iPhone5 rumors- What will fall from Apple's tree in 2012?

About a year ago, all waited with baited breath for the Next Big Thing to debut from Apple when it came time to reveal their new iteration of the iPhone franchise. The anticipation became greater and the tension grew  until the big day when Apple finally revealed the iPhone4S to a fan base drooling at the idea of a new product from the folks in Cupertino.

A few weeks after the phone came out, the loyal Apple users were fairly unanimous in their lukewarm reaction to the new offering.

Lukewarm? Yep- it seems besides the addition of Siri, the iPhone4S was simply a refreshed version of the iPhone4 with a little bit faster processor and a tweak of the software. Fanboys would have to wait until 2012 for the next Next Big Thing. Surely this time the new phone will be equipped with way-out-there tech and stuffed with unbelievable surprises for the fan base. Excitement over the debut of the iPhone5 has already begun.

Maybe the new iPhone5 will be an enormous leap of technology and imagination. But, how should I know? I'm just a humble blogger from the heartland of America.

This is one idea for the iPhone5. There are thousands of others out there.
(source: unknown)

Well, maybe the people at cnet.com would know. Just like the last few years, Cnet.com gathers  rumors and whispers from all over the world and presents them to the reader for review and consideration. Some rumors are wild and others are more mundane and are all unverified. But, the fun is in the what-if scenarios that keep us all guessing and builds interest for the reveal sometime later this year.

At some point, Apple's iPhone5 will be old news, but not right now. As of now, the impending debut of the iPhone5 is the hottest thing out there. Go to cnet.com to learn more.

At least, that's what I heard. What do you know?

Nokia Lumina 710 review- Windows Phone 7 done right?

For those who want to be different- the Lumina  710
(nokia.com)

For a while now, Windows phones have taken a back seat to the iPhone and the Android systems as far as ease of use and powerful features. No longer. Now, Nokia (little known as the world's #1 cell phone producer) is introducing into the United States a new model called the Nokia Lumina 710 and Nokia is looking to make a splash in the US market with this nifty offering. Windows Phone 7 is little known in America and Microsoft is trying to get some market traction for its mobile phone system.

Based on a hugely successful model long popular in Europe, the Lumina 710 is actually the bottom of the Nokia Windows phone pile with the model 800 in the middle and the model 900 at the top. The difference lies in memory, processors, types of material used to build the phone along with screen resolution.

Anyway, the 710 will contain the latest iteration of the new Windows 7 mobile software. Just as powerful and easy to use as the Apple and Android system, the Windows universe also boasts more than 50,000 apps. This is just a tiny fraction of the 750,000 apps in the Apple iTunes store, but when was the last time you needed or used 750,000 apps? Or even 50,000 apps? The point is, there's more than enough apps in everyone's store to keep even the most consumptive phone freak happy.

The Seattle Times's website has their review of the Nokia Lumina Model 710 that's short and to the point. In general they like the phone and because it's available for less than $40 at your friendly cell provider (T-Mobile in the U.S.) and just about anyone can discover and enjoy the Windows Phone experience. Go here to see the review and go to Nokia's Lumina 710 site here for more technical info. 

That's all of the phone news for now. With Apple's rumored iPad3 announcement in a couple of weeks, I get the feeling I'll be wearing out the "A" key on my computer over the next month. 

Apple iPhone 5 Rumors- The latest ones, the wierdest ones and the truth.

Apple people are hard core. They love Apple and not much else. I think many Apple people would agree Apple fanboys tend to look down on their Windows friends and pity them with a sad, slow shake of their head and a quick "You should have bought an Apple" comment.

To that end, one of the few- correct that, only topics Apple fans like to discuss is the next iteration of the iPhone franchise, in this case, the iPhone 5. Rumors abound from all manner of sources and run the gamut from the mild to the wild. Many websites dedicate giant portions of their time to reporting even the most ludicrous of rumors whispered in the hallways of tech companies worldwide.

I hear they're making one out of moonrocks, but that's just a rumor.
(apple.com)

Normally serious journalists spend inordinate amounts of effort investigating things like leaked LCD screen orders, battery company quarterly reports and overheard bathroom stall conversations. Most reputable sites report this tech gossip by prefacing it with a terse warning to take all of the sketchy information with a grain of salt.

Now, having established the unreliable nature of these rumor mills, I must admit it is fun to imagine an iPhone with a 5" screen or to think about a quad-core chip behind the iconic logo or even that an iPhone might be able to last three days because of a battery breakthrough.

I read a ton of these sites and I keep returning to the Cnet iPhone 5 Rumor Roundup for the most complete list of these way-out-there ideas for a phone made of glass, aluminum and plastic. After seeing the way some folk drool at the mention of the words "iPhone 5", you'd think it was made of beef ribs and BBQ sauce.

Hey, that's not a bad idea. Maybe I'll start that rumor myself!

Go to the iPhone Rumor Roundup at Cnet here.

