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mobile
May 11, 2011
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HP Pre 3 gets FCC approval; looks like world phone for Verizon

By on May 11, 2011 at 8:12 AM.

HP Pre 3 gets FCC approval; looks like world phone for Verizon

The Federal Communications Commission recently released documents outlining the testing and approval of Hewlett-Packard’s upcoming flagship smartphone, the HP Pre 3. Beyond the idea that the public release of these documents could mean that an official announcement isn’t far away, the documents also reveal that the CDMA version of the Pre 3, thought to be coming soon to Verizon Wireless, also includes global GSM compatibility. This would make Verizon’s version of the anticipated webOS phone a world phone. The FCC had previously released documents covering the approval of a GSM-only Pre 3 model thought to be headed soon to AT&T. BGR took a hands-on look at the Pre 3 back in February at HP’s Think Beyond event, and we called the device “the webOS smartphone we’ve been waiting for.” Unfortunately, it’s now three months later and we’re still waiting. More →

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mobile
May 6, 2011
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Android sees continued growth while BlackBerry OS falters, comScore says

By on May 6, 2011 at 8:35 PM.

Android sees continued growth while BlackBerry OS falters, comScore says

Android’s U.S. market share is continuing to grow at the expense of RIM, Microsoft, and Palm, according to a new report from comScore that took a snapshot of the mobile phone market during the March quarter. The report found that Android powered 34.7% of all U.S. smartphones, up 6% from December 2010. RIM’s BlackBerry OS market share fell 4.5 points to a 27.1% share of the market, while Microsoft’s Windows and Palm’s webOS each saw a 0.9 percentage point decrease. Apple’s iOS market share jumped 0.5 points to a 25.5% share of the market, just behind RIM’s 27.1% grasp. Samsung remained the most popular mobile phone brand with a 24.5% share of the market, followed by LG (20.9%), Motorola (15.8%), RIM (8.4%), and Apple (7.9%).  The report also found that 234 million Americans above the age of 13 used mobile devices. Hit the jump for the full release. More →

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Computers
May 5, 2011
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Foxconn asks employees to sign ‘anti-suicide pledge’

By on May 5, 2011 at 6:18 PM.

Foxconn asks employees to sign ‘anti-suicide pledge’

We’ve reported on the harsh working conditions at Foxconn — which have allegedly driven some workers to commit suicide — and now the firm is asking its workers to sign pledges stating that they will not hold Foxconn responsible if they commit suicide, Daily Mail says. While translations may vary, the letter to employees reportedly says:

In the event of non-accidental injuries (including suicide, self mutilation, etc.), I agree that the company has acted properly in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, and will not sue the company, bring excessive demands, take drastic actions that would damage the company’s reputation or cause trouble that would hurt normal operations.

Foxconn, which manufacturers electronics for Apple, HP, Nokia, Palm, Sony, and others, was covered in a study performed by the Centre for Research on Multinational Companies and Students & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehavior (SACOM). To Foxconn’s credit, SACOM offered some praise to Foxconn for meeting China’s overtime limits: “Foxconn was the only supplier out of those studied that set a target to meet the government-mandated maximum overtime of 36 hours per month within 2011,” the report said. However, it also noted that one employee worked 98 hours of overtime in one month, and others were required to work all but one day during a 13-day long iPad manufacturing binge. Worse yet, those who didn’t meet expectations were apparently met with public humiliation or forced to stand while working 12-hour shifts. More →

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mobile
May 5, 2011
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Major mobile app store revenue will grow 77.7% in 2011

By on May 5, 2011 at 7:00 AM.

Major mobile app store revenue will grow 77.7% in 2011

According to IHS-owned market research firm iSuppli, revenues from major mobile app stores will grow 77.7% to $3.8 billion this year. iSuppli estimates that major app markets like those offered by Apple, Google, Nokia and RIM sold $2.1 billion worth of apps in 2010 and just $830.6 million in 2009. “With consumers continuing to show robust, unflagging interest in downloading games and other applications to devices like smart phones and tablets, collective revenues from the four stores will climb sharply this year,” said IHS mobile media analyst Jack Kent in a statement. According to the report, consumers’ hunger for mobile apps won’t be slowing down any time soon. The firm suggests that app store sales will continue to grow linearly — as most analysts these days seem to believe all growth is linear — with revenues ballooning to $5.6 billion in 2012 and $8.3 billion in 2014. Hit the break for the full press release. More →

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Breaking
May 4, 2011
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HP Veer 4G to launch May 15th on AT&T

By on May 4, 2011 at 10:08 AM.

