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Has it been 74 days already? This weekend Apple sold it’s one-millionth iPhone, a few days after they slashed the price by a third to jolt sales.

With this news Apple shares went up $4.94, or 3.8 percent to 136.71. Apple thought they would hit the one million iPhone mark by the end of September, so they are ahead of what they had predicted. By comparison, it took two years for Apple to sell one million iPods.

Apple knocked $200 off the price of the 8-gigabyte iPhone last week bringing its price to $399. Apple also discontinued the 4-gigabyte version.

The price cut angered Apple customers who bought the iPhone for the full price. Price slashing is common in the cell phone industry, but not common for Apple. Jobs issued an apology the next day and offered customers $100 credits if they bought their iPhone within 14 days of the price cut.

The same day Apple slashed the iPhone price to $399, it unveiled a new iPod, also $399 and called the iPod Touch. The iPod Touch is essentially the same as the iPhone but without the cell phone capability.

The New Jersey 17-year-old who hacked the iPhone to work with other cell carriers traded a hacked iPhone for a new Nissan 350Z and three brand new 8GB iPhones. The car and the three phones came from CertiCell, a Louisville, Ky.-based mobile phone repair company.

“This has been a great end to a great summer,” Hotz wrote.

Hotz said he will be sending the three new iPhones to the three online callaborators who helped him get the Apple iPHones to work with other carriers. Since iPhone’s launch, Hotz and his online friends took about 500 hours, or around 8 hours each day.

The 17-year-old Hotz made a deal with Terry Daidone, co-founder of CertiCell and has promised him a paid consulting job.

I’d say that is a very good ending to a great summer!

Photo credit: Y! News 

Being a very patient Sprint customer has finally paid off! There’s a new smartphone available for Sprint customers called Mogul by HTC replacing the over 2-year-old PPC-6700 (which has been marked down to $99 by the way).

So as a gadget freak and of course a Sprint customer I had to get my hands on one of these babies. So far I haven’t tested it out since I just got it programmed last night with my new number, but I did have a chance to peek around Windows Mobile 6 a bit.

Along with Microsoft Mobile 6, it also offers high speed data. Some of the key features include: Bluetooth wireless technology, Sprint Music Store enabled, Speakerphone, Built in 2.0 megapixel camera (I remember when digital cameras were only 2 megapixels), Integrated QWERTY keyboard, large, full color touchscreen, thumb wheel and integrated antenna, external MicroSD card slot, plus 512MB memory card among many other features. Here’s the breakdown:

Windows Mobile 6 Software
With great productivity tools for mobile professionals, Windows Mobile 6 provides several features allowing you to stay connected to your business and personal data on the go. Windows Mobile 6 provides supports many forms of email, Mobile versions of Microsoft Applications including editing capabilities, and the ability to easily transfer your digital multimedia from your Windows-based PC to your device. It also supports HTML based emails, and includes popular services such as Windows Live Search.

Wireless High–Speed Data Capable
Where coverage is available, experience broadband–like download speeds using EV-DO technology. The average download speeds range from 400 to 700 Kbps with peak rates up to 2 Mbps. EV-DO Rev. A upgradeable for even faster speeds.

Integrated QWERTY Keyboard
The sliding keyboard provides a familiar interface and allows for quick and efficient input of information. The slide-to-hide form factor eliminates bulkiness for a sleek and stylish design.

2.0 Megapixel Camera and Camcorder
Shoot digital pictures with the embedded 2.0 megapixel camera with built-in flash and 8x digital zoom lens; use the built-in camcorder to record 30 second video clips and play them on the LCD screen.

Bluetooth Wireless Technology Enabled
Built-in radio technology for short-range wireless communication. When used with your Sprint PCS Smart Device and select accessories (headset, car kit, etc), Bluetooth allows fast, secure transmission without cables or wires, even though the two devices are not in line-of-sight. Bluetooth wireless accessories sold separately.

Sprint Music StoreSM Enabled
Download stereo-quality, digital tracks instantly to your phone. Choose from hundreds of thousands of full-length songs from virtually every genre. Select songs directly from your wireless phone and listen to them wherever you go, even download them to your PC.

Large, Full-Color Touchscreen, Thumb Wheel and Integrated Antenna
Featuring a vivid 2.8″ 64k color touch screen, a thumbwheel for one handed navigation, and an integrated antenna resulting in a sleek design.

External MicroSD Card Slot, Plus 512MB Memory Card
Included with the device is a 512MB MicroSD memory card. Add memory and selected peripherals or load additional games, applications, and music or video clips.

Java Support
Enables users to view Java based websites.

