Samsung's New Jack SGH-i637

The BlackJack II has been changed and perfected to produce Samsung’s new Jack SGH-i637. With the many useful updates and the reasonable price, the Jack certainly looks like an interesting new phone to consider.

The Jack has a very similar look to the Blackberry Bold or the Blackberry Curve 8900. It features a metallic charcoal gray paint and thick chrome band around the edges. The Jack measures 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.5 inches (HWD) and weighs only 3.6 ounces.

It includes a roomy, four-rowed QWERTY keyboard with the perfect amount of click and resistance. The Jack also has a 2.4-inch , 320 x 240 pixel LCD screen. Although the it does not have a touch-screen, the five-way control pad is touch-sensitive.

The Jack has a 528-Mhz processor, 256MB ROM, 175MB RAM, and 141MB RAM free for programs. It also features a built-in GPS chip that is capable of supporting AT&T’s TeleNav-powered Navigator. The music player on the Jack supports WMA, MP3, and AAC files, and the smartphone includes a 3.2-megapixel camera.

For just $99.99 (plus a two-year service contract), the Samsung Jack can be yours. It’s a great value for the fantastic features it includes. No, its not the iPhone3G S or Nokia E71x, but those phones will cost you a lot more. The Jack is a smart, practical, reasonable smartphone that can take care of most average people’s needs.

T-Mobile's Soon to Be Released Smartphone

T-Mobile will announce their latest smartphone, the Google Android device called the myTouch, on Monday. This will be the second T-Mobile smartphone to utilize Android, Google’s open-source mobile operating system. T-Mobile introduced the G1, which was the world’s first Google Android phone, last fall, but believes that the new myTouch will appeal to a wider variety of consumers.

This summer there has already been a flood of new and improved smartphones. Sprint Nextel’s network released Palm’s long awaited Pre, Nokia introduced their new touch-screen N97, and Apple presented their faster, superior iPhone 3G S. So how does T-Mobile plan on making the myTouch stand out among all the other smartphones? The answer is the personalization of the myTouch.

It is said that there will be no two myTouch phones that are alike. Consumers will be given the opportunity to completely customize their myTouch device with a variety of Android applications. T-Mobile representatives will even be available to assist customers with the set up of their new smartphones before they leave the store.

An example of how the different Android application will make the myTouch more personal can be found in an application called Sherpa. Sherpa uses GPS to assist smartphone users in finding restaurants, movie theaters, and other points of interest wherever they are. What is so cool about this application is that it will remember where you have been previously and will make recommendations based on your past searches. Sherpa will also give you a list of special events currently going on in the area and tell you how far away you are from them. This application will only be available through T-Mobile. The myTouch also includes unique Google applications such as easy upload to Picasa and YouTube. Other areas where consumers will be able to personalize their myTouch include the ability to add music, a personalized calendar, widgets, photos, and shortcuts to Web links.

The myTouch is produced by HTC and basically has the same hardware design as the Google Ion (HTC Magic). The Google Ion is thinner than the G1 and smaller than the iPhone. It has a 3.2-inch touch screen that offers 320 x 480 pixels of resolution. There is no physical keyboard on the Google Ion, and it features 3G and WiFi network support.

The myTouch will come in a variety of new assorted colors. It will come standard with 512 Megabytes of internal memory and allow support of microSD for external storage. The myTouch will come with a 4GB microSD card, but consumers will be able to add more storage if they want to.

T-Mobile is calling the myTouch their premier Android smartphone. T-Mobile customers will be able to get the new phone starting July 8, while non-customers will not be able to purchase the phone until early August. The phone is set to run around $199 with a two-year T-Mobile service contract.

T-Mobile is expecting great things with the Google Android myTouch, and considering all the facts, I can see why. The myTouch sounds like a chic new smartphone with about everything possible to offer. The price is certainly reasonable for what you are getting, and if you don’t mind having T-Mobile as your service provider, then you’re set. I think this will certainly be an interesting phone to watch. We’ll see if the myTouch can truly stand out from among the abundance of new smartphones on the market today.

Apple Appeases iPhone 3G S Customers Experiencing Activation Issues

So it seems that some customers that have just recently bought their newly released iPhone 3G S are still currently experiencing delays concerning the activation of their new smartphone, but Apple isn’t looking to have disgruntled customers and has found a way to make it up to the iPhone consumers.

