Penny Mobiles – Mobile phone news, reviews & information

Despite all the fuss and hoopla surrounding Apple’s iPhone 4 antenna, it seems that the market demand for the newly released smart phone has not gone down. It has been almost a month since the official launch of the handset and until today, people are still inquiring with retailers and networks as to when the device will once again be available.

Virtual mobile network operator 3 UK has announced that they will be offering the iPhone 4 this coming Friday, July 30. Many are expected to line up for the device and the operator is already taking scheduled appointments with interested clients. Those who intend to take up the offer or switch to the iPhone 4 would want to contact 3 UK as soon as possible.

The Apple iPhone 4 has been at the center of a big media buzz as complaints about the device’s antenna issues has soared to a point that Apple’s constant denials could not distract users any longer. The folks at Cupertino originally released a short open letter to all iPhone 4 owners before the public pressure forced Steve Jobs to finally concede and provide an active solution.

However, Jobs’ emergency conference did not have the effect that Apple intended. While owners appreciated the gesture of receiving free bumper cases for the handset, the fact that it took Apple over three weeks to find the problem and offer such a basic solution did not sit well with many fans of the brand.

What made matters worse was the mention of other smart phones in Apple’s presentation, which promptly led to other companies making official statements countering what Steve Jobs said.

3 Mobile has not made any mention of the aforementioned antenna issue affecting the handset, but it is believed that new iPhone 4 owners will still need to use the special iTunes app to acquire the free bumper case.

Nokia’s X6 is a pretty impressive handset. It sports a 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touch screen display, an ARM 11 434MHz CPU and a 5 mega pixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, auto focus and LED flash. This media-centric handset has been designed to play plenty of media file formats and provide users with hours of entertainment in video or music.

Of course, that entertainment can only last so long. Between surfing the web via 3G or WiFi and using the handset’s media player, many users are reporting that the X6’s 1320mAh battery is not living up to expectations (on a full charge, users expect to get about 35 hours straight of playback).

According to a recent report, it seems that the culprit for the battery issue is not really the hardware, but user’s inability to shut down applications that are still running in the background. While the same solution applies to many other devices, it is inherently important for the Nokia X6 –as shutting down these errant apps is a simple matter of having to just access a menu and individually turning off the unneeded apps.

For those wondering why background applications would drain power, it is because the processor is still running the apps. CPU’s are among the most powerful users of battery energy. Running apps to a minimum is an important part of conserving the energy on a phone.

Of course, there are also a few other things that users should keep in mind when it comes to batteries. The first is to have an alternative power supply if you know you would need it. Long trips, all night events and other activities have a tendency of keeping users away from being able to charge at home. In this case, having a phone charger or a secondary battery is quite important especially if you will need the device (of course, it is important to make sure that the secondary battery always has a full charge).

Tracking down criminals can be a tough job, and if there is one thing that the Apple iPhone can do, it is by providing the law with a digital trail of crumbs that will lead the police right to the suspects.

The iPhone is prone to security issues and that is what Police operatives are taking advantage of in order to help track down criminals. A recent report has shown that thanks to all the small issues that Apple failed to figure out with the iPhone, there are plenty of ways that the iPhone has become the perfect tracker for wanted felons.

First off, text messages; apparently the Apple’s QWERTY keyboard typing feature has a major flaw. The problem lies with the automated dictionary that is intended to help people type message faster. While the feature does its job well, it also has an unannounced effect of being able to key-log messages that are being typed in. Keyloggers are the perfect way to get a quick bead on what new activities users are up to.

Of course, all that information is worthless unless the police are able to get their hands on the smart phone in the first place. And this is where geo tagged images become really important. The data on uploaded photos often contain geotagging information that users forget to remove –this one little tidbit of information alone is all that detective need to find their man.

Once they find the criminal, there is more that the Apple iPhone can give aside from just a recent history of text messages -the phone also stores a vast amount of image data of map screenshots. These images are generated each time the map app is turned off. In doing so, the phone automatically makes a quick snap shot of the device’s last known location. This creates a very useful log that can be used for evidence.

With the Kin’s unexpected cancellation in Europe, it is hard to see how Microsoft is ever going to regain its foothold in the European mobile phone markets. However, the American electronics manufacturer seems determined to set things right. Learning from how the social networking centered duo fared in the US, they have instead decided to cut their losses and focus their efforts on the launch of the Windows Phone 7 platform.

Retailers are preparing early for the line of products sporting the new operating system, creating attractive shop displays. Some of the Windows Phone 7 ads are due to be posted even as early as within the month.

According to official Microsoft documents that were leaked to the public, the company confirms a third quarter launch date for the new operating system. People who estimate the arrival date of the Windows Phone 7 platform say that it is actually due to be released on September.

