ZDNet UK Mobile devices Toolkit

Photos: new Windows 7 notebooks

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Charles McLellan) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:59:02 +0100

Most people will get Windows 7 preinstalled on a new computer. Here are some new and updated Windows 7 notebooks that we'd be happy to make the upgrade with.

Samsung Galaxy i7500

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Sandra Vogel) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:12:02 +0000

Samsung's Galaxy i7500 has a superb AMOLED screen, but the battery life is disappointing, especially if you're a heavy GPS user. Given the prevalence of location-aware services for Android, that's a cardinal sin.

Nokia halves smartphone portfolio

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:03:56 +0000

Nokia has reduced the number of smartphone models it intends to introduce in 2010 by half, according to reports. Quoted in an article on Reuters, the Finnish handset maker's new smartphone...

Developers get beta SDK for Atom

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Matthew Broersma) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:50:01 +0000

The test software-building kit for the Atom Developer Programme is part of the chipmaker's push to build a network of app stores

When your social media marketing fails, it fails in public

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:15:16 +0000

Getting your marketing right is always important, but if you're going to use Twitter to do marketing, it's crucial. Everything you do is in public, and attention can be drawn to your mistakes just...

Acer Aspire One D250 with Android

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:58:19 +0000

Dual boot notebooks are nothing new. But getting Android into a netbook is new, and I was interested to see how Acers Aspire One D250 with Android coped. The other operating system on the...

Nokia: Mobile device sales set to bounce back

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Marguerite Reardon) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:56:01 +0000

The handset giant predicts that mobile phone sales will jump 10 percent next year, as buying recovers from the worldwide recession

Nokia sues Samsung, LG over LCD price fixing

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Sam Diaz ) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:56:01 +0000

Nokia is seeking unspecified damages from several liquid display manufacturers, accusing them of conspiring to inflate prices for displays

Samsung Omnia Pro B7610

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:56:34 +0000

When Microsoft announced Windows Mobile 6.5, the company said it was keen on expanding into consumer markets. One way to do that is to get consumer-focussed companies to run with the operating...

Lenovo repurchases mobile phone arm

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:37:24 +0000

Lenovo has bought back the mobile phone arm that it sold to a private equity firm at the start of 2008, the company said on Friday. The manufacturer sold Lenovo Mobile to the Hony Group for...

From The Labs: The first Android netbook?

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Charles McLellan) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:33:01 +0000

Acer has put Google's Android OS on its Aspire One D250 netbook, but is it any more than a sideshow? Charles McLellan investigates

iPhone officially launches in South Korea

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Leslie Katz) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:47:02 +0000

Enthusiasts waited in line overnight to get their hands on Apple's smartphone, the arrival of which is expected to challenge homegrown giants Samsung and LG

Jabra Stone Bluetooth headset

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:09:24 +0000

I dont get on very well with Bluetooth headsets. But it is not a prejudice against them. I dont get on well with those flat, saucer-like in-ear headphones either. My ears are just the wrong...

Rickroll virus author hired by iPhone app company

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Chris Duckett) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:53:02 +0000

The creator of the 'ikee' worm, which replaced the wallpaper of jailbroken iPhones with a picture of Rick Astley, has been hired by Australian app developers Mogeneration

Ten reasons Android handsets beat the iPhone

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Jack Wallen) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 08:32:01 +0000

Handsets based on Google's Android open-source operating system have a clear edge on Apple's iPhone, says Jack Wallen

RIM launches BlackBerry eBay app

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Jessica Dolcourt) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:24:01 +0000

RIM's BlackBerry App World gets a boost with the launch of an eBay app for the smartphone in the US and Canada

BlackBerry Storm2

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Sandra Vogel) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:23:02 +0000

RIM has successfully addressed the major faults with the original BlackBerry Storm, which centred on its depressing screen (in both senses of the word). We like the Storm2 a lot, which should appeal to committed BlackBerry users who want to try a touch-screen.

