TTL – The Tech Link Blog

P!nk: Funhouse

P!nk, along with LaFace/Zomba Label Group and Sony BMG, has entered yet another new kind of marketing with a free application available on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The application is available on the Apple App Store. Once installed, users will be able to listen to 30-second samples of all tracks available on P!nk’s newest album, Funhouse, which is available today. The application also allows access to restricted fan material such as pictures, videos, biography, etc.

It will only be a matter of time before we see all kinds of applications like this for other artists and let’s bet that the future only holds even more original marketing ideas for the public.

PR-CANADA.net

Truphone

Truphone is a VoIP application that you install on your cell phone and allows you to make cheap (very cheap) international and overseas calls, and it is now available for BlackBerry devices.

Truphone will also be available for other devices (LG, Samsung, HTC, etc.) in the future.

If you own a compatible phone, you can download the software for free on the Truphone website (link bellow), and start saving money now!

Truphone
GigaOM

Casio EXILIM W63CA

The Asians will never cease to amaze us. One of the latest phones from Casio is the EXILIM Keitai W63CA.

This “flip and twist” phone packs an 8.1 megapixel camera lens with 9-point autofocus and flash, and a 3.1in OLED display (480×800).

Casio is well known for their cameras here in America but not for their phones, so it would be very surprising that we would ever see this phone on our turf anytime soon.

Electricpig

Deezer

Music site Deezer has now released the first official version of their iPhone and iPod Touch player, and it’s available for download directly on the Apple App Store.

For those of you not familiar with Deezer, it is very similar to iMeem. You can search for songs, artists, albums and stream them directly on your computer without the need to download the song.

Deezer also offers web radios and something they call “SmartRadio” where the service lets you discover new music based on your listening taste. These two features will be the only ones available on the iPhone and iPod Touch at first but Deezer plans on releasing a full featured application that will allow the user to enjoy 100% of the features available in the future.

clubic.com (French)

HP IPAQ SmartPhones

HP just released two new smartphones with Vodafone (Europe) today.

The new iPAQ Voice Messenger and iPAQ Data Messenger both run on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional.

The Data Messenger features a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard and a touchscreen. The Voice Messenger doesn’t have a touchscreen, and features a standard alphanumeric keypad, as it is focused primarily on voice calling.

See full specs from HP:
HP iPAQ Data Messenger
HP iPAQ Voice Messenger

WMPoweruser.com

Google Android

The Android platform is following in Apple’s footsteps as Google has specified in their terms and conditions that it could remotely “remove those applications from your device at its sole discretion”.

This means that they control what you can and cannot use on your own device.

Of course, Google will probably only use this in case certain applications are messing up with the internal components of the software to a point were it could make the device operate outside of their established norms.

Only time will tell.

Neowin

Motorola Krave ZN4

Here is yet another touchscreen phone that could have been interesting but that just isn’t: The Motorola Krave ZN4. It’s available now with Verizon Wireless for $149 (after $50 mail-in rebate).

The first thing to know about this flip-type phone is that it has only one screen but two touchscreens. When the phone is closed, you see the screen that is behind the flip cover because it is made of clear plastic. The flip cover is also touch sensitive so you can still access the main phone features even if the flip is closed. Read it all..

BlackBerry Pearl Flip

T-Mobile is the exclusive carrier to offer the BlackBerry Pearl Flip in the US and has now announced that the device is available for purchase.

The base price is $349.99. Subscribers that sign up for a 2-year contract will get a $150 instant rebate and a $50 mail-in rebate.

I4U News

BlackBerry

Before you get too excited, this is still at the “rumor” status.

Microsoft apparently has a “standing offer” that has been set to buy major shares in RIM at the price of $50 per share. Now that RIM’s shares are in the $53-$58 range, it would not be surprising to see an official offer from Microsoft.

RIM has been said to be “opened” to friendly offers.

Electronista

Orange

Orange is one of the big players amongst the mobile phone carriers in Europe, and they made a “bold” move yesterday towards the RIM device.

They asked their associates in the UK to stop sales of the BlackBerry Bold altogether because of software malfunction that causes headaches to both their users and their tech support people.

This will probably force RIM to work twice as fast on a patch to the existing problems that the BlackBerry Bold suffers from, here in America as well as in the European market.

The Boy Genius Report

BlackBerry Storm

Engadget has a very nice and complete hands-on article on the new BlackBerry Storm 9500 touchscreen smartphone.

In the end, it’s a positive review and it looks like a real good quality and durable phone that is feature-rich and expendable (with the App Center).

Read the complete article. It’s worth it!

Engadget

Apple iPhone

One thing that the G1 and Android community could say they had that the iPhone didn’t was Google StreetView.

Bad news for them, Apple will be releasing a new update for the iPhone (2.2) and it should feature Google StreetView within the maps application. This update will also fix a few bugs, add an option to disable auto-correction in SMS messages, and support for emoji icons (email smilies and such).

No release date has been set for this update.

TG Daily

Style Report

The new upcoming Samsung SCH-W570 is dubbed the “Style Report”. It has been pre-launched in Korea where it should be available shortly (no exact date).

The clamshell style phone features dual screens. Both the internal and external screens are 2.2 inch. The external screen is touch sensitive and allows for operation of the phone’s multimedia features.

The phone also comes with an integrated 3 megapixel camera and is expected to cost around $600 – $700 US.

SlashPhone

BlackBerry

The new business model that has been around now for a few years is to build a service around a product so that people are “forced” to spend more money even after having bought the product.

Music, software, games, etc. It has always been around but now is more integrated than before with virtual stores appearing on all games consoles (Wii, PS3, Xbox), music stores specifically designed for specific products (Zune Marketplace, Apple iTunes), and app stores designed only for specific devices (Apple iTunes Store, Android Marketplace).

Now there is a new one joining the hype: the RIM App Center. At first, the application center will support only the new Blackberry Storm touchscreen smartphone but will (probably) be supporting other devices as time goes by.

Each carrier will have their own RIM Application Center so they will be able to control what appears on theirs and maybe have “exclusive” content not available to other carriers.

mocoNews

Apple iPhone

Apple is doing really well with it’s iPhone 3G product in the U.S. market, selling more than 10 million units in 2008.

Since its launch, the smartphone has become the #2 best selling overall mobile handset just after Motorola’s RAZR.

The iPhone 3G has also surpassed sales of all Blackberry and Palm products to become the best selling smartphone in the U.S.

IntoMobile