It seems the accelerated release date can be attributed to the Microsoft branded Kin’s lackluster appeal in the mobile market. It was, after all, pitted against heavy competition against Google, Apple as well as Nokia.

With all the promotional shop floor displays and awareness drives, Microsoft really does not want to leave too much to chance. All the publicity and marketing should leave an impression on the consumers, after all, Microsoft has quite a few unique wow factors up its sleeve.

There are plenty of things to look forward to in the Windows Phone 7 platform. The modern user interface, plenty of apps ported from the Xbox Live Arcade as well as a great, Flash capable web browser. Hopefully all of this is enough to boost the Microsoft platform’s 7 percent market share which is only a fraction when compared to the 44 percent that Nokia’s Symbian dominates.

According to recent news, Disney has acquired the successful iPhone app developer Tapulous, in what seems to be the opening move into Disney’s foray into app development for the Apple iPhone platform.

Of course, Disney Interactive Media’s focus will be exclusive on the Apple smart phone, not only is the iPhone considered to be one of the most iconic devices ever released (which matches Disney’s reputation), but Steve Jobs is also the single, largest shareholder in Disney.

Steve Wadsworth, the current President of Disney Interactive Media has confirmed that the company is indeed going to delve into app development. The Mobile industry is growing and it would be a big mistake for Disney not to join in on the fun. And Disney is no stranger to the game development business. While many games have been released based on Disney’s products, they too have been working heavily on the development side.

Disney had previously teamed up with Squaresoft/Square Enix to bring Kingdom Hearts series to life –the license for which would be later bought by Disney. The company has also begun making its own games as well; their latest work, Epic Mickey is slated to be released for the PS3 and the Xbox 360.

The decision to acquire Tapulous is a pretty wise choice by Disney. While the amount that it took still remains undisclosed, we can imagine a pretty hefty sum. Tapulous is well known for its Tap Tap Revenge game (as well as several other titles in the series) and their apps are among the most downloaded apps in the paid category. The most recent updates from Tapulous is that the company is working on a social networking game.

Bart Decrem, co-founder of Tapulous, is excited about the acquisition. Given Disney’s position in the media industry and the resources they can offer, Tapulous gains to earn so much more.

According to recent reports, Microsoft has been offering cash incentives to developers and groups in order to encourage them to create new games for the upcoming Windows Phone 7 mobile platform. While some developers have declared that the cash offering is indeed substantial, it would still not cover the cost of developing for the complex platform that the new mobile platform uses.

Prior to this announcement, it has also been known that Microsoft has also been distributing WP7 handsets to developers in order to show programmers what the new OS is capable of.

In many ways, the strategy being employed by Microsoft is actually pretty smart, even Google was giving out Android handsets to developers at the I/O conference. This is because getting programmers to test and see the actual OS at work gives them an idea of what apps will be great for the device.

The fact that Microsoft is also bringing in the Xbox Live Games service to the platform makes the whole act seem a little more desperate. As it is, MS is luring its existing crowd of Xbox gamers to also make use of the Xbox services on the phone –the support for existing accounts and even inclusion of gamer points and in game achievements is meant to show players that the smart phone can also provide a similar gaming environment.

While some players are excited at the prospect, there are those who feel that the inclusion of gamer points and achievements for the many casual games that are played on smart phones should be separate from the achievements they have accomplished on the console.

In many ways, Microsoft is expecting game players to shell out plenty of money this year as the company will not only be launching a new smart phone operating system, they are also launching a second, smaller version of the Xbox 360 as well as the new Microsoft Kinect motion control system accessories as well.

When it comes to the Android, anyone who is familiar with technology would have plenty of reasons to praise and be happy with this mobile platform. From its open source nature to the fact that it supports so many standards, it is hard for any tech junkie to not like any product that is sporting the little green robot from Google.

But for the general public, the Android is just another name, and being open source is hardly a reason to choose an OS. In order to figure out what makes and Android smart phone so good, here is a quick layman’s look at Google’s operating system.

First off, the Android is an operating system. This is basically the digital foundation upon which all apps, functions, features are accessed and run from. The iPhone and many other smart phones all have their own operating system, and aside from the hardware features of a mobile handset, the operating system is an important factor to consider when buying a phone.

The Android is unique from the iPhone OS as it is an open source platform. For the consumer, this technical term may not mean much, but the bottom line here is that open source operating systems tend to have more apps that can do more things. Literally speaking, the phone will be more “open” to developers. This means that the people that make apps will have access to more of the phone’s features, like the camera, music player, and other valuable resources. In turn, this will allow for the creation of a wider range of apps.

