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Latest Gear Live Videos
Kodak Zi8 HD pocket camcorder: External mic jack, 1080p, $179
Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Cameras, Handhelds, HDTV, Portable Audio / Video,
I had a chance to use the Kodak Zi6 to cover CES, and I thought it was a great little HD video recorder. Good things can always get better, and Kodak has improved the Zi6 in many ways, and the end result is the Kodak Zi8. The Kodak Zi8 still has:
- A swing out USB arm, but now it’s flexible
- Removable batteries, now a lithium-ion battery that can be charged in or out of the camera
- SD card slot - so you can bring extra cards and keep on shooting
- 2.5-inch color LCD
Now, tack on these new Zi8 features, and you’ll see what all the fuss is about:
- External Microphone Jack
- Full HD 1080p video capture
- Built-in electronic image stabilization
- 5MP still capture
- Improved low light performance
- Smart face-tracking technology
Yeah, that external mic jack caught us by surprise as well. Very nice. The Kodak Zi8 will be available in September in red, blue, and black, and you can pre-order it on Amazon for $179.
Read More 
| Kodak
Gallery: Kodak Zi8 HD pocket camcorder: External mic jack, 1080p, $179
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It may look as if the Kindle dominates the e-book reader market like the iPod dominates the PMP market (although, Plastic Logic seems to be breathing down Amazon’s neck,) but customers that want to go for the non-number one e-book reader might want to check out Samsung’s SNE-50K.
The SNE-50K, formerly the Papyrus, will have a 5-inch screen with a resolution of 600x800 pixels, weigh 6.5 ounces, and have 512MB of memory. It will also support handwriting recognition, and allow users to read text files, PDFs, and Microsoft Office documents.
Right now, the Samsung SNE-50K is planned to be released only in the South Korean market on July 29 for about $270. Samsung plans on creating a prototype to sell outside the country, which we’ll likely see at CES.
Read More | CNET
Gallery: Samsung SNE-50K e-book reader
Apple releases iPhone OS 3.1 beta 3 build 7C116a
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,
Hey iPhone developers, Apple has just released iPhone OS 3.1 beta 3 build 7C116a, and it’s available now in the iPhone Developer Portal now. The download is 307MB. iPhone SDK 3.1 beta 3 build 9M2808 is also available immediately, with different versions for Leopard and Snow Leopard. Get to downloaded, and let us know what you find!
Gallery: Apple releases iPhone OS 3.1 beta 3 build 7C116a
Palm Pre for $99, thanks to Best Buy error
Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Hot Deals, Rumors,
Looks like Best Buy is the latest company that has to deal with a mis-printed price, as they’ve had the $199 Palm Pre listed at half the price.
This morning they posted an ad for a $99 Pre. Internet sites everywhere went ablaze at the sight of this deal, but a tweet by John Bernier, Best Buy marketing manager, said that the “error is being corrected.” Too bad, but if you were able to get ahold of one for $99, Best Buy will honor that price.
Read More | PreCentral
Gallery: Palm Pre for $99, thanks to Best Buy error
Samsung has been busy once again, this time with some new mobile phones, the Comeback and the Gravity 2. T-Mobile has announced that these phones will be hitting their network soon.
The Comback is a 3G handset that opens up for a QWERTY keypad, MP3 playback and microSDHC slot, as well as a 2 megapixel camera. The Gravity 2 has pretty much the same features, but it slides up to reveal its QWERTY. The price for the Comback is about $130 (for 2-year deal with $50 mail-in rebate), but the price of the Gravity 2 is to be announced.
Read More | BGR
Gallery: Samsung Comeback and Gravity 2
Cricket TXTM8 phone optimized for SMS-only
Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi,
I believe that there is an entire generation that uses their mobile phone for text messages only, and it would appear that Cricket is prepared for it with the TXTM8.
The TXTM8, or text-mate, is a messaging phone with a full QWERTY keyboard. Don’t ask me where that keyboard is in this picture (we’re guessing slider,) but I’m told that it also comes with a customizable homescreen that allows users access to web content such as news and weather. Other features include a 1.3 Megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, a music player, and microSD slot.
Interested? The Cricket TXTM8 is available now for a price of $140.