Google updates BlackBerry apps tool

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Meyer) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:35:02 +0000

The new version of the tool makes it possible to support Apps access on up to 500 BlackBerrys from a single BlackBerry Enterprise Server

A look through Sony Ericsson's Pureness phone

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Meyer) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:41:01 +0000

ZDNet UK examines the Xperia Pureness handset, which combines streamlined features with a transparent LCD screen

Kindle gets better battery life, native PDF support

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Carnoy) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:09:01 +0000

Just in time for the Christmas shopping season, Amazon has announced it is offering some small but notable upgrades to its Kindle e-book reader

Tesco to stock Apple's iPhone 3G and 3GS

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Meyer) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:03:01 +0000

The retail giant hopes to have the popular handset in its physical and online stores by Christmas, but has not announced pricing

Acer neoTouch

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Sandra Vogel) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:09:02 +0000

If you're after a Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone with a large and touch-friendly display, Acer's neoTouch is worth considering. It could do with more built-in memory, but the 1GHz Snapdragon processor is fast.

Carphone Warehouse freezes Satio phone sales

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Meyer) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:15:02 +0000

The retailer has temporarily stopped selling Sony Ericsson's flagship Symbian smartphone, after a software fault prompted a high rate of returns

Ion pleases the eye and kills off the netbook

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:05:59 +0000

The netbook has been a rapidly evolving beast. The idea was initially unveiled about four years ago by the OLPC initiative, who wanted to bring out a cheap educational tool for the developing...

Sony Ericsson releases cross-platform app tool

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Meyer) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:02 +0000

WebSDK is a toolkit that allows developers to create software for Sony Ericsson's Android and Symbian-based handsets

Ion-toting Eee 1201N to hit UK in January

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:55:36 +0000

Asus has confirmed its long-rumoured Eee PC 1201N, the first in the company's line of netbooks to use Nvidia's Ion graphics platform. The 1201N will also be one of the first netbooks to include...

Microsoft, Acer team up on Windows 7 laptop

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (Liam Tung) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:58:02 +0000

The software giant has formed an alliance with Acer that will see it deliver Windows 7 laptops to rival Apple's proposed tablet

WorkSnug for iPhone now available

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:20:31 +0000

A little while ago I blogged about an iPhone application called WorkSnug. It is a free tool that finds public Wi-Fi locations in London and uses augmented reality to display them on screen....

Toshiba TG01 running Windows Mobile 6.5

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:31:16 +0000

When we first saw the TG01 from Toshiba we were both delighted and displeased. There was a lot to like, but Toshibas cranky front end to its operating system Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional was,...

Nokia could drop Symbian for Maemo on N-series

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:53:26 +0000

Nokia could drop Symbian for the Maemo Linux operating system on its flagship N-series handsets by 2012, according to Maemo marketing staff. A report published on Wednesday on The Really Mobile...

Windows Marketplace available on 6.1 and 6.0 devices, but ne...

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:27:13 +0000

It has taken a little while, but Microsoft has finally released its Marketplace for Windows 6.1 and 6.0 devices. This means that owners of those devices have access to over the air application...

Sony Ericsson X10 Android due in February

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Meyer) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:34:01 +0000

The manufacturer's first Android handset will go on sale in February, according to a page on Sony Ericsson's website

Marketing Suggestions from an Ambivalent Windows 7 Customer

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:13:57 +0000

Part of the work that's been keeping me busy the last few weeks have been involved with evaluating Windows 7 Embedded and/or the final released version of Windows 7 Pro, Ultimate, Business,...

Windows Mobile loses nearly a third of market share

editorial@zdnet.co.uk (David Meyer) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:24:02 +0000

Microsoft's mobile operating system lost 28 percent of its smartphone market share over the past year, according to analysts at Gartner

Mobile apps to get pushy, have presence on BlackBerry

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:51:24 +0000

Most of the time, computers sit there waiting for you to ask them to do something. Phones tell you when they have something you care about. Most smartphones are more like a computer when it comes...

The Crabble stand for your phone

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:31:20 +0000

Sometimes something comes along that is so simple yet so very useful that you cant believe you didnt think of it first. The Crabble is one such object. Once upon a time smartphones came with...

Moblin 2.1 Final Release

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:48:52 +0000

It's been about a week since the final release of Moblin 2.1 suddenly showed up on their web page. I've been distracted with Ubuntu Karmic and Mandriva 2010, though, and although I loaded it on...