HP Veer 4G to launch May 15th on AT&T

HP and AT&T on Wednesday announced that the latest webOS smartphone, the HP Veer 4G, will become available later this month as an AT&T exclusive. HP unveiled the bite-sized Veer webOS phone at a press event back in February, and at that time we thought the device was a tad too small for our liking. The Veer features solid specs, a crisp, bright touchscreen and a solid build, however, so petite AT&T subscribers seeking a sleek new smartphone should definitely check it out. The HP Veer 4G will cost $99.99 on contract in either black or white when it launches from AT&T on May 15th. Hit the break for the full press release. More →

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Software
May 2, 2011
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HP adds carrier billing, promo codes to webOS App Catalog

By on May 2, 2011 at 10:40 PM.

HP adds carrier billing, promo codes to webOS App Catalog

The only webOS-related news we really want to hear out of HP’s camp is here’s when the Pre 3 and TouchPad are launching, but we suppose last week’s quiet App Catalog update is also welcome news. The new version of HP’s webOS App Catalog features several changes, some more important than others. The first thing users might notice after updating is the presence of HP’s logo on the Catalog icon — an inevitable branding change that should probably have happened quite some time ago. More important, however, are two key new additions: promo code support, which will allow users to download paid apps for free with a code obtained from a developer, and carrier billing support, which will allow paid apps to be billed along with monthly cell phone service charges. The new version of the App Catalog is also said to be a bit more responsive, and it requires webOS 2.0 or higher to run. More →

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Opinions
April 20, 2011
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Your smartphone is tracking you, and you said it was okay

By on April 20, 2011 at 3:23 PM.

Your smartphone is tracking you, and you said it was okay

The Internet nearly exploded this morning after O’Reilly filed a report indicating that users of Apple’s iPhone and 3G iPad were being tracked. A file, found in the filesystem of the aforementioned devices running iOS 4 or higher, contains a list of time-stamped GPS coordinates that correlate with the device’s location. The only issue I have with Apple’s methodology is that the file used to store said locations is unencrypted. Am I apathetic about my personal privacy? No, not at all. So why don’t I care? Because I agreed to let Apple do this. And you if you have a smartphone of any kind, there is a high likelihood you did too. Read on to see exactly what you agreed to. More →

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mobile
April 18, 2011
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HP Veer to launch with AT&T on May 2nd

By on April 18, 2011 at 7:20 AM.

HP Veer to launch with AT&T on May 2nd

The HP Veer might not be the webOS smartphone we’re most anxious to see launch, but there’s no question this petite phone packs a punch — and according to an event invitation revealed by webOS enthusiast blog PreCentral, the Veer will finally touch down in early May. HP is sending out invitations to a launch party for the Veer on May 2nd in California, and launch parties are typically accompanied by… launches. What’s more, those those who sent in an affirmative RSVP supposedly received instructions via email to bring an ID badge or a business card from AT&T or Best Buy in order to gain entry to the event. As such, an AT&T launch is likely a pretty safe bet. We took a hands-on look at the Veer back in February and the solid build of this tiny smartphone definitely impressed us, but we weren’t sure the tiny 2.6-inch touchscreen display had a place in the age of supersized smartphones. As an aside, it looks like that narrowed gap HP CEO Leo Apotheker claimed we would see between HP’s product announcements and launches isn’t so narrow after all. Apotheker said we should expect webOS devices to launch “within weeks” of HP’s February event, however — though we suppose the 12-weeks between HP’s Veer announcement and launch is, technically, within weeks. More →

42 Comments
Software
April 13, 2011
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HP's webOS 3.0 beta 1 gets exhaustive review via emulator [video]

By on April 13, 2011 at 8:46 AM.

