The Gadget 411 – Gadget Reviews & Tech News

For anyone who wants a smartphone that packs the features they crave without the extra size they don’t, HP today introduced the powerfully small HP Veer smartphone running HP webOS.

Veer is one of the products HP announced today to introduce a unique experience for customers around connected mobility. It’s one of the building blocks in HP’s vision to seamlessly connect all your worlds through the power of HP webOS.

Veer is the smallest webOS phone to date – the size of a credit card and no thicker than a deck of cards – yet it offers the higher-end features of a smartphone, such as easy messaging and access to apps, social networks and the web, including support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 beta in the browser for access to rich, Flash-based web content.⁽¹⁾

It has a full slide-out keyboard, vivid touchscreen and access to thousands of webOS apps⁽²⁾ in a surprisingly small, modern package that fits easily into a pocket or purse. It’s everything a smartphone should be, but in a smarter size.

“While much of the industry is trending toward larger and larger devices, we believe there’s also a whole lot of room for thinking small,” said Jon Rubinstein, senior vice president and general manager, Palm Global Business Unit, HP. “Veer bridges the gap for a new generation of smartphone users, proving they really can have it all without sacrificing the size they want.”

Less is more
At just 54.5 mm x 84.0 mm x 15.1 mm and only 103 grams, Veer touts an 800-MHz processor; a vivid 2.57-inch glass display; full slide-out keyboard; 8 gigabytes (GB) of internal user storage; a high-performance browser with full access to the web,⁽¹⁾ including support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta; Wi-Fi⁽¹⁾; integrated GPS⁽³⁾; robust messaging support⁽⁴⁾; and multimedia options, including music, photos, video recording and playback, and a 5-megapixel camera.

Veer also includes HP Synergy, which is exclusive to webOS devices. Synergy brings together information from multiple sources across the web automatically, so the information you need is all in one place.⁽⁵⁾ In one incredibly small design powered by HP webOS, Veer gives you many features per square inch:

• More than just text – With Veer, messaging means more than just text.⁽⁴⁾ Integrated messaging conveniently combines all your text messages, picture messages and IM conversations with one person into a single view. You can read and write email with ease and view your email accounts together or easily toggle between them.
• More ways to connect – Sign in to your Facebook®, Google, Microsoft® Exchange, LinkedIn and Yahoo!® accounts and the HP Synergy feature automatically populates your information on your phone.⁽⁵⁾ Mobile social networking apps such as those for Facebook and Twitter allow you to stay connected, update your status and upload pictures in real time.⁽¹⁾ The webOS App Catalog features thousands of apps for fast and easy access to all the things you need from the web, including games, weather, movie info, news, recipes – you name it.⁽²⁾
• More than just search – With Just Type, whatever you want to do on your phone – searching the web, texting, updating your status or almost anything – all you have to do is start typing and Veer takes you there.^(1,4)
• More apps open – Veer lets you keep multiple websites and apps open at the same time and easily switch between them with just a swipe of your finger. Pause a game, read a text message, check your calendar, reply to the text, then switch back to the game without closing anything.^(1,6)
• More ways to get where you want to be – Veer lets you get directions, find points of interest or discover fun things to do on the go. Built-in GPS turns your phone into your personal navigation system, and apps such as Fandango and OpenTable work with GPS to pinpoint your exact location, get directions, find places of interest around you and provide turn-by-turn directions.⁽³⁾
• More power to you – With HP Touchstone (sold separately), Veer gives you a unique and innovative way to charge your phone. Simply place your phone on the dock and it charges automatically; there’s nothing to plug in. And the new Exhibition feature lets you run apps designed specifically for Touchstone. Set your phone on Touchstone, and Exhibition launches automatically, showing you anything from today’s calendar to a slideshow of your photos.⁽⁷⁾ Veer also supports the HP mobile hotspot, enabling your phone to act as a mobile Wi-Fi router so you can share wireless internet connectivity with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices, including the new HP TouchPad, as well as notebooks, gaming devices and portable media players.⁽⁸⁾

Veer is one of three webOS products announced today (see separate announcements for HP Pre ³ and HP TouchPad). Each product plays a distinct role in the growing webOS family, designed to meet the varying needs of customers in a rapidly evolving mobile landscape.

