Apple has set the standard that once every year they will release a new version of the iPhone. It stands to reason that this year will be no different, with a new model likely coming sometime this summer. But arguably just as important as Apple’s hardware refresh is the accompanying software refresh that comes with it as well. And that’s why it shouldn’t be surprising at all that whispers of iPhone OS 4.0 are starting to grow. But this year, the timeline appears a bit off.

As AppleInsider reported today, iPhone OS 4.0 is likely to deliver multitasking support. If true, that will make it perhaps the most important OS upgrade for the platform yet. However, in reporting the news, AppleInsider also notes that the software, “remains under development and reportedly has a quite ‘way to go’ before it’s ready for prime time.” Looking back at the iPhone OS SDK history you’ll notice a constant: Apple has released the beta builds in March the past two years. We’re already well into March this year, and so far, no word about Apple being close to doing the same.

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It’s inevitable, tiered data plans for mobile devices are coming.  It’s a reality that wireless providers and consumers are soon going to have to deal with. As phones add more features and become more data-centric, they tax wireless networks, and ultimately, the network provider’s bottom line. Verizon’s CTO, Tony Melone, had this to say when he was asked about unlimited data plans by the Wall Street Journal:  “As much data as you can consume is the big issue that has to change… It’s one thing to say all you can eat is gone, it’s another to have consumers worrying, ‘Can I stream this radio?’ That’s what we don’t want.” It is mildly comforting to know that Verizon’s CTO understands — you can get rid of unlimited data… as long as we can have unlimited data. One thing we’re sure of: when the first major U.S. carrier institutes a tiered data pricing policy, the others are sure to follow suit. You can look for this to roll out prior to Verizon’s first 4G handset dropping circa summer 2011. 

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After the folks of Engadget pulled out the first review of the HTC Hero follow-up Legend, we’ve found out that the device has started being delivered today, much earlier than estimated. Last we heard, it was supposed to arrive in Q2, so it’s 3 weeks early.

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Tags: aluminum chassis, HTC Hero follow-up, HTC Legend, HTC Legend shipment

Looking for an Android 2.1 handset with a cheap price tag? Vodafone 845 might be an alternative, with the appeal of the Vodafone 360 also on its pros list. Available for 150 EUR, this handset comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera and a 2.8 inch QVGA display.

Vodafone 845 will be launched in May and it will also sport 512MB internal memory, support for UMTS/HSDPA, WiFi, aGPS and Bluetooth 2.1. An accelerometer is also on board, as well as a 1200 mAh battery. The handset will be bundled with 1GB of free data traffic for the Vodafone 360 service.

[via allaboutphones.nl]

Are you a web developing Android lover? Then chances are you’ve scoured the market for some apps that can increase your productivity or provide tools for managing your websites on the go. Mashable made a quick list of 5 Free Android Apps for Web Developers that is pretty handy – thought I’d pass it along:

1. HTMLeditor
2. AndFTP
3. View Web Source
4. Magic Color Picker
5. HTML Test

I’d definitely like to try out AndFTP (screenie below) and I know there are a bunch of apps out there that alert you when your sites are down.

Any web developers out there want to share their favorites?

The battle between HTML 5 and Flash wages on with the discovery of an interesting report comparing the CPU usage of HTML 5 and Flash on both Mac and Windows platform. In the midst of all the smack talk about Flash, Flash was presumed to be a CPU hog that chokes your system to the point of death. A series of measurements performed by video compression guru Jan Ozer reveals that Flash may not be as much of a CPU killer as previously thought and that, in some cases, HTML 5 is the culprit that causes CPU overload. Ozer tested HTML 5 and Flash on a Mac using Safari, Chrome and Firefox and on a Windows machine using Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.

The results show that Flash CPU utilization is much higher on a Mac with Flash 10.1 gobbling up 32.07 CPU % points when using Safari, 42.07 when using Firefox and a whopping 49.79 when using Chrome. Flash 10.1 was much gentler on the Windows machine with CPU utilization topping out a reasonable 14.63 CPU % points when using IE and dropping as low as 6% when using Firefox. HTML 5 results were all over the chart with HTML 5 consuming a mere 12.39 CPU % points in Safari, presumably due to the built-in H.264 decoding found in the Apple browser, while at the same time, chomping down a staggering 49.89 in the Mac version of Chrome. The Windows platform fared a bit better with Chrome using 25.66% CPU points when rendering HTML 5 content. In the end, Flash is markedly better on Windows (which we already knew) and HTML 5 shines in the Safari for the Mac but why is there such a disparity between the two platforms? Hit the jump to find out.

Ozer believes that one of the deciding factors influencing CPU utilization by Flash is the presence (or absence) of GPU hardware acceleration. On the Windows platform where GPU hardware acceleration for Flash is often written into the drivers for video cards, Flash performance is exceptional while HTML 5 is only mediocre. On the Macintosh, HTML 5 performance is boosted by the presence of H.264 decoding built into Safari for the Mac while Flash performance is significantly worse as Mac OS X does not provide access to the APIs necessary for GPU acceleration. If Apple opened up the appropriate hooks for Adode to tap into, CPU utilization by Flash could be reduced significantly and its performance would rival that of HTML 5. So yes, Steve, Adobe Flash is a CPU hog but only on the Mac and one of the reasons is because you let it be.