Saving a wet cell phone- 10 ways to dry out your mobile investment.

A while back, I wrote about using a bowl of white rice to dry out a cell phone. This method is not guaranteed to work all of the time, but it's really better than doing nothing. It turned out to be a popular post and it got me to thinking: This is apparently a real problem and there must be more methods than only immersion in a bowl of white rice.

Turns out, there are many more ways than just a dry rice bath.

Mmm...the smell of a feshly baked cell phone...

(source: 6cachet.com)

The people who should know at advancedtele.com have a list of ten ways to possibly save your $300 (or more) investment. Believe it or not, household appliances like your freezer or TV may be able to help you out- even some alcohol may also be of significant use in saving you hundreds of dollars (or pounds or Euros) when your phone goes plop or your teenager didn't remove his iPhone from his jeans before stuffing them in the washer.

Remember, all of these suggestions are last-ditch desperate attempts and should only be used when you have no other option. Do all of these at your own risk. But when you're trying to avoid spending part of the mortgage payment on a replacement nearly anything you can try is better than doing nothing at all.

My first, best piece of advice is not to get the phone wet in the first place. But accidents do happen and it's reassuring to know that there may be methods, albeit desperate ones, to ressurrect your mobile buddy and get it back into service.

Go to the advancedtele.com website here.

Good luck!

Windows Phone 7 Review- Is this a gamechanger?

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about the impending debut of Windows Phone 7. Well, today is the day and WP7 has dropped across the globe as a competitor to Apple's iPhone and the Android software.


So far, it seems the Samsung Focus is the phone of choice.
(Credit: Samsung)



So far, the reviews seem to be pretty positive, with most reviewers finding WP7 to be responsive and every bit as good as its rivals. For now, there will only be seven or eight phones out with WP7. But expect that number to swell as makers start churning out versions for every purpose and purse.

Apps? Like the others, WP7 has them too. For now there's around 1,000 apps in the store with several hundred expected to be added every week from now until...whenever.

Paul Thurott's Super Site for Windows has the most comprehensive information on this new phone operating system with more than 20 pages of review down to the tiniest detail- click here to read it. This guy literally wrote the book on the new WP7, "Windows 7 Phone Secrets" that can be found at Amazon if you click here.

If you're looking for something different from the rest and like to be someone who has the first of everything, then maybe Windows Phone 7 might be the right call.

Get an Andriod phone for $10? Sure. But...

...ah, there's always a "but" when something sounds too good, isn't there?



This is the Comet.
For 10 bucks, it ain't bad.

(credit: T-Mobile)



In this case, T-Mobile will really sell you an Android smart phone with the latest 2.2 release of the Android operating system for smartphones (also called "Froyo"- it's development codename) for ten dollars. The downside is like buying the cheapest version of a Chevy you can find; sure, it's still a Chevy, but it has minimal this and minimal that and if you want to upgrade to a better model, it's gonna cost you.

The $10 phone- named "Comet" and built by a small company called Huawei (???) offers a much slower (and cheaper) processor and a minimal memory of 2 gigabytes (it is expandable to 32 gigs if you purchase an SD card on your own and plug it in the side). The screen is also smaller, 2.8 inches compared to 4 inches for the most expensive models.

But, if you've been looking for a smart phone but don't need or want the fastest this or the biggest that, then this might be the phone for you. Remember, though, this is still T-Mobile and any phone you would buy would come with a 2-year contract with all of the monthly data rates that apply to everyone else.



The phone can be purchased without a contract for around $150. Then, you're free to drop in your carrier-specific phone card and talk away for a fraction of the costs of your friends.

Go here to see a description of the phone.

The EVOlution of Android phones.

Ever since the Apple iPhone hit the shelves a few years ago, other cell phone makers have been scrambling to catch up and to get some of that (profitable!) smart phone pie.

Palm tried and got swallowed whole by Hewlett Packard, who bought them out after the Pre sunk like a stone on the unforgiving river of the cell phone marketplace. Microsoft tried and died and are reloading with the upcoming Windows Phone 7. Others have come and gone with the fickle whims of the buying public.

Android was introduced by Google less than two years ago and has gone through numerous updates, tweaks and improvements. Finally, the app store has exceeded 50,000 applications, the software has matured and the phone hardware can now do the heavy lifting required by savvy users.

One of the latest phones to hit the market is the HTC Evo. A smartphone in the mold of the iPhone, the Evo takes advantage of the 4G ("G" means generation) wireless phone system in place in many major cities across the country (but not all- some towns are still making due with the "old" 3G system).

It still works just fine with 3G, however and the screen, functions, apps and all of the other bells and whistles promise to provide consumers with a legitimate option to the iPhone, which has taken its lumps as of late.

For some, an iPhone is all they'll ever need. For others, an iPhone is not an option- whether due to personal choice, work requirements or cost. For those folks who choose to take another path, the HTC Evo is a good place to start shopping.

PCWorld has a review of the Evo here.