Availability
The HP Veer smartphone is scheduled to be available in the early spring. Exact pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.

HP Veer features and specs

• HP webOS
• High-speed connectivity(1)
• Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7230 800-MHz processor
• 2.57-inch multitouch screen with a vibrant, 18-bit color, 320 x 400 resolution display
• Gesture area, which enables simple, intuitive gestures for navigation
• Full slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• 8 GB of internal storage(9)
• High-performance browser with full access to the web, including support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 beta for access to rich, Flash-based web content(1)
• Wireless connectivity:
  • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n with WPA, WPA2, WEP, 802.1X authentication(1)
  • Integrated GPS(3)
  • Bluetooth® wireless technology 2.1 + EDR with A2DP stereo Bluetooth support
  • Wi-Fi router functionality for up to five devices using HP mobile hotspot(8)
• Multimedia options, including music, photos, video recording and playback, a 5-megapixel camera with geotagging and 3.5 mm stereo headphone adapter
• Email, including EAS (for access to corporate Microsoft Exchange servers) and personal email support (Google Gmail push, Yahoo!, POP3, IMAP)(5)
• Robust messaging support (combining IM, SMS and MMS capabilities)(4)
• Proximity sensor, light sensor and accelerometer
• Rechargeable 910 mAh battery
• USB mass storage mode to transfer your media and other files quickly between desktop and device
• Ringer switch, which easily silences the ringer with one touch
• Compatible with HP Touchstone (sold separately)
• Tri-band UMTS, quad-band GSM/EDGE world phone(10)
• Dimensions: 54.5 mm x 84.0 mm x 15.1 mm (2.1 inches x 3.3 inches x 0.6 inches)
• Weight: 103 grams (3.6 ounces)

More information about HP Veer is available at www.palm.com/Veer.

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Popularity: 8% [?]

Sprint  Nextel announced that it will introduce this spring a dual-touchscreen Android-based smartphone from Kyocera.

Called the Kyocera Echo, the smartphone features a patent-pending pivot hinge designed to enable the smartphone’s two displays to operate independently, ether side-by-side or combined to form a 4.7-inch integrated display. The device will use Google’s Android 2.2 operating system and will operate over Sprint’s CDMA EV-DO network rather than Clearwire’s WiMAX network.

The phone will be customizable and include pre-loaded apps to take advantage of the dual-screen. VueQue, for instance, allows users to watch a video in one display while browsing, queuing and buffering additional videos in the other.

Kyocera Echo also offers four viewing modes. Single-screen mode acts like a single-display touchscreen smartphone; Simul-task mode displays two of the phone’s seven core apps running at the same time but independently on dual displays; Optimized mode allows both displays to support a single app, while tablet mode enables one application to spread across both screens for a full 4.7-inch viewing area.

Ross Rubin, an analyst at the NPD Group, told FierceWireless that the Echo’s two screens can provide greater flexibility for users. “However, when working with an operating system with a wide variety of apps across a wide array of hardware such as Windows or Android, it can be difficult to attract third-party software developers to take real advantage of a dual-screen device, which limits its potential. This is in contrast to products that are created specifically to support dual screens such as the Nintendo DS.”

Popularity: 4% [?]

Verizon just let loose a press release (see below) finally confirming that we will, in fact, be treated to some sweet Android-powered 4G LTE goodness this week at CES. We won’t just be getting 1 device, no; Verizon says that we can expect a “suite” of devices, meaning expect devices built by HTC, Motorola,LG and Samsung. Yes, life is quite good.

