mobile

Virgin Mobile introduces the Slice

In a trend that simply will not die, UTStarcom and Virgin Mobile have come together to bring us the latest thin phone to hit the market: the Slice. We've previously known this phone as the UTStarcom PCS-1400 (read our first take here), and yes indeed, it does look a lot like the Motorola Slvr. Measuring a svelte 4.3x1.8x0.4 inches and weighing only 2.3 ounces, the Slice is touted by Virgin as the thinnest phone you can get in the U.S. without a contract or an activation fee. While we can't confirm that statement, … Read more

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John---in your pocket

You can get just about anything on your cell phone these days--ESPN, the latest Green Day video, a game of "Resident Evil: The Missions." Now you can add the Pauline Epistles to that list.

South African company ChristianMobile (tagline: "Powered by God") has announced what it says is the world's first Christian mobile-phone chat application, CmChat. The app lets mobile-phone subscribers send text or SMS messages, but adds in Christian news feeds, daily prayers, devotionals and Bible verses, plus information on new Christian publications, weather and sports reports.

Christian Mobile says it created CmChat, in … Read more

Nokia's 6133 lands at T-Mobile

When it's time for Nokia to pick teams for its cell phones, it's usually good about not making any carrier feel left out. So while smaller carriers may have landed the appealing Nokia 6126, Nokia spread the love by choosing T-Mobile for the very similar Nokia 6133. The new handset is available today.

Like the 6126, the 6133 sports a sleek, flip-phone design that includes a gimmicky but cool hinge-mounted button that flips open the phone automatically. The color displays are the same as well--the internal screen supports 16 million hues--but the 6133's keypad and navigation have … Read more

A gaggle of great gadgets

You slackers haven't even begun your shopping for the holidays this year, right? Well, we're already busy gathering info on gadgets you're gonna want next year. That's right, Best of CES for 2007. So if you build gear, get your boss to enter your company's greatest awaited gizmo.

The Zen Vision:M shown here was Best of Show at CES in 2006 and drew hundreds of comments. The biggest complaint? Not enough advertising for the product.

Here's the entire winner list from Best of CES 2006 in Las Vegas, as well as videos. Among … Read more

Sony puts TV on Symbian too

Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right?

Then Sling Media should be pink with pride today. The same day the Slingbox maker announced its video place-shifting technology would be available on mobile phones running Symbian OS, Sony announced that it too would make its LocationFree TV software available for download to a Symbian-based phone, the SonyEricsson P990 smart phone.

It's not immediately clear in what countries this will be available, or when the downloading can begin. A visit to the Sony support site says the software is "coming soon."

Click here for CNET Reviews' take on … Read more

The South Beach Razr

Motorola seems to have taken to heart Mae West's mantra of "too much of a good thing is wonderful." The once-staid, now-hip manufacturer announced today yet more versions of the Razr, otherwise known as the world's best-selling cell phone. Handsets in the Razr V3-Miami Ink collection (also called the Razr V3t) feature elaborate designs or "tattoos" on the exterior face of the phone. Created by designer Ami James of TLC's Miami Ink, the new Razrs will be available for T-Mobile on October 30.

The initial release will feature two versions of the V3t--a … Read more

'Project Gotham' game sticks with Glu

The folks from Glu Mobile swung by our New York office the other day to give us a quick preview of some of the company's upcoming cell phone games. Glu, for those who don't know, was formerly known as Sorrent, one of the early companies focusing strictly on cell phone games, which are improving with each passing year.

The big news for Glu is that it's scored a license for Microsoft's Project Gotham Racing series. Unfortunately, Microsoft didn't authorize the release of any screenshots, but we did play the 2D version of the game and … Read more

The Razr gets Amp'd

The Motorola Razr has finally found a home with Amp'd Mobile, an MVNO that has its sights on the young and urban demographic (MVNO means Mobile Virtual Network Operator, for you acronym haters). Replacing the Hollywood as the sexiest Motorola in its lineup, the Amp'd version of the Razr will feature Amp'd Live, Amp'd Mobile's 3G programming service that delivers streaming TV, "viral videos," music, and more. So for only $99 with a contract or $199 with the pay-as-you-go service, you can get some of that Razr bling to go along with your … Read more

Cute phone, dorky marketing

Attention teen girls: Would you buy a phone from the woman in the picture?

For starters, do you know who this is? No? Come on, she created the iconic wrap dress in 1972! Hmm, let's see... She's married to Barry Diller, CEO of IAC/InterActive Corp., which owns online properties like Ask.com and Evite. Still nothing? Don't worry, that means you're completely--normal.

T-Mobile announced that a couple of limited-edition versions of the Sidekick 3 will be available starting Oct. 30, and one of them is designed by Diane von Furstenberg. Not to be ageist, but … Read more

Samsung's new skinny, skinny phone

The Samsung Trace might be the Nicole Richie of mobile phones.

Like the actress/tabloid fodder, it dresses well, debuting in "champagne," and is excruciatingly thin.

Samsung's newest candy bar-style phone, just 0.33 inch thick, is joining the ranks of other recent mobile launches vying for most anorexic-looking handset (see the LG Chocolate and upcoming launches of Motorola Razr's Maxx and the Krzr K1). But there's no intervention necessary here; the Trace is fattened up on features--it's a quad-band phone and an MP3 player with Bluetooth support, and a 1.3-megapixel camera with … Read more