These issues that that those who purchased the iPhone 3G S have experienced started the moment the iPhone was introduced to the public on Friday. Customers affected by this activation problem were notified by Apple, via e-mail on Sunday, that they might experience further delay for up to 48 hours due to the issues with the system and the high amount of iPhone activations.

Apple hopes to appease these customers by offering a $30 iTunes store credit. The email that they sent out stated:

Dear Apple Customer,

Thank you for your recent Apple Store order. We appreciate your patience and apologize for the inconvenience caused by the delay in your iPhone activation.

We are still resolving the issue that was encountered while activating your iPhone with AT&T. Unfortunately, due to system issues and continued high activation volumes, this could take us up to an additional 48 hours to complete.

On Monday, you'll receive an email from Apple with an iTunes Store credit in the amount of $30. We hope you will enjoy this gift and accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience this delay has caused.

Thank you for choosing Apple.

Sincerely,

Apple Online Store Team

Similar problems were experienced with the launch of the iPhone last July. When customers tried to accomplish the required in-store activation procedure, AT&T activation servers overloaded and eventually completely crashed. Apple was forced to abandon the in-store activation process and allow customers to activate their new iPhones at home on their own.

Hopefully these issues with the iPhone 3G S will be solved quickly and for all their trouble customers will receive their much deserved $30 to spend at iTunes for their patient waiting.

Palm Pre Developer Mode Cheat Code

That's right, you heard correctly, there is actually a cheat code for your Palm Pre that lets you go into an app called "Developer Mode Enabler". Activating the cheat is simple. All you need to do is go to the launcher screen of your Palm Pre and type in the phrase "upupdowndownleftrightleftrightbastart". Uh, more clearly it is "up up down down left right left right b a start". Gamers out there will recognize this string of words as the famous Contra/Konami code.

This code appears to have been found from the leaked ROM that came out earlier. This app connects your Pre to a machine running Palm's Mojo SDK for webOS. This lets you go into the Palm Pre and mess around with the code. By doing this you to create your very own apps for the smartphone.

It is going to be interesting to see all the different things people are going to do with this new feature. The Konami code strikes again, this time on a very unlikely place, but a wonderful place at that. The code has just grown in fame even more.

Click here for a video on the Palm Pre Developer Mode Cheat.

The Blackberry Curve 8300 Series

The NPD Group, leaders in market research of the wireless industry, say that Verizon Wireless’ BlackBerry Curve has been able to move past Apple’s iPhone with their aggressive “buy-one-get-one” promotion. The Curve Series has grown to become the best-selling smartphones in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2009. So what is so great about these phones? Well let me tell you…

Let’s start with the design. The BlackBerry Curve 8300 Series show off sleek features, clean lines, and soft, smooth edges. They are one of the smallest phones in the BlackBerry line to feature a full QWERTY keyboard. The Curve 8300 Series also have large, high-resolution screens for surfing the net, viewing pictures, playing games, or watching video clips all in bright vibrant colors.

The cameras featured on all BlackBerry Curve 8300 Series smartphones allow you the freedom to capture any moment and share it instantly with friends and family. The camera includes: digital zoom, built-in flash, and a self-portrait mirror. On most of the 8300 Series phones, you also have the option of video recording those special moments as well. You can then share them instantly or enjoy viewing them in your phone’s high resolution display. Also, all Curve smartphones come with a USB cable for easy transfer of your pictures and video from your phone to your computer.

To satisfy all your music needs, BlackBerry phones allow you to easily sync all your desktop iTunes and Windows Media Player music files right to your smartphone. To permit the storage of as many songs as you want, the Curve allows you to use a microSD card for expandable media storage.

The BlackBerry Curve 8300 Series also features GPS capabilities, e-mail, easy text messaging, voice notes, conference calling, Bluetooth capabilities, fast on-the-go internet access, and so much more. The Curve 8300 Series really has a lot to offer and with the “buy-one-get-one” deal that Verizon is running on the Curve 8330, if you’re looking for a new phone this is definitely one to consider.

The LG enV Touch

Verizon Wireless has just introduced the new LG enV Touch. This phone has a perfect balance of features to satisfy all your messaging and entertainment needs. With it’s sleek appearance and amazing functionality, the enV Touch is certainly a phone to look closer at.