The tech interwebs already have a pretty good idea what these devices will look like and be called, and in some cases, we know their tech specs as well. We won’t get into the details of these specs just yet, since they have not been confirmed by Verizon or the device-makers just yet. But you can bet that as soon as Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg takes the stage at CES on January 6th and releases the LTE storm upon us, we will get you all the info you need!

Here is the official VZW press release tease:

VERIZON WIRELESS SHOWS WHAT 4G LTE MEANS FOR CONSUMERS AT CES

Wide Range of Ecosystem Partners Demonstrate Products and Solutions that Take Advantage of the 4G LTE Network

LAS VEGAS and BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless said today that its first-ever exhibit booth at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will show off the consumer and enterprise capabilities of its new 4G LTE network with the products, services and solutions that take advantage of the blazingly fast speed and low latency of the new wireless network. On Jan. 6, the company will also offer a sneak peek at a suite of Android-based LTE consumer devices at a news conference.

Visitors to the exhibit booth (Las Vegas Convention Center, South Hall, #35216) will see firsthand how the nation’s fastest 4G LTE network can fundamentally change how consumers manage their daily lives and how businesses interact with each other and with their customers.

Working with nearly 50 different technology ecosystem partners, the Verizon Wireless booth will highlight more than 40 new solutions that take advantage of the fast speeds and low latency of the new 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network. Demonstrations will range from connected home and cars to gaming and entertainment to consumer devices. The demos will also feature new ways to do mobile collaboration for retail, customer service and other industries; home and energy management; and consumer entertainment, including multiplayer gaming, all of which leverage the 4G network in innovative ways. Verizon Wireless and its partners will also feature remote security and health care options and a car that shows different applications coming from the automotive industry.
Many of the solutions being highlighted are the result of collaborations fostered at Verizon Wireless’ LTE Innovation Center. The LTE Innovation Center, established in 2008 and located in Waltham, Mass., provides an environment for dozens of diverse companies to work collaboratively to develop innovative products and solutions that leverage 4G LTE technology.

Sneak Peek at Consumer Devices
Verizon Wireless’ news conference will provide a sneak peek of a suite of consumer-oriented Android-based devices for its 4G LTE network and will include remarks from senior Verizon Wireless executives and key ecosystem partners. The news conference will be webcast live; visit www.verizonwebcasts.com/ces/2011/news to register.

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless’ 3G network. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company’s entire 3G coverage area over the next three years.

For more information about the LTE Innovation Center and Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte. For more information about Verizon Wireless at CES, visit www.verizonwireless.com/ces and follow the company on Twitter at http://twitter.com/verizonwireless.

Popularity: 6% [?]

The first Android™-based smartphone optimized for business use, DROID PRO is also a global-ready Android smartphone from Verizon Wireless, allowing customers to enjoy wireless voice service in more than 220 countries and data coverage in more than 200 countries.

DROID PRO meets employers’ and employees’ needs by addressing the productivity tools businesses require, including corporate connectivity and security; full push corporate e-mail with corporate level security; unified calendar with additional work features; pre-loaded Quickoffice Mobile Suite, a powerful 1 GHz processor; 4 GB of memory (2 GB internal; and 2 GB removable) and a QWERTY keyboard designed for speed and convenience.

“DROID PRO combines the feature-packed, high-level user experience that customers look for in an Android smartphone plus the security that enterprises require, all with the reliability of Verizon Wireless’ 3G network,” said Mike Lanman, president – Enterprise and Government Markets for Verizon Wireless. “DROID PRO builds on our commitment to deliver the best Android experience to the marketplace as well as to our enterprise customers.”

“The DROID PRO is an advanced business-ready solution that provides users with the full smartphone experience, redefined by delivering the power of a DROID,” said Sanjay Jha, chief executive officer of Motorola Mobility. “The DROID PRO consolidates users’ work and personal needs. This is just another reason the DROID PRO is setting a new standard for enterprise, allowing users to enjoy all the benefits of a smartphone with full push delivery of corporate e-mail and corporate level security.”