[Via ReadWriteWeb]

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While a lot of people are pretty pumped about Windows Phone 7, there’s are some people who definitely are not: everyone stuck on a now antiquated Windows Mobile 6.5 handset. Microsoft has already confirmed that if your phones running 6.5, it’s not going to be running 7 any time soon.

If you can’t join’em, beat’em, right? There’s a new project in the works which aims to breath new life into old Windows Mobile 6.5 phones.. by replacing the whole OS with Android.

As you can see in the video above, they’ve already managed to jam the OS onto an HTC TouchPro2. (Fun Fact: I’ve wanted an HTC TouchPro 2 running Android since before the TouchPro 2 officially existed. I’ll be buying one purely for hacking this onto it.) It’s not perfect just yet, but it’s damn near it; data works, SMS works, calling works, and that glorious, glorious hardware keyboard works.

They’ve also got it up and running in various forms of functionality on the HTC Diamond2 (AT&T Pure), HD, Diamond, and the original Touch Pro. Ready to get your hack on? Pocketnow has all the download links you need to get started.

This should be a relief to not only HTC Tattoo users but also the general lower-end Android handset owners: the HTC Tattoo is getting an upgrade to Android 2.1. According to French Android website Frandroid, HTC has confirmed the upgrade:

Kindly note we understand that now that a phone running Android OS 2.1 is available that you are excited to get an update for your Tattoo. We are still working hard to building Sense for this new version but we expect to have the upgrade finished and ready to go soon. Please understand that it takes time to customize any Android version to ensure you have the intuitive experience Sense provides, and we hope you can be patient for just a little while longer.

The HTC Tattoo is one of the lower powered Android Phones, bringing a 2.8-inch screen, QVGA resolution and 528 MHz processor. The concern for handsets like the G1/Dream and other budget Androids is that their processors and specs aren’t strong enough to power the bulk/heft of Android 2.1’s robust features. If this development is indeed true, it should bring hope to owners of other devices as well.

Only yesterday we were drooling over the idea that Epic Games had managed to port their draw-droppingly beautiful game engine, Unreal Engine 3, to the iPhone. As it turns out, the iPhone isn’t alone – it’s heading to webOS, too!

Details are still a bit slim at the moment, but Palm just announced the deal with Epic Games at the Games Developer Conference in San Francisco. Anyone with access to Palm’s new PDK and Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 (read: everyone – both are free, though Unreal Engine requires licensing for commercial use) should be able to make use of the new friendship. At the very least, we ought to see some killer looking games from the major houses before too long.

The Nexus One had an outstanding amount of hype prior to its release – and rightfully so – but sales of Google’s first phone in their new distribution channel haven’t taken off and analysts are noticing. Goldman Sachs has slashed their original estimates of 3.5 million units in 2010 to a paltry 1 million. Even worse, if/when the company launches the Nexus Two and markets it more aggressively both on and offline, they’re only predicting annual sales of 2 million handsets:

We previously estimated that Google might sell 3.5 mn Nexus One units in 2010. Initial data-points were disappointing, possibly due to limited marketing and customer service challenges. Flurry estimated (based on mobile traffic) that Google sold 20,000 in the first week, and 80,000 in the first month, both annualizing to 1.0 mn. We forecast that Google sells 1.0 mn Nexus One units in FY2010, benefiting from US carriers other than T-Mobile, and non-US carriers such as Vodafone, promoting the device too, but suffering from limited marketing activity. We assume that Google rolls out a second Nexus handset, markets it more aggressively, and makes it available offline, and therefore forecast that Google sells 2 mn handsets per year in 2011 and future years. — Goldman Sachs

You could easily say that this isn’t about generating handset sales but instead establishing a new distribution model and if you did, you might be right. But it doesn’t take away from the fact that the pre-announcement hype and post-launch sales haven’t been playing in the same ballpark.

And then you have what Andy Rubin would say – that the company hoped to sell 150,000 units and would consider that a success. Was he just being modest in hopes of crushing those estimates? Perhaps. But clearly the company hasn’t pushed the Nexus One to its limits. They even ran a SuperBowl spot solely to promote Google Search, a product that the entire universe knows about, while allowing the Nexus One to live on in offline ambiguity.

As for the Nexus Two and predicted sales? I think it totally depends on how hard Google decides to push the device, if their new “distribution model” gains a bit more focus, and whether or not they get more carriers on board. Right now they only have T-Mobile USA committed to offering the Nexus One through their site although both Verizon and Vodafone committed on launch day – still no offerings from them. And of course you’ve also got branded versions of the Nexus One, dubbed HTC Desire (with some improvements), hitting select markets.

Let’s face it though – 1 million handsets isn’t bad for what by all accounts seems more like a “test” than anything else. And if Google continues to “test” with the Nexus Two I would consider 2 million a success as well. But if they ever decide to kick things into a higher gear, I think that 2 million could not only easily be beaten in 2011 but probably doubled and beyond.