The sleek enV Touch features a large 3-inch external touch screen with exceptional LCD display. The touch screen can be utilized for all your messaging needs. Incase you would rather physically type out things instead of merely touching letters on a screen, you can easily whip out the QWERTY keyboard . This combination of touch screen and keyboard allows satisfaction for any users of the enV Touch.

The LG enV Touch in practical in all aspects and caters to all your possible needs. It allows for full internet access including tabbed browsing, Inline Flash support, full page view, and navigation/zoom functions to assist in the reading of small text. It fulfills all messaging needs with its text to speech feature, mobile IM and e-mail, visual voicemail, and social networking messaging.

To add to all the other fantastic qualities, the enV Touch also has phenomenal multimedia features. It has an enhanced music player with easy search functions and Dolby Music Sound. It has Rhapsody capabilities and includes VCAST song ID that allows you identify and download songs all in one simple step as you hear them and VCAST video that allows you to see the latest sports, weather, entertainment, and news clips all on your phone. The enV Touch also features a 3.2 mega pixel camera and camcorder with autofocus, LED flash, and intelligent shot technology.

The LG enV Touch is truly a masterpiece that should be considered if you’re looking for a new phone. With Verizon as the service provider, you really can’t lose with this phone. At a reasonable price of $149.99, the enV Touch is certainly one to look further into.

3G BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 Now On Verizon

It's been leaked, it's been rumored, and it's been delayed, but now it's official; the 3G BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 will now be available on Verizon starting June 19th. The Pearl Flip is Wi-Fi enabled and will run on an OS 4.6.0 and is powered by a 324MHz processor. The flip also comes with an external display and a vertical QVGA internal display.

The Pearl Flip will also offer a 2 megapixel camera with flash and video recording and a SureType QWERTY keyboard. In addition to that the Flip will have a microSD/SDHC slot and will also have VZ Navigator support. On top of all of this, there are also a ton of other features.

The Pearl Flip supports the BlackBerry App World. This provides fast access to all the apps developed for BlackBerry Pearl flip 8230 in a multitude of categories like games, entertainment, social networking, and sharing things like productivity, utilities, travel, music and video. There is also a built-in GPS with preloaded BlackBerry maps with additional support for location based apps and services. The Flip also has an advanced media player for support with pictures, videos, and music for BlackBerry Media Sync. This makes it easy to sync up iTunes digital music collections from Windows Media Player. The Flip also has Stereo Bluetooth support (A2DP/AVRCP) and 3.5mm stereo headset jack.

The only downside, if you see it that way, is that the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 is going to run you $129.99 after a $70 mail-in rebate plus a two-year agreement. But this is a cool smartphone, and people are going to be happy it is finally coming to Verizon. The Verizon model will come in a silver finish.

iPhonne Apps: The Best and the Worst

The iPhone is one of the coolest devices around. Everybody loves using it to surf the internet, take pictures, record videos, watch movies, and.....uh....what's that other thing it does? Oh yeah, make calls. Probably the greatest thing about the iPhone is the ability to download different apps, or applications, to your phone. There are a reported 43,000 apps in the online store for the iPhone and iPod Touch. But finding the right one for you can be tough. So, here is a list of the top 10 smartest iPhone and iPod Touch apps, along with the top 10 dumbest.

Smart 10.) FTP On the Go - perfect for an IT professional or web designer.

Dumb 10.) Rate a Fart 2.0 - Not only is it bad enough that somebody created this app, they had to go and recreate it for a 2.0 style. Wow, really guys?

Smart 9.) Bloomberg - The best app to have for keeping track of the financial market. It allows you to track your individual portfolio, foreign futures and indexes.

Dumb 9.) iPickupLines - I don't know if they are serious with some of these pickup lines or just joking, sometimes its hard to tell. But some of the intended lady-getting lines include "Your eyes are as blue as my toilet water at home" "Baby you're like a student and I'm like a math book, you solve all my problems" and mt personal favorite "Do you mind if I hang out here until it's safe back where I farted?" Honestly, I'm speechless.

Smart 8.) Shazam - Just point your iPhone at any piece of recorded music, press Tag, and the shazam app identifies the song, the band, info, lyrics, and related videos while also letting you buy the song directly from iTunes with ridiculous accuracy.

Dumb 8.) iGirl: She Obeys (Lite) - For those of you who can not get a real girlfriend, there is iGirl. You can poke, flirt, swivel and fantasize about this 3D girl all you want. And by upgrading to the actual version for 99 cents. The full version allows you to get more clothing, hair colors, and "action" options. Wow. Plus the attraction of "blowing-on-your-iPhone" fun, whatever that means.