Key features and specifications:

• Support for both Exchange e-mail and Gmail™ for business
• Corporate directory look-up, unified calendar for Enterprise and sync with Google Calendar™
• PC-like browsing with Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 on a full, multi-touch, 3.1-inch brilliant display built on Android 2.2
• View, edit and share documents, including Microsoft Excel® spreadsheets, PowerPoint® presentations and Word® documents
• Built-in security features, including AuthenTec IPSec multi-headed VPN integration, remote wipe of device and SD card, and complex password support. Device and SD card encryption will be available in early 2011
• 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities – Allows customers to connect up to five other Wi-Fi®-enabled devices and laptops
• Live widgets that stream e-mail messages to the home screen; customers can filter the widgets to separate work and home e-mail
• 5-megapixel camera with auto focus and dual LED flash as well as DVD-quality video
• 3G diversity antennae provides customers with enhanced data speeds and range
• Wi-Fi®-enabled DNLA® connectivity
• Android Market™ – Provides customers with access to more than 80,000 applications
• My Verizon and Backup Assistant(SM) support – Allows customers to manage their wireless accounts or their contacts from their phones

Pricing and availability:

• DROID PRO will be available at www.verizonwireless.com and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores in the coming weeks. Pricing will be announced closer to launch.

Also, Check out the Motorola Droid 2

Popularity: 4% [?]

Verizon Wireless today announced that DROID™ 2 by Motorola will be available for pre-sale on August 11.  Hitting all the right keys, DROID 2 is a feature-packed device that helps manage work and social life with an enhanced QWERTY keyboard, ultra high-speed Web browsing, 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities, full push corporate e-mail, intuitive social messaging and Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1 for access to the full web – all built on Android 2.2.

“When we announced DROID X last month, we reaffirmed our commitment to continue to bring unique Android experiences to the Verizon Wireless network,” said Jeffrey Dietel, vice president – wireless device, marketing and development for Verizon Wireless.  ”The DROID by Motorola was our first Android device, so it is important for us to include the successor to that phone in our portfolio.  DROID 2 is not only a continuation of our commitment to Android but offers customers the features and form-factor they crave on the Verizon Wireless network.”

“With the new DROID 2, we’ve taken a big leap forward from the original DROID,” said Bill Ogle, chief marketing officer of Motorola Mobile Devices and Home Business.  ”We listened to consumers and are providing an even more robust experience built on Android 2.2 that includes a new keyboard, increased processing power, Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities to send, access and share information even quicker than before.”

DROID 2′s super-slim design helps customers e-mail, text and tweet with ease.  DROID 2 offers a redesigned symmetrical keyboard with raised keys for more responsive typing to push out notes and status updates.  Speech-to-text input and the virtual multi-touch keyboard allow for quick messaging; or customers can also use Swype for even easier text input.  In addition, full push corporate e-mail delivers enhanced features such as remote wipe and password enforcement so that information remains secure.

DROID 2 packs power and speed.  Customers can enjoy the freedom of wireless with the 3G Mobile HotSpot and the ability to connect up to five compatible Wi-Fi® devices, and watch content on the full multi-touch 3.7-inch brilliant display, or share content captured on the 5-megapixel camera with enhanced functionality and DVD-quality video capture with DLNA connectivity to share on compatible devices.

Customers can also download favorite apps from Android Market™, which has more than 70,000 applications, and store them on 8 GB of preloaded on-board memory and the 8 GB microSD™ card, which can be upgraded to a 32 GB SD card for a total cargo capacity of 40 GB.  Popular apps available on DROID 2 include NFL Mobile (downloadable), Skype mobile™ and BLOCKBUSTER On Demand® presented by V CAST Video.  Customers can even manage their wireless accounts or their contacts from their phones with My Verizon and with Backup Assistant(SM).

“It’s great to see amazing new smartphones like the DROID 2 come pre-installed with Flash Player 10.1,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president and general manager, Creative and Interactive Solution Business Unit at Adobe.  ”With the completely redesigned and hardware accelerated Flash Player 10.1, DROID 2 users will be able to experience the full Web on the go.”