Built-In Wi-Fi Capability
High-speed data connection between the device and nearby Wi-Fi access points for the ultimate in mobile connectivity.

Attachment Viewing
Microsoft® Office PowerPoint® Mobile application enables viewing of presentations while on-the-go, while Microsoft® Office Excel® Mobile™ now offers chart support that improves the email attachment viewing experience.

Two-Way SMS Messaging
Instantly send and receive SMS Text Messages across the room or across the country. It’s the coolest way to talk, without the talk.

Microsoft ActiveSync®
Updated ActiveSync® technology (version 4.0) offers one of the best PC to mobile device sync experiences, making it easier to configure with faster data transfer and sync accuracy.

Phone As Modem Compatibility
Use the included USB cable or Bluetooth with a Phone As Modem Service Plan to connect your PC to the Internet.

Downloadable Applications
Includes an on-device link to the Sprint PCS Software Store provided by Handango™. Customers can find, download and buy software, games, ringtones, graphics and other Windows Mobile Pocket PC applications simply and securely. Additional software titles are available from your desktop PC at http://softwarestore.sprint.com.

Built-in Speakerphone
Hands-free operation of your phone is made easy with the built-in speakerphone, allowing you to take a conference call virtually anywhere!

Stereo Headset
Stereo Headset jack for handsfree operation.

Okay, this is my third straight entry on the iPhone. I have to apologize for those of you who are sick and tired of hearing about the iPhone. Anyway, I stumbled upon an article this morning stating the issues (more like gripes) about this device.

According to CNET.com, the iPhone is considered an easy-to-use, sleek interface, top-notch music and video functions all in a nice pretty design, however they don’t consider it to be living up to the hype.

After all this is a phone we’re talking about and there are a host of missing features, sluggish EDGE network and variable call quality which left them wanting more from the iPhone.

To scroll through long lists, such as the phone book or music playlists CNET found it somewhat tedious. Flicking your finger up or down will move you part of the way through a list, but you cannot move directly to the bottom or top of the list. The lack of buttons requires a lot of tapping to move about the interface.

The keyboard is pretty much accurate, however it has a long way to go to achieve greatness. When typing an email or text message the keyboard is displayed only when you hold the iPhone vertically. As a result, the CNET reviewer could only type comfortably with one finger, which really cut down on typing speed. Plus basic punctuation such as periods and commas are on a secondary keyboard which was annoying.

There’s more to the CNET review in which you can check out here.

Halleluiah, maybe Apple, Inc.‘s iPhone hype will start to fade a little now that some of us have gotten our hands on one. Gadget junkies lined up today to hopefully pick up one of the long awaited electronic device in years.

Apple stores in New York saw crowds of over 600 people and several dozen customers at AT&T stores — the phone’s exclusive wireless carrier for the next two years.

In San Francisco about 200 people stood outside an outlet. One customer mentioned that most of the phones out there today are garbage. He had been through several phones, even the expensive phones. He also claims that the iPhone is different and that it’s the latest toy so he had to get one.

For those of you who have been living under a rock the past 6 months or so, the iPhone melds a phone, Web browser and media player all in one device. Technology gurus say that the iPhone is a “breakthrough” device but are concerned about the smooth touch-screen interface instead of a keyboard.

In any case, if trends continue to go towards smart phones, I think the iPhone will be very successful seeing that it has just about everything users like (except the computing power of some smart phones that are already out there). All I have to say is to those who really want the iPhone — Good luck getting your hands on one and get ready to dig deep into your wallets for activation, monthly fees and oh yeah, the $499 sticker price on the 4GB model and the $599 price on the 8GB model. You’re looking at around $1400 for a two-year required service contract. IPhone away everyone!

Consumers planning to buy the iPhone when it goes on sale in the U.S. later this month will need to have an iTunes Store account before they can activate the device, according to information on Apple’s Web site.

A Separate Deal from Cell

Apple will require customers to establish a separate account with its online media service in addition to one with AT&T Wireless Services, which has signed an exclusive U.S. distribution deal for the iPhone.

The move will allow Apple to create its own billing relationship with iPhone customers, rather than collecting payments for any iTunes purchases they make via the mobile operator.

The iPhone is due to go on sale in the U.S. on June 29. The company has announced plans for a European release in the fourth quarter of the year but has yet to provide details, such as whether the European version will operate on 3G (third-generation) networks.

Warren East, CEO of ARM Holdings PLC, mentioned at Computex that the iPhone will promote all smartphones. Apple first put out the Newton personal digital assistant (PDA) in the early 1990s, in which U.S. Robotics followed with its Pilot (which later became Palm). Adding computing functionality to mobile phones to create smartphones happened soon after. Seeing that everyone wants to stay connected while on the move is another reason small computing devices are even more popular.

