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Smartphones

Samsung Mesmerize on sale at U.S. Cellular

U.S. Cellular bolstered its Android lineup today when it announced its new Mesmerize smartphone. Part of the Galaxy S series, the Mesmerize joins the Samsung Acclaim and HTC Desire in the carrier's growing Android repertoire.

The hardware on the Mesmerize is nearly identical to that found on the other Galaxy S series handsets with its 4-inch Super AMOLED display Although the phone comes with Android 2.1 out of the box, U.S. Cellular claims customers will be able to upgrade to 2.2 "Froyo" later this year. Features inlcude a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, a 5-megapixel … Read more

T-Mobile MyTouch 4G arriving Nov. 3 for $200

It's been almost a month since T-Mobile first introduced the latest member of the MyTouch family, and now we finally have a launch date, pricing, and a new name.

The T-Mobile MyTouch 4G (previously known simply as the T-Mobile MyTouch) will be available starting November 3 for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. The Android 2.2 device is the carrier's second smartphone to offer HSPA+ support and will also offer Wi-Fi calling.

The MyTouch 4G also has a 1GHz processor, a 5-megapixel camera and a front-facing VGA camera for video chat, … Read more

Crave Extras: Everything comes up iPod

Sure, they were released weeks ago, but the new iPods are still a hot commodity and will probably become even more sought-after as the holidays near.

Donald Bell and I take an in-depth look at the current iPod lineup, including the iPod Touch, iPod Nano, and iPod Shuffle. Rest assured, we make the requisite amount of funnies for a video starring the two of us.

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The problem with smartphone auto brightness

In the last year, ambient light sensors have become a popular feature not only on computer monitors, but on HDTVs and smartphones as well.

The purported function of an ambient light sensor is to detect the amount of ambient light intersecting with the display's screen, and then either increase or decrease the display's brightness. If there's too much ambient light, the sensor adjusts the brightness upwards, and in a minimal ambient light situation, the brightness is decreased appropriately.

For monitors and HDTVs, an ambient light sensor can help save on power and the amount of strain on … Read more

Coming soon: Control car functions from smartphone with AutoBot

Mavizon Technologies just introduced AutoBot, a smartphone application that allows drivers to control several car functions with the push of a few buttons.

The new app will be available in 2012, but you don't need a brand-new car to use it. According to Amy Gilroy at CEOutlook, it will work in all vehicles with an OBD-ll port (1996 or later). Drivers can sync information with a their home computer using a cloud-based account.

AutoBot functions will allow the driver to lock and unlock doors, control window settings, start the car, and even locate the car if it gets stolen.… Read more

PSP Phone: 6 things we still don't know

We expected it for months, we heard rumors of its existence, and now photos have appeared seeming to confirm that a PlayStation phone is real. Such a device could simultaneously revive the flailing PSP platform and inject a truly gaming-ready smartphone into the Android ecosystem capable of competing with Apple.

We have our wish list of features we'd like to see, but based on what we've seen thus far, details are scarce. Some tech specs have been reported, but beyond that, there's a lot we still don't know. Among the many uncertainties, several unanswered questions come … Read more

Galaxy Tab coming to T-Mobile first, Nov. 10

If you can't wait to get your hands on the Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet, T-Mobile will officially kick off all U.S. sales on November 10, according to a Samsung-issued press release. T-Mobile will sell the 7-inch Galaxy Tab for $399 after $50 mail-in rebate and with a two-year contract and monthly rate plan.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab will not carry HSPA+ speeds, as Samsung initially stated in their release. Instead, the Tab will support HSPA 7.2.

T-Mobile will load up its Galaxy Tab with the Samsung Media Hub, Qik's video chat app (to take advantage of … Read more

RIM BlackBerry Bold 9780 coming to T-Mobile November 17

Today, RIM introduced the latest member of the Bold family, the BlackBerry Bold 9780, which will make its way to T-Mobile stores on November 17 for $129.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate.

As the follow-up to the popular BlackBerry Bold 9700, the 9780 will ship running BlackBerry OS 6 and offers several other enhancements, including a 5-megapixel camera, 4GB of onboard memory, and 512MB of Flash.

The smartphone has HSDPA support, Bluetooth, GPS, and Wi-Fi with UMA support, so you can make and receive calls over a wireless network. Other features include a 624MHz … Read more

More photos emerge of PlayStation phone

The tale of the not-yet-announced PlayStation phone continued today after Engadget posted photos of a Sony Ericsson slider handset sporting full gaming controls and the Android OS. Sony Ericsson has yet to confirm the existence of such a device, but the photos certainly look like the real thing.

From the outside, the GSM smartphone shares only a passing resemblance to Sony Ericsson's first Andorid handset, the Xperia X10. It has the same thin menu controls below the display and black color scheme, though the ends are more rounded. Slide up the face, however, and you'll see the expansive … Read more

Top 5 things I love about Windows Phone 7

The period between Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 launch event and our first reviews hitting the Web was a bit of a blur to me. There was a lot to cover, many workshops to attend, numerous phones to be tested, blah, blah, blah. But now that the dust has settled, I thought it would be a good time to take the opportunity to reflect on Windows Phone 7 as a whole--what's to love, what's not to love.

I'm entering my third week of using the Samsung Focus as my primary device, and I used the Samsung Taylor for the Windows Phone 7 technical preview. I've had my ups and downs, but in the grand scheme of things, there's been more to like than dislike.

Below you will find the features that I personally find the most useful. Obviously, everyone has different uses and needs for their smartphones, so I'll be asking you to share your list at the end of the post. But for now, here are my Top 5. … Read more