Google buys mobile display ad firm AdMob

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:47:56 +0000

Google has bought the mobile display advertising firm AdMob, the companies announced on Monday. The acquisition, for $750m (£449m) in stock, will "enhance Google's existing expertise and...

Size matters - or choose your phone according to your pocket

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:44:09 +0000

Ive just posted a First Take story on the HTC HD2. Its a superb device. The fast processor and capacitive screen give Windows Mobile the kind of lift that brings it up to the high standards...

HTC HD2

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:08:27 +0000

Ive spent a few hours with HTCs latest Windows Mobile based smartphone, the HD2. Much anticipated, this device represents the leading edge of Windows Mobile smartphones. It has facilities like...

HP Mini 5101

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:08:31 +0000

There are plenty of netbooks around, but those aimed specifically at businesspeople are few and far between. Hewlett Packards Mini 5101 is just that, though, and we like it. You have to be...

Series 60 phones get Google voice search

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:19:57 +0000

Google has released a version of its voice search application for users of Symbian Series 60 handsets. Series 60 is mostly used in Nokia smartphones such as the E71 but also in some handsets...

That's how they did it: VAIO X Series uses Sandisk

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:33:40 +0000

When I picked up the ultra-thin Sony VAIO X this summer, I actually did a double-take; it was so light I had a momentary impression that local gravity had failed. It was so light, when I went to...

HTC Hero to get Android Eclair, skip Donut

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:09:53 +0000

HTC's Hero handset will be upgraded to Android 2.0 at some point, the manufacturer has confirmed. A tweet from the company's official account late on Wednesday read: "The rumors are true! Hero...

Hands on with Vodafone 360

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:43:23 +0000

I spent some time yesterday afternoon with Vodafone taking a look at its 360 service. Due to go live tomorrow, this service puts people at the heart of your mobile phone. It is hardly a new...

Free Android sat-nav hits TomTom, Garmin shares

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:30:49 +0000

Shares in sat-nav firms TomTom and Garmin plummeted on Wednesday, after Google announced free turn-by-turn navigation software for Android 2.0 handsets. Google unveiled the beta version of...

HTC Tattoo - Android on a budget

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:44:46 +0000

The Tattoo is HTCs attempt to bring the Android platform to an audience on a budget. But dont get too excited about that. While we did indeed find it online for around £100 less than the top-end...

Panasonic CF-T8

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:48:44 +0000

Panasonics Toughbooks are well known as super-rugged notebooks for specialised use. But there is a little more to the range than that, and the business ruggedised line includes a number of...

Linux on Netbooks - Hope for the Future

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:08:52 +0000

Warning. The following is pure conjecture on my part. The massive Hoopla surrounding the release of Windows 7 (aka Vista with Lipstick) got me wondering about the netbook market. As I see it,...

Virgin Media Freedom Netbook

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:34:02 +0100

For the last couple of weeks Ive been using the Virgin Media Freedom Netbook. It is yet another broadband-in-a-tiny-computer offering that is ostensibly free if you sign yourself up to a longish...

Nokia specifies its 10 Apple suit patents

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:33:18 +0100

Nokia has revealed which 10 patents it is accusing Apple of infringing upon with its iPhone handsets. The Finnish handset maker will not say how much money it is demanding from Apple in the...

RIM takes ZDNet UK on a magical pixie ride

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:28:48 +0100

Well, I'm here in Bochum, Germany, on a press trip with Research In Motion. I can't tell you yet why we're here (hint: it's BlackBerry-related, but nothing that I couldn't write up from ZDNet UK...

BlackBerry Storm2 - a vast improvement

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:50:41 +0100

It has been a long time coming, but Research In Motion (RIM) has finally released a successor to the BlackBerry Storm. The rather unimaginatively named Storm2 will be available exclusively via...

Beginning Drupal

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:39:27 +0100

12 Top Drupal Modules I have two exciting new projects in the pipeline, one a site for a mew magazine, the other enables artists to easily create an online portfolio. What is doubly...

