PhoneTalk

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) 6 is more than just a typical update

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Thursday, July 28, 2011 (permalink)
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The latest version of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) launched today and its full of upgrades that make BBM more than just another messaging app. BBM 6 is all about being social and connected. The latest version supports BBM connected apps, which are BlackBerry apps that let you connect with other BBM users. This means if you have BBM and are using a BBM-connected app you can share it with others, list it on your profile, or from within the app start a conversation with other BBM contacts. The list of connected apps isn’t particularly long, but it does include social apps such as FourSquare and games like BackGammon King.

You can download BBM 6 here. Did you know LetsTalk is on BBM? Connect with us on BlackBerry Messenger (our PIN is 22f53f18) for exclusive coupons and BlackBerry giveaways.

HTC EVO 3D expert review video

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, July 22, 2011 (permalink)
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The update to the popular HTC EVO 4G has arrived for Sprint and whether or not you like the HTC EVO 3D's added 3D features, there are quite a few other updates that make the smartphone a solid choice for people who want an Android 2.3 phone that sports 4G connectivity. Check out our video review below or read the HTC EVO 3D expert review by clicking this link to find out if this is the phone for you.

Test Drive: PowerSkin for the HTC EVO 4G

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Thursday, July 21, 2011 (permalink)
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There’s no denying that smartphones have a lot to offer. Unfortunately, these phones can be a little lack-luster when it comes to battery life. Many people find themselves getting car chargers or getting a spare charger for the office. But what about if you don’t have access to a spare charger or maybe you’re on a long flight and want to watch a downloaded movie on your phone? Enter PowerSkin – the cell phone case with some juice.

Here’s how the PowerSkin works. It’s essentially a case with an extra battery built-in to the back of the case. The case has its own microUSB port for charging the extra battery. When all the blue lights are all illuminated on the back of the case you know it has a full charge. Inside the case there’s a microUSB connector that plugs into the phone’s microUSB port. We particularly appreciate that the connector is attached to a small cable, which makes it super easy to attach the case to the phone.

In our tests, when we attached the PowerSkin to the HTC EVO 4G the charger worked flawlessly. Essentially, if the battery on the smartphone is low you attach the case and you get a full charge from the case. That is one easy way to extend the battery life of the phone. We should note that the PowerSkin case does add a bit of bulk to your device, so you may not always want to keep it attached to the phone. Additionally, the cases are not interchangeable between multiple phones. For example, you can’t use the EVO 4G case with the recently released HTC EVO 3D. The two phones don’t use the same type of battery and the microUSB ports are located in different places.

Overall, we found the PowerSkin worked as it should and really came in handy when a charger couldn’t be found. You can see the PowerSkin in action in this Wireless Wrap-Up video.

ThunderBolt by HTC gets an update

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, July 12, 2011 (permalink)
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If you own a ThunderBolt by HTC you should be receiving a notification on the phone that a software update is available for installation. According to Verizon the update should fix a few bugs in the phone including reducing the number device power cycles and resets and improving overall data connectivity. It will also come loaded with a few new Verizon-centric features including Backup Assistant, preloaded My Verizon, V CAST Music, and V CAST videos. You can find out more about how to get the update by clicking this link.

Test Drive: Motorola Roadster Universal In-Car Speakerphone

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Wednesday, June 29, 2011 (permalink)
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Did you know that June is safe driving month? That means clearing away distractions while you drive which includes talking on the phone or texting while driving. With that in mind we’ve been trying out the portable Motorola Roadster Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphone. The product is similar to the Motorola T505 in that it lets you stream calls and music through the speaker or through the car radio. But that’s not all it can do.

For starters, the Motorola Roadster is simple to use and easy to pair. Simply turn on the device and activate Bluetooth on your cell phone and the Roadster takes care of the rest. There’s no need to hold down a specific button or perform any extra tasks. You can also pair the Roadster with two cell phones - a definite plus for people that still have to carry around two phones (one for work and one for personal use). In our tests we were able to pair the Roadster with the Samsung Epic 4G and the DROID X2 by Motorola with ease. We were able to make/receive calls with both models through the included speaker.

The Motorola Roadster also has a FM button for streaming calls and music from the cell phone through the car radio. In our tests, we found the feature worked great with the Motorola DROID X2, but not the Samsung Epic 4G. To find a free FM station for streaming you’ll need to hit the + or – buttons to go through the stations. The Motorola Roadster doesn’t perform a scan looking for any available frequency; instead, it manually checks each station.

Depending on the Android or BlackBerry phone you have you can download the (Read more)

T-Mobile launches More for Me daily deal aggregation app

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Wednesday, June 15, 2011 (permalink)
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It seems like new daily deal services are popping up everyday. Who can keep track of them all? T-mobile has created an app that aggregates the deals in one place on your Android-based smartphone called More for Me. The app will deliver deals from popular social buying sites (LivingSocial offers will be included) and offers from T-Mobile and its partners. Users can customize the experience based on location and relevancy.

More for Me is currently in beta and can be downloaded from the Android market (on a computer or on a smartphone) to any T-Mobile Android phone running OS 1.6 or higher. What do you think? Do you want deals in one spot on your cell phone?