The big debate on whether or not the iPhone, which debuted back in 2007, needs multitasking has been one that’s gone on since day one. It’s one of those features that many take for granted, and don’t even notice they’re using the feature until, rather quietly, the feature is taken away from them. Or, for many iPhone adopters, they willingly give it away. But it looks like this all may be finally coming to an end, as sources close to AppleInsider are beginning to whisper of some very interesting things.

First and foremost, is that the iPhone OS 4.0 (which is rumored to be launched in just a few months) is finally going to offer up some kind of multitasking support. Of course, the big question is how Apple has managed to do this, considering the iPhone doesn’t have a traditional “window”-like Operating System. According to these unnamed people, Apple has found a “full-on solution” to the multitasking conundrum, by delivering a multitasking manager that leverages the interface already bundled with its other Operating System, Mac OS X. While these kinds of shady communiques are naturally kept without names and many details, it seems that this time a lot of the details are being kept under wraps simply because iPhone OS 4.0 is still a long way off, before it’s ready to be unveiled to the world.

While many believe the iPhone doesn’t multitask at all, this is simply not the case. Apple has, from the start (or at least from 2008, when the App Store launched), taken into consideration the user’s experience with their device. When you allow a full-blown multitasking experience, things like security, battery life, and resource conservation come into play. Apple did not want to sacrifice the battery life just so you could have Monkey Ball running on pause in the background. Instead, they left the multitasking up to their first-party applications, like the iPod, because they could leverage that battery life directly. But, if Apple has indeed figured out a way to make multitasking not only work on the iPhone, we look forward to seeing it in action.

[via AppleInsider]

LG is having a busy day, it seems, since it’s just showcased a bunch of new phones in Netherlands. The new models are: LG Cookie Music, LG Pure, LG GT405, LG KS365, LG Jacquar 5 and LG GT400 Viewty. Pictured below, LG Cookie Music reminds us of LG KM555, available on Rogers.

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Tags: LG Cookie Music, LG GT400 Viewty, LG GT405, LG Jacquar 5, LG KS365, LG Pure

When this was brought to our attention, the sad truth is that we weren’t really all that surprised by it. For one, it’s not like this is the first time that China and Google have been in the news together recently, so something like this almost seems natural, if not a direct response to those past events. But, is that really even the reason? Should we really be upset that Motorola has chosen to use Microsoft’s Bing as its primary search engine in China?

According to Reuters, this could very well be the reason. It’s a sad truth that politics can come between a great many things, and if this situation is indeed the case, then chalk this one up as another loss. And while many think that an Android-based device isn’t an Android-based device if it’s lacking such distinct features as (Google) search and (Google) maps, that’s simply not the case. No matter how you look at it, the Android mobile Operating System is planted firmly in the open source market. Meaning, once someone decides that they want to use Android on their device, it’s fair game.

We’ve seen such travesties before, naturally. Sure, it doesn’t help Motorola’s case that the last great debacle featuring a missing Google feature happened on another one of their devices, but this just seems to be a case of freedom of choice. The manufacturing company has decided to stake their claim in an open project, and by the result of that, can do whatever they want with the platform once it makes it onto their hardware. (Let’s not forget that AT&T is more than likely also very much to blame for the Yahoo! Search on the Motorola Backflip, the other handset in question.) As much as we all expect, or even need our Google-centric applications on Android devices, the nature of the beast is far more robust, and has a lot more options.

If you’re wondering what the deal with those Hubs on Windows Phone 7 Series is, you’ll get your answer from the video below. This is a concise clip, showing the main features of new mobile platform made by Microsoft, so you might want to check it out if you plan on being a future user:

The video was filmed during an interview taking place along with the Microsoft MVP Summit. What you see in it is a Windows Phone 7 prototype, maybe made by ASUS or LG and its cool features are showcased in the vid above. Meanwhile, we learn that Microsoft has set up a blog Permalink | Comments | Author )
Tags: Windows Phone 7 hubs, Windows Phone 7 prototype, Windows Phone 7 Series, Windows Phone 7 video demo

Available today from Verizon Wireless is the long awaited Casio G’zOne Brigade. The Brigade keeps the rugged good looks of its G’zOne predecessors but shakes things up by debuting as a horizontal clamshell instead of the traditional flip phone. The Brigade also ups the specs of the G’zOne line by offering the following:

• 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash, video capture and LED light function
• Full QWERTY keyboard
• Push to Talk
• Field Force Manager
• MIL-STD-810F standards for Water, shock, dust, immersion, vibration, humidity, salt fog, altitude, high and low temperature storage, and solar radiation
• GPS with support for VZ Navigator
• Front facing speakerphone
• Text to speech capability
• microSD expansion

The Casio G’zOne Brigade hits the shelves of Verizon Wireless at a rather pricey $249 after a $50 mail in rebate and two year contract, $319.99 after a $50 mail in rebate and one year contract and $419 full retail. It also comes with an optional $5 monthly PTT plan and is outrageously classified as a 3G Multimedia phone which will require a minimum 25MB data plan for $9.99 monthly. Anyone interested in a $250 feature phone with mandatory data?

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