T-Mobile Pulse: pay-as-you-go Android

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:29:45 +0100

The Android platform for smartphones has come from nowhere to a pretty high-profile position in a very short space of time. Some of the best smartphones around are Android-based. Now T-Mobile has...

Bluetooth USB Nano Dongle

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 08:11:48 +0100

I have a very strong preference for Bluetooth mice on my netbook and notebook systems. Unfortunately, a couple of them don't have bluetooth adapters - most significantly the HP Pavillion...

Sony's super-thin, super-light VAIO X

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:06:49 +0100

Sony is touting the VAIO X as the world's thinnest, lightest notebook and it probably is. Weighing as little as 655g and only 13.9mm thick, it beats the Apple MacBook Air's 1.36kg and 19.4mm, and...

Sony Ericsson's Satio and Aino miss beat, point

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:53:53 +0100

I have just returned home from one of the oddest musical events I have been to. Framed by the media launch of two keenly anticipated handsets that may or may not be the saviours of their...

HTC HD2 brings capacitive touchscreen to Windows Mobile

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:05:23 +0100

Windows Mobile 6.5 may have received a somewhat lacklustre reception on its launch yesterday, but that has not stopped plenty of hardware manufacturers choosing to announce devices running it. ...

Extreme Networks BD8500 edge switch modules

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:48:03 +0100

Extreme Networks has launched a series of switch modules for its Black Diamond chassis. Aimed at the edge of the network in the wiring closet rather than the datacentre or at the core/aggregation...

Intel Atom CPU - 32 or 64 bits?

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:03:08 +0100

I've been installing the latest test releases of openSuSE (11.2 Milestone 8) and Ubuntu (9.10, Karmic Koala Beta) on various of my computers. As the new HP Pavillion dv2-1010ez has an Athlon 64...

O2 Xda Venn

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:39:24 +0100

O2s longstanding Xda line includes a range of Windows Mobile-based devices. But the Xda Venn adds something new, as it's the first 'dual slider' Xda smartphone. Dual sliders are by their...

Bookeen Cybook OPUS

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:09:43 +0100

Ebook readers have come a long way since their inception, the market being pushed along by the likes of Sony and Amazon. Sony in particular has set the bar high in terms of physical design, and the...

Wireless docking finally arrives

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:46:56 +0100

The new Dell Latitude Z isn't the only new laptop with the option of a wireless dock. Nearly three years after it first showed off the idea (at the Portégé R400 launch at CES 2007), now that the...

xG shows off two-way radio

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:15:55 +0100

Remember our Floridian pals xG, with their ground-breaking voice over IP wireless system? Remember that they said recently that anyone who was a journalist or analyst could pop down to see them and...

HP "Entertainment PC" Revisited

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:11:07 +0100

I started to write this as a follow-up comment on my new HP dv2-1010ez netbook/notebook. However, as I have been writing I realized that I also want to say a bit about HP netbooks in general. I...

WorkSnug finds free Wi-Fi

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:36:14 +0100

Every so often I come across something so absolutely wonderful that I wonder why I hadnt thought of it. WorkSnug is an example. It is an iPhone application and youll need a GPS-toting 3Gs to...

LG GD910 watch phone

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:20:48 +0100

Ive spent the last few days with LGs watchphone. The GD910 is not the first watch to incorporate mobile phone capability, but it is the first I can remember beeing embraced by a major network...

HP Pavillion dv2-1010ez Entertainment Notebook

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 09:12:04 +0100

Well, I've done it again. Some time ago I saw an HP 1010ez, which has an AMD Athlon Neo CPU and ATI Radeon graphic controller. It caught my eye because of my experience with the Lifebook S2110,...

Social networking federation: why not use .tel?

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:05:35 +0100

An interesting and potentially useful feature of some recent handsets has been the integration of standard mobile phone contacts lists with the user's social networking contacts lists. The most...

Handset maker iMate closes, according to reports

editorial@zdnet.co.uk — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:22:51 +0100

The mobile phone company iMate has, according to reports, shut down. The firm, based in the United Arab Emirates, made its name rebadging HTC-made Windows Mobile phones. In the early days of...