Gadget and Techno Updates
Gadget
Motorola Droid 2 ad takes dig at Apple’s lack of Flash
Sep 6th
Motorola this weekend poked fun at Apple again with another ad, this time for the Droid 2. The full-page newspaper spread riffs on Apple’s “there’s an app for that” iPhone spots with the simple question “Flash websites? There’s a phone for that.” It argues that Flash is “compromise-free” web browsing as it allegedly shows all the contents other phones, like the iPhone, might miss.
“Flash sites require Flash capabilities,” it reads. “Seemed pretty simple to us.”
The claims reiterate what Motorola has said before and don’t entirely ring true, as recent testers have noted that Flash access on Android so far More >
Samsung Galaxy Tab price may start where iPad stops
Sep 5th
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab could have an unsubsidized price high enough that it would be more expensive than most any Apple model, based on early if unconfirmed claims. The French at Journal du Geek were quoted a price of 699 euros with tax for the 16GB version, or $ 895. At this level, it would cost as much as a 32GB, 3G iPad does despite the smaller screen.
The price might also be the most conservative. Those at ARMDevices were told the price would be 799 euros, or $ 1,025. British retailer Expansys listed it at £680, or $ 1,047. At these prices, More >
Sprint: Epic 4G “one of” our best launches, won’t give data
Sep 5th
Sprint today said that its launch of the Samsung Epic 4G was “one of the best” first-day releases in its history. The carrier wouldn’t provide figures but hinted it was prepared for the possibility of sellouts. The record came in spite of a higher $ 250 contract price.
The company has often been reluctant to provide data, but it’s likely the device’s results won’t compare to the HTC Evo 4G that has been hailed as Sprint’s turnaround device. Reports from various users still suggest no shortages of the Epic 4G, which is still available online; the Evo 4G sold out More >
Qi wireless power gets BlackBerry/iPhone add-ons, more power
Sep 5th
The Wireless Power Consortium said that its Qi format was ready to be built into hardware. Following earlier approval, Energizer is developing a wire-free charging sleeve for the iPhone 3G and 3GS as well as for the older BlackBerry Curve 8900. Polished versions of either are due in the fall.
Sanyo, ST-Ericsson and National Semiconductor are also making Qi-based devices, although the last two are more likely to produce hardware for others rather than sell it themselves. Prototypes should show at a Consortium meeting in Belgium on September 15.
As part of the news, WPC added that it was working on More >
Samsung Galaxy Tab may hit Sprint in November with 4G
Sep 4th
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab may get a unique-to-Sprint model based on a brief rumor on Friday. An unnamed BGR source said the tablet’s CDMA-friendly version is due for Sprint in November. If true, it would also have both 3G through EVDO and 4G through WiMAX, making it one of the earliest 4G tablets.
The Android tablet has already been spotted in Verizon’s inventory system and, with a Sprint launch, could receive a similar treatment given to the Galaxy S phone with a multi-carrier simultaneous launch. Samsung had success with the strategy earlier in the year and may be keen to replicate that to More >
