White HTC One X, Looking Kinda Blue...

MobilePhonesFan's argument against matte-finish plastic.

Ok, this won't take long so listen up...

Remember when you first saw your pristinely new, white HTC One X?

Well, this is your pristinely new, white HTC One X ...on bluejeans dye.

Any questions? A matte finish is a terrible thing to waste.


via: Reddit

Nokia N96 Banned in Britain ...Yes, the N96

Finnish phones giant Nokia has lost their appeal of a 2011 court decision finding them in violation of a patent held by Germany's IPCom. As a result, IPCom has been granted relief in the form of a United Kingdom sales-ban on the infringing Nokia phones.

But it's not so easy as all that. This case is full of ups and downs...

UK Phone Boxes to Offer Free WiFi?

Download speed of 5th-generation WiFi (artist's conception)

Wireless operator Spectrum Interactive has launched a unique marketing scheme for London area retailers. They plan to leverage their network of 1,800 WiFi hotspots -- all of which are discretely located in phone-boxes they purchased from BT -- for use in a location-based advertising service.

Nokia Dev City (Rack City parody)

Catch a falling phone and put it in your pocket...

n.b.: Some links have changed. Be sure to read our updates, at the end.

To help spread the word that their Windows Phone platform desperately needs 3rd-party developers (developers, developers, etc.), Nokia and Microsoft are sponsoring a whirlwind tour they're calling the Ready.Set () {Code} Challenge.

It's a series of fourteen hackathons in 13 North American cities, beginning in Ohio this Saturday (12 May) and finishing with a date in Vancouver (BC), mid-June. Each event will last ~12 hours, with winners announced same night.

To kick things off, the Nokia Dev Forum offers a parody of Tyga's hit song Rack City. With the subtitle 'Nokia Lumia Rap', it turns the subject from Las Vegas (AKA: 'Rack City') to...well, developing for Microsoft's Windows Phone mobile OS...

Ripped: Android Flipboard APK ...No Waiting!

(Be sure to read the latest updates, at the end of this article.)

Here it is, the long-awaited Flipboard for Android APK from Samsung's Galaxy S III.

Released in 2010, Flipboard was originally an iPad exclusive but proved so popular it was later developed for iPhone, too. For nearly two years, then, Flipboard has been available only on Apple hardware. So, those of you who don't own an iOS device may be asking yourselves, 'What the heck is it?'

"Apple, You're Doing It Wrong", Says Jobs' Guru

And then I'll grab Rubin by the nose and pull it through here...

Harvard Business School's Clayton Christensen is best known as the author of The Innovator's Dilemma ...cited by Steve Jobs as a work which 'deeply influenced' him.

In his book, Christensen describes what he considers a fundamental lesson from the long history of commerce: even the most powerful and profitable companies can suffer a rapid and catastrophic fall, losing much of their market share to more nimble, upstart firms that promote radically new ideas, products or technologies.

Twitter Sees Future in Feature Phones

The keys to Jack Dorsey's retirement fund?

Looks like Twitter, the social network is search of a profitable business plan, has decided to go mass-market. And for 'mass' read: massive. Think 'developing world'; places where the population is fairly bursting at the seams, but where cash is scarce and you'd be lucky to find a free power outlet, much less a Starbucks with free WiFi...

Google Buys Gold's Gym...Revenge of the Nerds?

Do Larry and Sergey have interns lift the weights for them?

BloggerJason Stern reports that Google has inked a deal to buy Gold's Gym.

Yes, that wacky crew of Silicon Valley propeller heads will soon own the world's most famous monument to sweat and muscles. But they didn't buy the Venice, California, icon as a going concern. Instead, Stern says they bought Gold's for the real estate...and possibly because they drove past it every day.

Is Comcast Cheating on FCC Net Neutrality Rules?

First, they came for the net neutralists...

Is cable TV giant Comcast competing unfairly, giving their own content bandwidth-priority over 3rd-party services?

According to a recent report, the answer is, 'probably'...

Have Fun with Windows Phone, Win a Prize!

For once, the folks in Redmond may be onto something here. Unlike previous offerings,  Microsoft's Free Time Machine is a fun contest ...with a neat twist...

Apple, Samsung Get 99% of Mobile Phone Profits

tl;dr: If your company makes mobile phones and your company isn't Samsung or Apple, then we wish to extend our deepest sympathies for your pitiful share of profits.

That's right; just two mobile phone companies rake in 99% of the profits.

According to mobile industry analyst Horace Dediu, the split goes 73% for Apple and 26% for Samsung. He says this reflects a market disruption, with a growing number of users transitioning from feature phones to smart phones. To compete in this new market, phone makers had to change their approach to design, manufacturing and marketing.

Verizon: We Said '4G Only' and We Meant It

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here...

Back in January, you might have read about Verizon Wireless' 'hard requirements' for new devices, moving forward into 2012. Basically, the company said they planned to go 100% 4G LTE, with no 3G-only phones beyond the older, push-to-talk models.

As long-time Verizon Wireless customer MobilePhonesFan could have told you, they weren't kidding around. Much like Vulcans, Verizon never bluffs.

Amtrak Adopts iPhones in Place of Ticket Punchers

"I've got 274 fart apps in my pocket..."

(image: Amtrak)

America's favorite money-losing government program rolls boldly into the 21st century. Amtrak claims train travel will soon be paperless: schedule and pay on-line, before boarding. When the conductor asks for your ticket, simply flash the special bar code on your iPhone or Android device.

Use Wireless Earphone with HTC One X ...as a Remote Shutter?

Turn up the vol...er, smile!

Yep, that's the volume control for a pair of standard bluetooth earphones used as a remote shutter control for HTC's One X Android smartphone.

Let that sink in, for a second.

After pairing the two devices, you can manipulate the headset's volume switch to actuate the phone's camera. Not only is this a very cool trick, but MobilePhonesFan would like to point out that it also offers practical applications, like for security. Or stalking.

Google News: Bigger Images, Real-Time Coverage

(image: Google)

As part of a phased program of improvements, Google News is getting larger images and real-time coverage of important events. These changes apply to Google News' US edition only and will be rolling out over the next week or two.

A third new feature is available only to US users of Google+: real-time comments. When logged-in, they will be able to post comments and read those posted by others including public figures, journalists and people from their own circles.


via: googlenewsblog