sun writes "In the battle between LTE and WiMax for wireless broadband, LTE may have just gotten another boost.

A group of leading telecom service and equipment providers, including AT&T, Verizon, Nokia, and Samsung, announced a new standard Thursday for delivering compatible voice and messaging services using Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks.

The standard, dubbed the One Voice ( http://news.vzw.com/OneVoiceProfile.pdf ) initiative, offers a set of technical functionalities that telecommunication companies can use in their LTE services and products to provide both voice and Short Message Services (SMS).

LTE has been fine at supporting data, which uses IP-based packet switching. But it's faced challenges trying to incorporate traditional circuit-based switching voice and SMS services onto IP-based networks. One Voice is the group's attempt to resolve that issue.

The new specification will use existing functionality known as IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), which already defines how to provide data, voice, and other content over an IP-based network.

CNET News: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10391591-94.html"
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Vint Cerf plugs Android into interplanetary net-> on Thursday November 05, @02:29PM Anonymous Coward

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 05, @02:29PM
internet
An anonymous reader writes "El Reg reports that Internet founding father and Google man Vint Cerf is working with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to bring his interplanetary DTN networking protocol to mobile networks down on earth. Cerf and crew have already added DTN to Google Android at the application level."
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission

+-   Verizon Doubles Early Termination Fee for Smartpho-> on Wednesday November 04, @06:14PM suraj.sun

Submitted by suraj.sun on Wednesday November 04, @06:14PM
cellphones
suraj.sun writes "A new detail has emerged with a few documents and it looks like starting on November 15th Verizon will be charging up to $350 as an early termination fee on “advanced devices.”

This new “improved” fee does have a minute silver lining (if you can even say that): for every month of service completed, the $350 sum will decrease by $10. No word yet on what an “advanced device” constitutes but we can use our imaginations to figure it out.

What do you think? Anyone considering abandoning plans to buy the DROID after hearing this news, or are you just going to get yours before November 15th?

BoyGeniusReport: http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/11/04/confirmed-verizon-wireless-to-charge-up-to-350-early-termination-on-advanced-devices/"
Link to Original Source
Read More... 0 comments submission
Search
I learned to play guitar just to get the girls, and anyone who says they didn't is just lyin'! -- Willie Nelson

All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the Poster. The Rest © 1997-2009 Geeknet, Inc.