Get $10 in Groupon bucks when you go mobile

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, June 14, 2011 (permalink)
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Did you know the popular daily deal site Groupon offers a mobile version of deals? We’re not talking about viewing your Groupon deals sent to an e-mail address on your cell phone. Instead there’s an actual mobile version called Groupon Now that works on Android, BlackBerry, iPhone/iPAD, and Windows Phone 7 smartphones. You can download the app to your phone by visiting the app market on your phone.

Now until June 28th you get $10 in Groupon bucks when you use the app to purchase a Groupon deal. All and all, it’s an easy way to keep track of the Groupon deals you’ve purchased on a device you most likely have with you all the time. If you like getting deals, why not give it a try?

Test Drive: iSkin earTones

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, June 03, 2011 (permalink)
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Cell phones have become rich multimedia devices combining all the functionality of a MP3 player and portable player for watching TV shows and movies. As such, headphones are being used for much more than just taking and making calls so they should be comfortable. With that in mind we checked out the latest earTones headphones from iSkin.

There are a few interesting features about these headphones. First, they are extremely comfortable to wear and that’s likely a result of the earbud design. Instead of having a rigid earbud, these earbuds have a bit of wire between the base and the actual earbud making them more flexible than other wired headphones we’ve used. In our tests, we were able to wear them for at least 3 hours without any discomfort. Second, they are coated with Microban antimicrobial product protection, which keeps them clean. Read: You wouldn’t mind sharing the headphones with someone else.

As for audio quality, music and callers sounded clear. Music wasn’t tinny even at the loudest setting. We should note that in loud environments we needed to set our cell phone at the highest volume setting to hear clearly. That said, these are not noise-cancelling headphones.

On the box it says the headphones work with BlackBerry and Apple iOS devices, but we were able to use it to make calls with the Samsung Epic 4G. Overall, we liked using the headphones and particularly like the multiple color choices available.

Android Gingerbread update coming to the HTC EVO 4G

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, June 03, 2011 (permalink)
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Next week, Sprint will start to roll out the update to the HTC EVO 4G. The update is coming over-the-air so you’ll receive a notification on the HTC EVO 4G when it’s available to download on your phone. In addition to installing the Android 2.3 OS, he update will fix the phone’s ability to stream media through certain applications on the device and improve download management so it will be easy to access any file downloaded from the browser, email or another application.

When you receive the update, you’ll need to download the installation and then install it. We recommend keeping your cell phone connected to a wall charger during this process. You can get more information about the update by clicking this link.

HTC EVO 3D to debut with 3D movie the The Green Hornet

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Tuesday, May 31, 2011 (permalink)
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Summer is almost officially here and with it more details are emerging about Sprint’s HTC EVO 3D, the follow-up smartphone to the company’s popular HTC EVO 4G. Let’s talk about content. Since the HTC EVO 3D is, well a 3D phone, the Android 2.3 phone will come preloaded with The Green Hornet 3D movie on the include microSD card for a limited time. Don’t worry you won’t need to wear special 3D glasses to enjoy the movie since the cell phone sports a 4.3-inch qHD 3D display for a glasses-free 3D viewing experience.

If you don’t happen to get one of those models, don’t worry you’ll still be able to watch 3D content on the cell phone via the HTC Watch or Blockbuster OnDemand movie applications. HTC Watch offers access to 2D and 3D movies and TV shows on demand, so you can either rent ($2.99 to $3.99) or purchase (starting at $8.99) content. If you don’t want to take up space on the phone to store that media you can save it in the HTC cloud where you can watch it on the HTC EVO 3D or on other HTC devices. While the Blockbuster app makes movies available the same day they become available on Blu-ray and DVD. You can rent titles ($2.99 to $3.99 each) or purchase them ($4.99 and up).

Windows Phone 7 gets 10 new movie apps from Paramount Digital Entertainment

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Monday, May 23, 2011 (permalink)
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Watching a movie on a Windows Phone 7 handset just got a little more interesting. Paramount Digital Entertainment's movie apps let you do more than simply watch a movie on a cell phone, now you can access similar features found on DVDs. The new movie apps will include the following features:

Clip Sharing: Create and share custom clips of favorite scenes with friends on Facebook, Twitter, or send via e-mail.

Scene It? In-Feature Trivia Game: Play the Scene It trivia game and share results with friends.

Movie Info: Access actor bios, music, historical information and even maps to film locations.

Chapter Selection & Bookmarking: Jump to favorite chapters in a movie or bookmark select scenes to view them later.

Search: Find items, products or people in the film using keyword search.

Mean Girls and School of Rock will be the first movies to receive these features (Note: If you already downloaded School of Rock, you'll get an update on your Windows Phone 7 to download the additional features). More movies will be added over the coming weeks including apps for True Grit, The Last Airbender, Zoolander, The Italian Job and more. You can see a complete list of upcoming movie apps and release dates by clicking this link. The movie apps can be downloaded directly to a Windows Phone 7 smartphone from the Windows Phone 7 Marketplace.