Read More | Cricket TXTM8
Gallery: Cricket TXTM8 phone optimized for SMS-only
Barnes & Noble named exclusive e-book provider for Plastic Logic eReader
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Internet, Wireless / WiFi,
Barnes & Noble has just announced that they’ve formed an alliance with Plastic Logic and that they’ll be the exclusive eBookstore for the Plastic Logic eReader device. This is a definite play at Amazon, as the Plastic Logic eReader is definitely being positioned as a Kindle competitor. Up until now, many wondered how the Plastic Logic eReader would compete in a world where Amazon sold both the device and the content, and now we’ve got our answer. If Barnes & Noble pushes the Plastic Logic eReader in stores as their e-book reader of choice, the Plastic Logic device just may have a shot after all.
In related news, Barnes & Noble has also announced a brand new eBookstore. It is available now, and is currently compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry, Mac and PC. Even better, if you install the app and sign in, you get six free eBooks right off the bat. No, you don’t get to choose. The six titles are:
- The Last of the Mohicans
- Sense and Sensibility
- Dracula
- Pride and Prejudice
- Little Women
- Merriam-Webster’s Pocket Dictionary
Still, free is free. Full release after the break.
Click to continue reading Barnes & Noble named exclusive e-book provider for Plastic Logic eReader
Gallery: Barnes & Noble named exclusive e-book provider for Plastic Logic eReader
Amazon Kindle-Gate: Purchased copies of Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984 disappear
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi,
I have no idea what to even say about this, other than that we are severely, severely disappointed with Amazon and how they are allowing their publishers to treat Kindle users. In a nuthsell, Kindle users who purchased George Orwell’s 1984 and/or Animal Farm found yesterday that those two titles had mysteriously disappeared from their Kindles, and that they were credited $.99 for each purchase. Why? That’s because the publisher decided that they no longer wanted to sell the books on the Kindle Store. Now, that’s all fine, but did they really have to take it away from those who had already made the purchase?
The Kindle edition books Animal Farm by George Orwell. Published by MobileReference (mobi) & Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984) by George Orwell. Published by MobileReference (mobi) were removed from the Kindle store and are no longer available for purchase. When this occured, your purchases were automatically refunded. You can still locate the books in the Kindle store, but each has a status of not yet available. Although a rarity, publishers can decide to pull their content from the Kindle store.
Read More | Amazon Kindle Mysterious Orwell Refunds
Gallery: Amazon Kindle-Gate: Purchased copies of Orwell’s Animal Farm and 1984 disappear
Verizon Wireless opts to end handset exclusivity agreements (with a catch)
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Handhelds, Wireless / WiFi,
Verizon Wireless announced this morning that their President and CEO, Lowell McAdam, has sent a letter to lawmakers on Capitol Hill announcing that “Effective immediately for small wireless carriers…any new exclusivity arrangement we enter with handset makers will last no longer than six months - for all manufacturers and all devices.” At first glance, that’s kind of a big deal. After all, handset exclusivity is something that can be very financially beneficial to a carrier (see AT&T and iPhone as one such example.) So here’s the thing, when you re-read that statement, you discover that this exclusivity thing will still be in effect as it pertains to AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint. It’s only the small wireless carriers, those with 500,000 customers or less, that will be able to pick up handsets that are exclusive to Verizon Wireless after a six-month period. Still, it’s better than nothing, but the cast majority of non-Verizon Wireless mobile customers won’t benefit from this news.
In other words, this is a blatant attempt by Verizon Wireless to look like the nice guy while the FCC and congressional inquiries into exclusive handset deals proceed. This isn’t much progress at all. It’s just a political play that we can guarantee wouldn’t have happened if lawmakers weren’t taking a peek behind the curtain. What’s more, Verizon is hoping that other carriers will follow their lead with this move, specifically AT&T with the iPhone.
You can see the entire letter after the break.
Click to continue reading Verizon Wireless opts to end handset exclusivity agreements (with a catch)
Read More | Verizon Policy Blog
Gallery: Verizon Wireless opts to end handset exclusivity agreements (with a catch)
Slacker makes debut on BlackBerry Storm
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Music, Software,
You know that Slacker streaming radio service that we’re so fond of in these parts? Well, BlackBerry Storm owners will be able to start enjoying Slacker directly on their phones, starting today. Verizon Wireless is pushing the Slacker Radio app to BlackBerry Storm phones, and the app will connect to V CAST as well. If you are listening to a track that is also available on V CAST, you’ll see an icon come up that will let you purchase and download it instantly, without interrupting your flow. If you’re on a BlackBerry Storm, check it out.