Smart 7.) Pandora Radio - Just like it's computer counterpart, the Pandora App allows you to look for a song you like then the Genome project goes into affect finding songs that are similar to the one you picked, hoping you will like it as well.

Dumb 7.) iStrip: Sexy Pen - There used to be these pens out there that when you tilted them, the clothing of a very attractive woman would slip off, leaving "all natural". well the iPhone has digitized this pen in an app. The only difference is that the models are depressed looking an unattractive, the graphics are ridiculous, and there is no nudity, which was the whole point of the pens in the first place.

Smart 6.) Kindle for iPhone - The ability to download a book and read it whenever and wherever you want to is the best way to defeat boredom. With nearly 300,000 books on the app, you are sure to find something you like.

Dumb 6.) Wooo! Button - Uh yeah, that is all it is, a button that when you push it it says "Wooo!" That's it, probably one of the moist pointless acts ever created.

Smart 5.) BeatMaker - With 16 trigger pads, you can play samples that are included in the library, or something you recorded on the go. A multi-resolution, multi-track step sequencer supports pattern creation and assembly. There are also a ton of other features on this app as well that makes it worth your purchase.

Dumb 5.) SoftServe Poop Machine - What do you say about an app that allows you to create defecation? Stupidity, utter stupidity.

Smart 4.) Vlingo: Voice App - A voice app that allows you to tell your iPhone what you want it to do and it does it. Simple as that.

Dumb 4.) A little, yellow face that sings off key. Its just stupid. Sincere, charming, but just plain stupid .

Smart 3.) Remote - This app allows you to control your music's computer, AirTunes speakers, or even the Genius Playlist creator from any part of your house that has Wi-Fi.

Dumb 3.)The Crazy Frog - This is simply a cheap rip off of the original crazy frog, which was at least remotely entertaining. This version is a boring frog and a boring sound.

Smart 2.) Bento - Just a basic organizing app for your iPhone. It helps you organize all the details of your life easily. The iPhone app can be synced with Bento 2.0 v4 fir the Mac or can be used as a stand alone app.

Dumb 2.) iKissMe - An app that allows you to scroll through a variety of kisses and then delivers said kiss when you actually kiss your iPhone! To quote Apple, "iKissMe is a great way to practice your kissing skills, or to just ring you up when you're feeling down." I feel really sorry for anyone who needs to kiss their iPhone's virtual lips to make them feel better.

Smart 1.) LogMein Ignition - Trying to trouble shoot a friend or family member with computer needs over the phone is difficult. But with LogMein ignition, you can wirelessly take control of that persons computer and do what you wish with it. The app itself is pricey at $29.99 and you and the other person both have to be LogMein account members. But it's all worth it to become a god in the IT field.

Dumb 1.) CalmCandle - Wow, the only thing this app does is show you a burning candle, thats it. The only real thing happening is that the candle slowly burns down over time. Not a bad app if you want a screen saver or love the sight of burning candles but a $4.99 are you kidding me!? The dumbest app ever.

So there you have it, a list of 10 apps to check out and 10 to stay away from, that is unless you are stupid or have the brain capacity of a grapefruit. If that is you they hey, go get as many stupid apps as you want, I'm not going to stop you.

List courtesy of The Register.com

A Flood of Android Phones to Emerge

Andy Rubin, senior director for Mobile Platforms for Google and head of the Android operating system, has declared that there will be at least 18 Android phones on the market by the end of this year. This means that there is soon to be a stream of Android phones, considering the fact that the only Android-centric phones on the market as of now are T-Mobile’s G1 and the HTC Magic. He says that to accomplish this goal, the phones will be released from 8 or 9 different manufacturers.

Rubin has also stated that there will be three different types of Androids. There will be the obligation-free option that allows you to download a free version of Android without Google applications and will permit the manufacturer to have access to Android applications. The second choice will have some strings attached. It will be the same as the Google-free version except for the fact that the manufacturers will sign a distribution contract that will require the phone to have Google applications on it. The last and final type will be as Google so nicely puts it, “The Google Experience.” These will feature the Google logo, all Google applications, and unhampered access to the Android market.

These phones could be next big thing. It is said that these new developments should differentiate Android from the iPhone, Palm Pre, and Blackberry. We’ll just have to see as these phones begin to emerge as the year progresses.