Switched On: BlackBerry’s depressing keyboard trends

Posted on 02/06/2013 by Ross Rubin

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

In a March interview, Google chairman Eric Schmidt, whose company's smartphone ambitions led to his vacating a board seat at Apple, claimed that he didn't use either an Android phone or iPhone. Rather, he uses a Blackberry, citing his affinity for its keyboard despite a number of Android models released over the years integrating physical thumb keyboards.

RIM devices had keyboards even before they had email; the feature was part of the BlackBerry's predecessor, the RIM Inter@ctive Pager. Indeed, tactile feedback was so valued by the company that it tried to integrate it into the touchscreen with the BlackBerry Storm. In reviewing that phone for The New York Times, David Pogue noted, "A BlackBerry without a keyboard is like an iPod without a scroll wheel." Imagine such a thing.

Filed under: Misc

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Banana-Shaped Radiation-Proof Handset for Conducting All Your Monkey Business

Posted on 29/12/2012 by Range

I’ve rarely had to use a handset with my smartphone, maybe that’s because I don’t talk much on it, and most earphones tend to have built-in microphones, so they are perfectly capable of acting like handsets. However, if you talk a lot on your phone, and like the feeling of an old-school handset, check out this funny-looking one, shaped like a banana.

banana radiation proof handset

The Banana Radiation-Proof Handset does exactly what its name says, protect your brain from harmful cellphone radiations – all while looking like a monkey’s favorite fruit. It connects via a 3.5 mm audio jack to a bunch of different phones, including iPhones, Motorola and Blackberry phones. Yes, this banana goes well with Apples and Blackberries.

banana radiation proof handset orange

It’s available in 8 different colors over on Amazon and costs $21.99(USD). It’s definitely something fun to give in a gift exchange or as a prank – or to your pet monkey who knows how to use a phone.

banana radiation proof handset speaker

[via Fancy Crave]

Talk to the Hand: Bluetooth Handset Gloves

Posted on 01/12/2012 by Craziest Gadgets Jeff

bluetooth handset gloves Talk to the Hand: Bluetooth Handset Gloves
Hey I just found this, and this is crazy, but it’s a glove handset, so call me maybe? If you’re fond of doing the universal sign for talking on the phone- thumb to the ear and pinky to the mouth and you like having warm hands, then here’s a ridiculously useful gadget you can actually do that with while only looking medium crazy: Bluetooth Handset Gloves.
bluetooth gloves Talk to the Hand: Bluetooth Handset Gloves
Go go gadget phone. Inside the left glove is a bluetooth handset with a tiny speaker in the thumb and microphone in the pinky. The gloves also have a conductive fiber built in to allow you to use with your smartphone. They have a range of about 30 feet with battery life lasting about 10 days on standby and 20 hours of talk time per charge (via micro-USB). Comes in both men’s and women’s sizes in black or grey.

Talk to the Hand: Bluetooth Handset Gloves

BlackBerry rep shows off L-Series smartphone, forgets it’s meant to be a secret (video)

Posted on 12/10/2012 by Sharif Sakr

While the rest of us are chasing after dev phones and blurrycam shots, BlackBerry representatives in Mexico seem to be happy to wave honest-to-goodness L-Series handsets around on video. Website Hola Telcel filmed the sequence after the break, in which we're given a shaky tour of BB10 -- including the camera app's interesting "best shot" feature -- but with virtually no attention given to the hardware itself. Nevertheless, we can just about make out the previously-noted design, with the screen panel sandwiched between slightly rounded matte black plastic top and bottom parts, and a big silver BlackBerry logo emblazoned across the bottom. Also, unless we're reading way too much into it, the way people hold the device suggests it could be nice and thin.