This is not very new news, in fact East said “this has been an emerging market for a long time.” East predicts that sales will end up close to 200 million units, or double last year’s figure. He also adds that within the next few years, smartphones will make up half f the mobile phone market.

Motorola Inc. is revamping the Razr cell phone that has defined the company’s seesaw fortunes, jamming more technological and user-friendly substance into a handset best known for its looks.

The Razr 2 was unveiled Tuesday as the centerpiece to a new phone lineup Motorola hopes will reverse a financial tailspin that’s led to the company’s first quarterly loss since 2004 and wiped away a third of its stock market value in just half a year.

Executives stressed that, rather than attempting to replicate the smash success of Razr with an entirely new device, the best path to success was to add features and improve performance with more robust software and hardware.

“The Razr was a double grand slam. These are home runs,” Ed Zander, Motorola’s chief executive, said in an interview. “If you look at consumer electronics, you don’t get to create a product like the Razr every five years.”

Zander, who recently fended off a proxy fight by Carl Icahn, said that with a franchise as strong as Razr, all that was needed was to ensure it can satisfy the emerging demand for multimedia and messaging.

To that end, the Razr 2 features big jumps in processor speed and screen brightness, both of which are 10 times greater than the original Razr. The company also has added a 2-inch display to the outside of the Razr 2, calling it the biggest external screen on a flip phone, so that it can be used more easily as a music player.

The user interface, an attribute often criticized with the original Razr, has been redesigned for easier access to the assorted multimedia functions. The company also is adding a newly developed technology called Crystal Talk to improve phone call quality, which Zander said remains the most basic function of a cell phone.

The Razr 2 will be introduced in Asia during July, and elsewhere later in the summer. The company did not name the cell phone companies that would be featuring the device, which will come in versions compatible with the two leading wireless technologies.

Despite all the focus on the Razr 2′s innards, the device is in fact 0.08 inches thinner than the original Razrs.

Motorola also announced the availability of a new handset, the Moto Z8, and a new version of the Q smart phone with a full keyboard. Both the Z8 and the Q9 were first unveiled in February at a trade show in Barcelona.

The Z8, which company executives refer to as the “media monster,” will launch in June in Europe. The handset, a slider, has generated some buzz with a unique design feature: When the screen slides up to reveal the keypad for a call, the phone bends slightly to sit more comfortably against the face — like a clamshell handset.

The Q9 is going on sale immediately in Italy and will reach other markets around the world over the summer.

Thanks to the popularity of the original Razr, Motorola until recently had been on a two-year hot streak. Then it aggressively cut prices of Razrs and other high-end phones, especially in emerging markets, to boost market share. Profits dropped steeply.

Source: Y! News / Image: Tech2.com

Napster Inc. said it agreed to make its music subscription service available on Motorola Inc.’s mobile phones.

Napster and Motorola will develop promotional efforts for North America, the United Kingdom and Germany designed to let consumers listen to Napster’s music on many Motorola music-enabled handsets.

The Palm Treo 755p smartphone was released yesterday (but won’t be available to Sprint customers until mid-month) and claims to deliver everything you need in one go-anywhere, Palm OS device. It combines a smarter phone with wireless email2, a built-in web browser2, and rich media capabilities—all at blazing, broadband-like speeds.

You can be productive even away from your desk. Work on important files with built-in support for native Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint plus PDF documents. A full QWERTY keyboard and color touchscreen make composing email and surfing the web easy.

Download some of the thousands of Palm OS applications available. Or, relax and play your favorite music and videos right on your device. Apparently the 755p will only be available to Sprint customers as of now.

Product Features

Palm Treo 755p Brochure PDF

Available in either midnight blue or burgundy, the 755p also sports an integrated antenna and a MiniSD slot. MiniSD memory cards up to 4 GB can be used, and there is already 128 MB of built-in memory, of which 60 MB is available to the user.

The new Treo offers Sprint TV, with more than 50 channels of live and on-demand content for mobile, including CNN, ESPN, and other networks. The 755p has support for the high-speed EVDO to accommodate streaming content and large file downloads.

Using USB or Bluetooth, and with the appropriate service plan, the device can be used as a modem for a laptop. With its voice-memo application, users can record a quick audio memo or add voiceovers to photos. The 1.3-megapixel camera can captures still images and video, and there is a built-in application to organize photos.

The model will be available by the middle of this month, starting at $279 with discounts.