Google's Nexus One headed to Verizon?

What can be said about the Nexus One apart from it being one of the best Android handsets available? With that being said, the Nexus One was caught heading through the FCC today. The latest dual-band CDMA variant is most likely headed to Verizon within the next couple of months. 

You may be scratching your head wondering, how we know that this is indeed a later iteration of the Nexus One? Well to put it simply using the label size and the model number, it can be safely assumed that this is indeed the Nexus One.

Image after the Break

Video: Symbian^4 debuts

Unlike the video debut of Symbian^3, Symbian^4 fails to make you say wow. Shown in its debut video S^4 can be classed as another atypical touchscreen user interface. Playing catch up with the newer mobile operating systems i.e. Google's Android and Apple's iPhone, S^4 allows for a trio of home screens in which the end user is able to customise with an assortment of widgets, clocks and weather applications. It's noted to be touch-centric and while this is all well and good, the lack of innovation leaves me wondering where Symbian will head in the future.

Will Symbian^4 recoup the masses? The short answer is No. Until the folks over at the Symbian Foundation realise that they need to start innovating and not end up copying, further iterations will prove to be anachronistic.

Video after the Break

WebOS 1.4 Update for Palm Pre and Pixi imminent

Just hours away is the long awaited WebOS 1.4 update; available for both the Sprint Pre and Pixi. The update will provide an assortment of new features, along with various fixes and patches. The update is due to hit tomorrow -- that's the 26th if you're keeping tabs. Like other WebOS updates, you'll be prompted when the Over-the-Air (OTA) update is available. Could this be the update that makes consumers and bloggers alike fall in love with the Pre again? Let's hope so.

List of fixes and feature updates after the Break

Breaking: Windows Phone 7 Series has three chassis designs

Daniel Carey Feb 24, 2010 Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Us Microsoft, Mobile Software, Smartphones

You've heard of Windows Phone 7 Series… You know that Microsoft's planning on dictating hardware specifications… Whilst this is all well and good; did you know that Microsoft has three chassis designs in the work?

Obviously, the first chassis design has already been announced. Shown as the prototype handset, it boasts a touchscreen display with no physical keyboard, a 1GHz processor (believed to be a Qualcomm Snapdragon) and dedicated graphics. The second design is currently believed to be a sliding QWERTY with a touchscreen. And lastly the third chassis remains a perplexing mystery, however it's set to be revealed not long after the official Windows Phone 7 Series launch.

Special recognition has to go to Microsoft Australia developers Michael Kordahi and Andrew Coates, who leaked the news via their podcast "Frankly Speaking".

With Microsoft allowing OEM's little internal differentiation, one has to hope that manufacturers are able to design handsets that are both physically attractive as well as practical. -- Expect to hear more of the mobile operating system at Microsoft's MIX conference in March.

Nokia X10 - First to run Symbian^3 according to leaked documentation

The future of Symbian looks to be significant, however the same can't be said for Nokia's "supposed" slide-out QWERTY handset. (From here on out we suggest that you keep your skepticism hats on) Leaked to the felonious Internet are, supposed documentation pertaining to Nokia's latest handset the X10. As a sequel to Nokia's X6, the X10 will run Symbian S^3. Other internals include: ARM Cortex A8 600MHz processor, 256MB RAM, 16 or 32GB or internal storage, 5 megapixel camera and a 3.2inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen.

If this documentation is indeed correct, then the X10 will be the first Nokia handset to run Symbian S^3. One would have thought that the recently updated iteration of Symbian would be reserved for first release on an N or E Series device, but apparently we're wrong.

Video after the Break

Google Android - A Brief History

Whether you like it or not, Android is currently the hottest mobile operating system available. Originally announced on November 5^th 2007 Google’s Android led to the establishment of the Open Handset Alliance, a confederacy of 47 -- hardware, software and telecommunication vendors, publicising open standards for mobile devices.  Filing Android under the Apache Licensing Service led to the implementation, integration and development of proprietary software as well as open-source software allocation. As of February 16^th 2010 Google proudly announced that approximately 60,000 android-based handsets were shipping daily.

More after the Break

Apple increases AT&T iPhone Download limit

Daniel Carey Feb 19, 2010 Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Me Follow Us Apple, Industry News, iPhone

Yesterday Apple announced that they'd be augmenting the download limit available over an AT&T 3G connection. It was enthusiastically upgraded for something… well, slightly better. The increase only allows consumers an extra 10MB, but I suppose that 20MB is better than the previous 10. In hindsight you'll now be able to download smaller podcasts, applications and perhaps future iBooks on the fly.

So why would Apple decide to make this change now? In theory there are two possible reasons. It could indicate that AT&T has reached a benchmark and decided to upgrade their network incrementally, however this is unlikely. The second theory appears to be much more plausible; Apple chose to increase the download limit available, to allow for full use of 3G in the upcoming iPad. Supporting this theory is Spanner Spencer of Pocket Gamer UK, he stated:

Double the available app size for remote users should therefore make for some doubly impressive products. In all likelyhood this is in preparation for the inherently larger size of iPad games and apps.