defy

Ultra-cheap $19 Republic Wireless service opens back up

Republic Wireless, the service provider that made waves last year with its super-low $19 unlimited voice, data, and text messaging plan, is back and open to all.

The company garnered headlines and a lot of buzz for its plans when it launched a year ago, and consumers likewise gravitated toward the service -- the service provider had to shut its beta trial shortly after it opened up because of a surge of demand.

Republic Wireless, which buys and resells capacity from Sprint Nextel's network, is able to deliver such a low-priced service because it's betting that users will … Read more

U.S. Cellular to sell Motorola Electrify 2 and Defy XT

U.S. Cellular just announced plans to offer two new Android smartphones, the slim Motorola Electrify 2 and rugged Defy XT on August 1 and August 3.

The Electrify 2, a follow-up to the original Electrify will ship running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, and 4.3-inch LCD screen featuring Motorola's ColorBoost enhancements. … Read more

Republic Wireless reopens $19 service, sells Motorola Defy XT

Remember Republic Wireless?

The wireless service, which made headlines for its cut-rate $19 unlimited voice, text message, and data plan that relied more on Wi-Fi networks than cellular ones, opened and quickly closed its beta last year. Now the company is ready to reopen its beta to a new wave of customers, and has added the Motorola Defy XT to its lineup, Engadget first reported.

Republic Wireless captured a lot of attention for its plan, which many believed would be disruptive to the more traditional contract wireless plans, and even the less expensive prepaid plans. But the company has gotten … Read more

Motorola announces the 'lifeproof' Defy Pro

Not every rugged or semi-rugged phone has to look like a rubber tire.

Yesterday, Motorola announced its newest handset, the Defy Pro, which can resist dust, water, and scratches, but still looks sleek enough to be your day-to-day phone.

It has a 2.7-inch Gorilla Glass touch-screen display, and has a four-row physical QWERTY keyboard.

The handset also has three different "dashboards" or user profiles, which include outdoor, hiking, and workout view. These views give you details on the weather, track your hiking trails, and monitor your workouts, respectively.

This Android device has Bluetooth capabilities, comes loaded with … Read more

Moto's two new Android phones are anywhere but here

Motorola Mobility today announced a pair of Gingerbread Android smartphones that will arrive in Greater China, Europe, and Latin America in the coming weeks.

First up is the MotoLuxe, a touch-only smartphone with a 4.0-inch (480x854-pixel) display, an 800MHz processor, a 512MB RAM, and 1GB ROM.

Though certainly not the top-of-the-line stuff that we've seen out of Motorola over the last few releases, it should be more than enough Android for first-time buyers.

Additional specifications include a host of Google apps, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a 1,400mAh battery. The official fact sheet makes no … Read more

Motorola Defy ads axed for being misleading

Party foul! Ads for the Motorola Defy have been banned in the U.K. after the Advertising Standards Agency there declared that the rugged Android mobile isn't as party-proof as its advertisements would have you believe.

Two TV ads showed the Defy surviving being dropped on to the floor in a club, and doused at a sexy pool party. Onscreen accompanying text says it's "dance-floor proof" and "pool party proof." More text reads: "Water resistant, scratch resistant, dust proof. It's life proof."

Those ads have been branded misleading, however, after three Defy users complained that the screens on their phones had cracked after dropping them.

Read more of "Motorola Defy ads banned for being misleading" at Crave UK. … Read more

Transform photos to 3D with 3Defy

Ever wanted to give your old 2D pictures or photos that extra oomph? How about adding an extra dimension to that dusty two-axis plane?

3Defy Modeler is an interactive Web app that allows users to transform their photos into three-dimensional objects for free. Built by a team of passionate engineers, designers and 3D enthusiasts, 3Defy provides a a relatively basic set of tools to alter two dimensional images. Powered by Adobe Flash Player 11's 3D technology, users can turn various objects in their images into separate layers. Each layer can be exaggerated by users using 3Defy'… Read more

Motorola announces 'life-proof' Defy+ for select markets

Though there was some other news taking the spotlight, Motorola unveiled its Defy+ handset today, confirming recent rumors of a refreshed take on T-Mobile's version of the Android smartphone. Expected to launch in early fall across Asia, Europe, and Latin America, the "life-proof" device is capable of withstanding the incidental scratches, water, and dust that come with carrying a phone everywhere.

The Defy+ runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and features a 1GHz processor, a 3.7-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera, and 2GB of storage, courtesy of a MicroSD card. Motorola doesn't shy away from mentioning its … Read more

Google the vote

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Google launches search tools to help Americans vote

Sophos unveils free antivirus software for Mac users

T-Mobile announces a $10 Android phone

Hotmail now works with other e-mail accounts, even Gmail

Google blurs images of homes and faces in Germany on Street View maps

Ubisoft's Michael Jackson Experience game will come with a free sparkly glove if you preorder the Wii version

Martha Stewart launches an iPad app to help you make the best holiday cookies on the block

Motorola Defy gets pricing and release date

T-Mobile USA has recently posted a message on its Twitter account that says T-Mobile customers can get the Motorola Defy for only $99.99 starting November 3.

As a reminder, the Defy ships with Android 2.1 and Motorola's new MotoBlur interface. Features include a 5-megapixel camera with flash, DLNA support, a Flash Lite-enabled browser, and Motorola's CrystalTalk Plus technology that promises clearer calls.