Adobe Flash Player 10.1 lets mobile users experience millions of websites the way they were meant to be seen – with rich Internet applications (RIAs), content inside the browser, including games, animations, data presentations and visualizations, e-commerce, music, video, audio and more.

R2-D2 DROID 2

In honor of the iconic Astromech Droid from the Star Wars™ Saga, Verizon Wireless will offer a limited-edition R2-D2 version of the DROID 2, available only online in September.  The special version of the phone will feature exclusive Star Wars content and external hardware designed to look like the trusty Droid from the film saga.  Visitors to the upcoming Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Fla., can see a preview of the limited edition phone and sign up to receive alerts when the phone is ready for sale.

Pricing and Availability

DROID 2 by Motorola will be available at www.verizonwireless.com on August 11, and it will be in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores beginning August 12 for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.  Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.  In addition to subscribing to a Nationwide Talk plan or a Nationwide Talk & Text plan, customers will also need to subscribe to an Email and Web for Smartphone plan.  Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 monthly access.  Email and Web for Smartphone plans start at $29.99 for unlimited monthly access.

Customers can add the optional 3G Mobile HotSpot service to their DROID 2 smartphones for $20 per month.  The 3G Mobile HotSpot allows customers to turn their phones into a wireless modem for up to five compatible Wi-Fi® devices.  In addition, current Verizon Wireless customers who have contracts ending by December 31, 2010, can upgrade to any smartphone, including DROID 2, without penalty.

For more information on DROID 2 by Motorola, go to www.droiddoes.com.  For information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

Also check out the Droid Pro by Verizon

Popularity: 9% [?]

Check out our video on the Droid X

Popularity: 7% [?]

There has been alot of buzz about the a new Droid that could be releasing soon.  The Droid X  which is one of the rumored names or the Droid 2 which some also claim is said to have

• Android 2.1 (barring a last minute Froyo intervention)
• 3.7? screen
• 750MHz OMAP processor
• Wi-Fi tethering
• 8GB internal
• 8GB SD card preinstalled
• Updated keyboard
• 5MP camera
• New version of MOTOBLUR

Some even claim this device to have a front facing camera for video chat. But sources have claimed this rumor to be false.

Let us know what you think ? Comment Below!

Popularity: 9% [?]

Just days after the launch of the Apple iPad . Apple has sent out an invitation to its press event at Apple Town hall. The event is set to take place April 8th 2010 . At the event apple will show us its 4.0 iPhone Os . Nothing  else is know about the event yet but be sure The Gadget 411 will keep you updated.

Popularity: 11% [?]

So I got to check out the Apple iPad , and here is my findings.

All the hype of the new iPad ; i think its over-rated.  Don’t get it wrong i liked the iPad , The user interface was excellent and the iPad specific apps were kinda cool.

The only problem with this which i think me and alot people are holding off on is that  they should have included is a front facing camera and multi-tasking , this would have made the iPad much more of a priority on my ” I gotta buy this!” List.

Over grown iPod touch ? No at all!  This has some abilities that the iPod touch doesn’t have. (which we wont get into now)  but its alot more than a overgrown iPod.

Note to Apple: I Will buy this iPad when you give me at-least multi-tasking. There is nothing like having to close out the game you are playing to check and important email . The technology is there why not use it!.

Let me know what you guys think in the comments below. Also Check out the poll.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Windows Mobile team has re-written its Windows Mobile OS with the 7 Series .

For the geeks out there that was looking for a “Zune Phone” that’s basically what the user interface is based off of.

Featuring different Hubs such as People,Pictures,Office,Games,Music & Video this hubs can be accessed through Dynamic  Tiles on the home-screen that updates  via online services such as Facebook & Windows Live.

The Windows Phone 7 in my opinion is not a big competition For its competitors,  iPhone OS & Android OS.

Let us Know what you think?

Leave a comment!

Popularity: 16% [?]