Electronic-Geek.com » Cellphones http://electronic-geek.com Your Electronic Source Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:30:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Latest BlackBerry 6 preview proves that the more things change… http://electronic-geek.com/latest-blackberry-6-preview-proves-that-the-more-things-change/ http://electronic-geek.com/latest-blackberry-6-preview-proves-that-the-more-things-change/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:20:00 +0000 Jacob Schulman http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/27/latest-blackberry-6-preview-proves-that-the-more-things-change/ To say RIM has a lot riding on BlackBerry 6 is an understatement. With new kids on the block like Android and iOS stepping in with lustworthy apps and attractive UIs, the BlackBerrys have been sitting in a corner BBMing everyone else at the party trying to convince them of its sustained utility. Regardless, the latest tease on the BlackBerry Blogs shows off some of the "fresh, but familiar" elements that are getting polished in the jump from OS 5 to OS 6. While some features do have us intrigued -- its implementation of universal search, for example -- other headlining changes to the otherwise staid homescreen have us begging for more. New "views," toggled from a space right under the notification bar, are essentially glorified folders, and the "quick access area" is much like the functionality offered by years-old "Today"-style themes for the handset. Don't get us wrong, the refinements definitely help, but at the end of the day we just hope it isn't RIM trying to put lipstick on a pig -- guess we'll find out when we get a commercial release to really bite into.

[Thanks, Jason K]

Latest BlackBerry 6 preview proves that the more things change... originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceBlackBerry Blogs  | Email this | Comments]]> http://electronic-geek.com/latest-blackberry-6-preview-proves-that-the-more-things-change/feed/ 0 Google Maps for Android updated to 4.4, adds dedicated ‘Places’ for searching nearby http://electronic-geek.com/google-maps-for-android-updated-to-4-4-adds-dedicated-places-for-searching-nearby/ http://electronic-geek.com/google-maps-for-android-updated-to-4-4-adds-dedicated-places-for-searching-nearby/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:17:00 +0000 Darren Murph http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/27/google-maps-for-android-updated-to-4-4-adds-dedicated-places/ Ready to suck down your sixth Google Maps for Android update in the past six months? Good. Version 4.4 has just been shoved out into the bright, hopeful world that we call home, with this one bringing about an easier way to find places around you. With the update will come an entirely new logo, as a dedicated 'Places' icon allows users to quickly look up nearby places in a Yelp-esque manner. If you tend to search for similar things regardless of where you are, you can load up your own personalized categories to make finding frequent searches that much easier (think "gas station" or "In N Out"). There's also Place Pages, which now shows the operating hours of listed businesses, compass direction and distance from your location. It's available now for all Android phones using v1.6 or newer, and if you're rocking a BlackBerry, you can expect the Place Page to head your way soon.

Google Maps for Android updated to 4.4, adds dedicated 'Places' for searching nearby originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink the unwired  |  sourceGoogle Lat Long Blog  | Email this | Comments]]> http://electronic-geek.com/google-maps-for-android-updated-to-4-4-adds-dedicated-places-for-searching-nearby/feed/ 0 Open-source, software-based GSM cellphone network http://electronic-geek.com/open-source-software-based-gsm-cellphone-network/ http://electronic-geek.com/open-source-software-based-gsm-cellphone-network/#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0000 Sean Michael Ragan http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/open-source_software-based_gsm_cell.html openbts.jpg

It's called the OpenBTS Project, and pundits are claiming it could reduce user costs to $2/month in the developing world.

OpenBTS is an open-source Unix application that uses the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) to present a GSM air interface ("Um") to standard GSM handset and uses the Asterisk® software PBX to connect calls. The combination of the ubiquitous GSM air interface with VoIP backhaul could form the basis of a new type of cellular network that could be deployed and operated at substantially lower cost than existing technologies in greenfields in the developing world.


In plain language, we are working on a new kind of cellular network that can be installed and operated at about 1/10 the cost of current technologies, but that will still be compatible with most of the handsets that are already in the market. This technology can also be used in private network applications (wireless PBX, rapid deployment, etc.) at much lower cost and complexity than conventional cellular.

Among other pilot project, OpenBTS networks were successfully deployed at Burning Man 2008 and 2009.

Read the Full Story » | More on MAKE » | Comments » | Read more articles in Cellphones | Digg this! ]]> http://electronic-geek.com/open-source-software-based-gsm-cellphone-network/feed/ 0 Droid X can now be counted among the rooted (update: video!) http://electronic-geek.com/droid-x-can-now-be-counted-among-the-rooted-update-video/ http://electronic-geek.com/droid-x-can-now-be-counted-among-the-rooted-update-video/#comments Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:14:00 +0000 Joseph L. Flatley http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/22/droid-x-can-now-be-counted-among-the-rooted/
It's recently come to our attention that Birdman over at the AllDroid.org forums has rooted the Droid X. By all accounts (which, at the time of this writing, consists of two forum posts that exclaim "it works!") things are going beautifully, so what do you think? Ready to pierce the soft underbelly of your smartphone's OS? Been dying to get a hot session of ADB going? Hit the source link, and remember: if you brick your phone, you only have yourself to blame.

Update: We've added a video of the process after the break. Thanks, Steven!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Droid X can now be counted among the rooted (update: video!)

Droid X can now be counted among the rooted (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceAllDroid.org forums  | Email this | Comments]]> http://electronic-geek.com/droid-x-can-now-be-counted-among-the-rooted-update-video/feed/ 0