HP's webOS 3.0 beta 1 gets exhaustive review via emulator [video]

The brood over at PreCentral have managed to acquire a leaked copy of HP’s webOS 3.0 beta 1 software development kit (SDK). Why is this a good thing? Because contained within said SDK rests a TouchPad, webOS 3.0 emulator, of course. While emulators only provide 50% of the TouchPad story — the other half being hardware — it is useful to get a high-level overview of what user interface will look like. If you want to whet your appetite for this summers TouchPad release, hit the jump. There’s an eighteen minute video overview awaiting your scrutiny. Be sure to click through the read link as well for a host of screen grabs. More →

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mobile
April 7, 2011
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WebOS 3.0 for HP TouchPad spied in leaked screenshots

By on April 7, 2011 at 8:50 PM.

WebOS 3.0 for HP TouchPad spied in leaked screenshots

WebOS enthusiast blog PreCentral.net on Thursday published a series of screenshots from HP’s upcoming webOS 3.0 operating system for the TouchPad tablet. The images were pulled from an emulator as opposed to an actual device but we can still see several areas of the OS such as the Web browser, the virtual keyboard, Bing Maps, the music player and the messaging app. BGR took a hands-on look at the HP TouchPad when it was announced in February. We found the tablet to be quite impressive, especially in its integration with webOS-powered HP smartphones. HP’s CEO said in January that the company would be narrowing the gap between device announcements and launches, yet HP still has not announced release details for the TouchPad or the two smartphones announced in early February, the Pre 3 and Veer. Hit the break for more images of webOS 3.0. More →

29 Comments
Gaming
April 7, 2011
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Angry Birds Rio flies to webOS devices

By on April 7, 2011 at 6:12 PM.

Angry Birds Rio flies to webOS devices

HP announced today that the latest installation in the Angry Birds franchise, Angry Birds Rio, is now available for download from the webOS App Catalog. The game sports 60 different levels across two different episodes, and Rovio promises to provide episodic updates throughout the rest of this year. If you’re tired of killing little green pigs, have no fear, the goal this time around is to attack angry monkeys and free other caged fowl. Angry Birds Rio is available for $1.99 on the Palm Pre, Pre Plus and Pre 2, provided that you’re running webOS 1.4.5 or later. More →

16 Comments
mobile
April 6, 2011
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Verizon Wireless Pre 3, touchscreen-only webOS smartphone leak

By on April 6, 2011 at 8:41 AM.

Verizon Wireless Pre 3, touchscreen-only webOS smartphone leak

Enthusiast blog PreCentral has revealed images of two of HP’s latest smartphones, including one unannounced device that would be the first webOS phone without a hardware QWERTY keyboard. There’s little in the way of known specs about this touchscreen-only phone — possibly codenamed “Stingray” — but it does appear that the screen is in the 3.2-inch to 4-inch range, although it’s hard to tell based on the angle of the picture. There also appears to be a front-facing camera on the device, and that would also be a first for HP. The Palm Pre 3 was announced in February — and we’ve already gotten our hands on one — but a new image shows it running on Verizon’s CDMA network. Verizon Wireless hasn’t specifically said whether or not it will carry the Pre 3, but it did offer the first two iterations so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that we’ll see this one soon. Hit the jump for the Pre 3 photo. More →

18 Comments
mobile
April 1, 2011
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Apple, Android see continued growth in U.S. smartphone market share

By on April 1, 2011 at 6:58 PM.

Apple, Android see continued growth in U.S. smartphone market share

ComScore has released its latest report on the U.S. smartphone market, and it suggests that Apple’s share of the U.S. OEM market is growing, while Android is continuing to dominate the U.S. operating system market. Samsung remains the top mobile OEM in the United States with a 24.8% marketshare, up 0.3 percentage points from the period prior. It’s followed by LG (20.9%, no change), Motorola (16.1 percent, down .9 percentage points), RIM (8.6 percent, down .2 percentage points), and Apple (7.5%, up .9 percentage points). Given the dominance by Samsung, LG, and Motorola, it comes as no surprise that Android now has a 33% grip on the U.S. smartphone operating system market — that’s up 7 percentage points from the last report. RIM’s BlackBerry OS dropped 4.6 percentage points to a 28.9% share of the market. It’s followed by Apple’s iOS (25.2%), Microsoft’s Windows Phone (7.7%), and Palm’s webOS (2.8%). The report also found that 68.7% of mobile users use their phone for text messaging. Hit the jump for the full release. More →

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