Another reason why Google’s Android is so good is because Google made it. This means that all (well, most) of Google’s online services are accessible from an Android device. Be it Gmail, Google Buzz, Google Chat, Google Earth, Maps, Street View, YouTube, Picasa and everything else is compatible with the system.

Finally, no mobile OS would be worth much without a decent set of handsets that employ it, and the Android certainly doesn’t fall short here. At the high end, phones like HTC’s Desire provide an impresive array of features, while phones like the upcoming SE XPERIA X8 allow access to to this powerful OS on a budget.

In February 2010, Samsung launched the campaign Unpacked 2010 featuring new mobile phone Samsung Wave. Known for its high technological standards and customer driven strategy, Samsung is once again one step ahead as a leading new wave innovative company. Its latest mobile phone includes 3 exciting new features set to revolutionize the way we interact with each other. The Super AMOLED display gets a more realistic and vivid world at the tips of your fingers letting you experience superior visual enhancement.

As a proud member of the smart phones family, Samsung Wave has a truly unique touch screen responding quickly to user’s actions and providing information searched within seconds. The Social Hub will be an instant hit between social networking fans as it allows quick access and interaction with users across many popular social networks. Updating your profile by adding media or text is one touch away.

The TouchWiz 3.0 UI interface is a powerful and improved tool on Samsung Wave mobile phone guiding the user through the customization process. Main mobile page can be set up to match user’s major interests. For example, for a music fan the TouchWiz 3.0 UI interface will feature an intuitive music interface which will provide instant access to music applications. The Quick Panel is yet another great option which makes possible for users to make a page of their most frequent applications for very fast response time.

The new BADA platform to which Samsung Wave adheres is an exciting and refreshing tool which enables very fast downloading time for your Samsung Applications, providing at the same time a fantastic opportunity to application developers to enhance the mobile phone’s features and to unleash the potential of amazing new features to be added.

Amazing Samsung Wave deals are now available at major UK networks such as O2, Vodafone UK, Orange UK and many others.

It seems that with the plethora of iPhone apps already out in the market, there is a significant lack of those which make use of the scroll feature of the mobile device. There are so many games out there which make use of the Apple device’s accelerometer or a virtual joystick on its touch screen but scrolling? That’s unheard of.

Well, until now. Fishing Cactus, an indie game developer and Bulkypix, a budding game publisher founded by former Vivendi Games Mobile members, has announced a new game app called “Roll Out” which is exclusive to the Apple iPhone. The objective is simple: you must get a spiky-haired creature called Wabba to the black hole-like exit to finish a level. Here is the official description from the game’s official website:

“Scroll the control layer icon thanks to the touch screen to say to Wabba when accelerate, jump, slow down or stop… It will do all you’re asking for! Help Wabba to reach as fast as possible the exit of the 50 levels!”

While there are plenty of puzzle games already out for the iPhone, Rollout and its charming protagonist Wabba gets thumbs up due to the novel method of game interaction.

There is the usual suite of premium features as far as iPhone app games are concerned. There is Open Feint compatibility , trophies and online leader boards so you can brag to your friends just how fast you got Wabba to safety and there is the Twitter and Facebook support so you can tell them to join in on the fun.

The game download goes live on June 4. For those who just cannot wait to get their hands on Roll Out, there are downloadable game wallpapers found on the game’s official website. This includes a trio of iPhone wallpapers as well as wallpaper for your computer.

Owners of Android smart phones will certainly enjoy making use of Layars, this impressive little augmented reality app provides instant, on the spot access to vast stores of information. By combining the data from the user’s GPS, phone compass and camera data, Layars is able to provide location specific information that users will certainly enjoy learning about.

Of course, the many types of layers within the Layar app are what make using the app so interesting. Here is a quick list of top Layar layers for the United Kingdom.

First up, the Samsung Football Pubs; sure, the app is a little dicey, after all, it does have a specific sponsor, but if you ever find yourself needing a good tap recommendation and be sure that they will have the latest match playing on the telly, then this Layar is the right one for you. With the World Cup coming soon, may be easy to predict that almost all of the local pubs will be tuning in, but for the rest of the year, this Layar could be your best friend.

The UK Hospital Finder is one Layar that we certainly hope that you would not really need, but when it comes to dire emergencies, nothing helps better than getting help from the pros. This Layar app will guide and show you the closest and safest route to the nearest hospital. The app also sorts out the various children’s hospitals from accident and emergency hospitals –which means that you get to go to the right place for the right problems.

Our last choice Layar pick is the Local Sale Finder. While the Layar is not updated as often as we would like, it still gives you excellent tips on where to go and what to buy. The layer also provides users with digital vouchers for discounts that you can use at the store too.