Dialed In

On Tuesday, AT&T announced the upcoming availability of three new Android handsets from Motorola--the Motorola Bravo, Flipout, and Flipside--pretty much doubling its Android offering in one fell swoop.

Ranging in price from $79.99 to $129.99, the trio will ship running Android 2.1 with Motoblur and feature Wi-Fi. However, each one offers a distinct design and caters to a slightly different audience.

Motorola Bravo: With features like an 800MHz processor, DLNA support, and a 3-megapixel camera, the Bravo is the higher-end device of the bunch. It sports a 3.7-inch WVGA capacitive touch screen with multitouch … Read more

Skype calling is now available as a free download on Android-based devices, the Internet telephony company announced today.

The Skype for Android software allows users to make calls to Skype accounts, mobile phones, or landlines. Users can also send and receive text messages via the application when communicating with Skype friends. Those who want to keep all their content in one place can sync their address book with Skype. The company also said that users will be able to receive calls on their Skype online number.

But there are some limitations. For one, Skype for Android is only available to … Read more

If you've noticed that your BlackBerry takes a long time to do simple tasks like sending a text message or opening a Web page, have no fear: there are some things you can do to speed things up.

Since BlackBerrys have little memory to run apps, you'll need to make sure you optimize what's available.

Use the following settings to free up some memory. These new settings will make your general interface, Web browsing, and text messaging much faster.

Clear your event log: Press Alt-LGLG. Open the menu and select Clear Log.

Exit open applications: Press Alt-Escape. … Read more

The LG Neon II cropped up on AT&T's Web site today, and it seems to be the sequel to the LG Neon messaging phone from last year. It looks like the navigation keys got an overhaul, but the touch screen and sliding QWERTY keyboard remain mostly the same. It still has a 2-megapixel camera, the usual text and multimedia messaging features, a music player, 3G, GPS, mobile email, a microSD card slot, stereo Bluetooth, and quad-band GSM. The Neon II is available for $30 after a new two year contract and a $50 discount.

Verizon Wireless expanded its international connectivity options today with the announcement of its Fivespot mobile hot spot device.

The Fivespot, made by ZTE, can function as an Internet access point for up to five W-Fi-enabled devices. Even better, it has a truly global footprint with support for the following wireless bands: dual-band CDMA (800/1900); quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900); EV-DO Rev. 0 and Rev. A; and tri-band WCDMA/HSDPA/HSUPA (850/1900/2100). That means you'll be able to use it in more than 200 countries.

The Fivespot measures 3.92 inches long by 2.11 wide … Read more

Casio continues to expand its rugged phone line with the G'zOne Ravine, a follow-up to other Casio handsets like the G'zOne Brigade and the G'zOne Rock. Like them, the Ravine is resistant to dust, water, shock, and a variety of environmental hazards. Casio is billing it as a phone for the outdoor enthusiast, especially with dedicated G'zGear apps that include a compass, a thermometer, the position and times of sunrises and sunsets, the astro calendar, tidal graphs, and more.

Other features of the Ravine include a 3.2-megapixel camera, text-to-speech and voice dictation, clear talk noise … Read more

The Samsung Intercept, Virgin Mobile's first Android offering in its prepaid lineup, is available at Target stores starting today. Virgin Mobile will roll out the Intercept to customers through other retailers throughout October. In addition, you can nab the $249.99 Intercept from Virgin Mobile's Web site by the middle of the month. Service plans go for $25, $40, and $60.

The Intercept is an entry-level Android smartphone. It features a 3.2-inch WQVG touch-screen display, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and a 3.2-megapixel camera-plus-camcorder.

In addition, there's support for Bluetooth, a microSD card slot for expandable … Read more

The CTIA fall show used to be known as CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment, but for 2010, it is called CTIA Enterprise & Applications, which shows a deeper emphasis on business and development of mobile applications.

Still, we expect quite a bit of news on the consumer front. Sprint and Samsung are planning announcements, and we won't be surprised if we see more news about tablets, especially with the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook announcement from last week and the impending arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. Perhaps more interestingly, Microsoft is skipping the show this year, maybe to concentrate … Read more

Mark your calendars, smartphone fans, as the debut of the first Windows Phone 7 devices is nigh. Microsoft just sent out formal invitations for an October 11 press conference in New York to be co-hosted by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega. The event will begin at 6:30 a.m. PT, and will be followed by an open house, at which Microsoft will showcase its current portfolio of products.

It's no surprise that AT&T will take center stage with Microsoft, as the carrier was named a preferred partner … Read more