Continue reading BlackBerry rep shows off L-Series smartphone, forgets it's meant to be a secret (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

BlackBerry rep shows off L-Series smartphone, forgets it's meant to be a secret (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 07:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Padfone 2 launch event slated for October 16th in both Milan and Tapei

Posted on 20/09/2012 by Sarah Silbert

ASUS has sent out invitations for the official launch of the Padfone 2, the follow-up to its hybrid smartphone / laptop / tablet Padfone device. According to an invite nabbed by Notebook Italia, the unveiling will take place simultaneously in Milan and Taipei on October 16th. The picture shows a corner of what is likely the upcoming handset, but we'll have to wait till next month to get a closer look at the full package.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

ASUS Padfone 2 launch event slated for October 16th in both Milan and Tapei originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Padfone 2 launch event slated for October 16th in both Milan and Tapei

Posted on 20/09/2012 by Sarah Silbert

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

ASUS Padfone 2 launch event slated for October 16th in both Milan and Tapei originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 Sep 2012 11:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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10-4 Buddy: CB Radio Phone Handset

Posted on 16/08/2012 by Craziest Gadgets Jeff

cb radio iphone handset 10 4 Buddy: CB Radio Phone Handset
Radio check, 10-4 buddy, coming in loud and proud, I’m bobtailing it in a bulldog, full tank of motion lotion, about to hammer down on this double nickel in the granny lane my way to Cigar City, keeping my eyes peeled for a bear in the air or a county mounty taking pictures at the next yardstick, catch you on the flip flop. Talk like a trucker and get in on all the fun CB action with your cell phone with this CB Radio Phone Handset. Plugs into any phone’s 3.5mm headphone jack. The handset works at a speaker and the buttons work for volume control, call answer/hang up, and mute. It even clips to your belt. Keep on truckin’.

10-4 Buddy: CB Radio Phone Handset

Sharp Aquos SH-10D makes pit stop at FCC, earns stamp of approval

Posted on 30/07/2012 by Alexis Santos

NTT DoCoMo announced a roster of phones this past May, and among them was Sharp's Aquos SH-10D. After spending some quality time with the FCC, the handset now has paperwork that could allow it to travel stateside. Along with a quartet of oddly angled corners, the phone packs a GSM and HSPA+ / WCDMA radio, 4.5-inch screen, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 12.1 MP rear-facing camera and a 0.32 MP frontward-facing cam for those awkward, Facebook-bound self-portraits. Hit the link below if you'd like to rifle through the FCC results yourself.

Filed under: Cellphones

Sharp Aquos SH-10D makes pit stop at FCC, earns stamp of approval originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Jul 2012 01:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG Q2 2012 earnings show a loss on cellphones, but higher profits overall thanks to home theater

Posted on 25/07/2012 by Richard Lawler

LG has released its earnings statement for the Q2 2012 period, the claim of "turning a corner" in Q1 has just managed to hold up as it registered net profits of $138 million, up 46 percent from the same period last year. Revenues, while higher than Q1, were actually down from last year and blamed on declines in featurephone sales and slow sales of IT products. The mobile division also struggled after a strong Q1 and took an operating loss, however the positive takeaways are a rising percentage of smartphone shipments and plans to launch new LTE-connected models in North America (we've spotted the likely Spectrum 2 for Verizon already), Europe and Asia later this year. The good news for the home theater segment continued however, with an operating profit of more than double last year at $187.5 million despite slightly lower sales due to an increase in sales of premium products like its Cinema 3D HDTVs, which it expects to become the "top global seller" in the 3D segment. There's more details in the press release after the break or PDF linked below if you need more numbers.

Continue reading LG Q2 2012 earnings show a loss on cellphones, but higher profits overall thanks to home theater

LG Q2 2012 earnings show a loss on cellphones, but higher profits overall thanks to home theater originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LG 2Q 2012 Performance Results (PDF) | Email this | Comments

Sony Xperia U review: a little slice of Android that punches above its weight

Posted on 06/06/2012 by James Trew

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There's an oft-used idiom about small packages, which frequently doesn't apply to the world of technology. That's to say that a diminished form factor often doesn't bring the "best things" with it. For example, Sony's NXT family members, revealed between CES and MWC, gifted consumers with the choice of three new handsets: the Xperia P, S and U. The last one in that list is by far the smallest, and in congruence with the general trend of mobile technology, the most lightly armored.

However, we're not ones to make assumptions, and heaven forbid we pre-judge something based on size alone. We're as willing to be surprised as anyone, and the new baby of the Sony bunch is as likely a candidate as any to throw us a curveball. Our initial impressions in Barcelona were largely positive, so this review -- as the firm says on its marketing material for the phone -- is all about (the Xperia) U.

Gallery: Sony Xperia U review