Gadgety News

There’s official word from my roots back in Canada.

RIM’s Canadian HQ have confirmed that their Storm touchscreen handset will be hitting the United Kingdom within the first 7 days of November.

No word on tariffs but I reckon it’s safe to say that they would be competitive with the likes of the iPhone and the G1 Android.

I’m thinking unlimited downloads and an 18-month contract - these seem to have become de rigueur in the clever phone world.

More news as I get it

Don’t get me wrong but…..

This kinda thing doesn’t usually get my juices flowing but T-Mobile’s new Mobile Broadband Share Dock is one of the slicker versions out there.

The funky unit consists of a USB HSDPA modem and a base which shares the connection over WiFi, which means you can unplug the modem and take your access on the road.

Sorted.

Well, as long as you don’t need a persistent connection at home and can live with the bandwidth.

£20 per month will get you this dock and should be hitting the UK in the next couple of days.

PocketLint

Google used its Developer Day event in London to show off a working Android phone and this was captured by YouTube user “scottlet”.

The mystery phone got the old “gaffer over the badge” treatment so no clues given as to the forthcoming handset’s branding - expected from T-Mobile/HTC very soon.
Watch the vid to see select areas of the new mobile operating system in action.

Anyhow, there can’t be long to wait now, if the rumours are to be believed.

Click To See Google Android Presentation

According to The Telegraph the HTC Dream Google Android handset will be arriving to this fair isle thanks to T-Mobile in November.

To my knowledge this is the first sign that we’ll be getting this much lauded handset in the UK.

The Telegraph has this to say:

Its arrival in Britain will mark the next phase of Google’s attempts to dominate new areas of the technology industry. Today is the 10th anniversary of its launch, since when it has grown into a $139bn behemoth that dominates the internet search industry.

Android has been designed to support a vast suite of new internet applications and aims to replicate Microsoft’s success with its Windows desktop software.

Have a goosey at the full news piece in The Telegraph.

By the way - happy 10th birthday Googs!!

Nokia has finally announced that their much anticipated flagship (since February!) N96 has now started shipping so it’s likely to appear a month earlier than the previously thought October date.

If you need reminding it boasts a TV tuner, 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, turn-by-turn voice navigation, 16GB of internal memory that can be increased to 24GB with an optional microSD card, “superior sound and music”, N-Gage gaming and a 2.8-inch display.

Nokia says that first shipments of the device have started and it will be available with an estimated retail price of 550 euros (about £450) before taxes, subsidies and those other niceties.

In the UK, operators and retailers are due to be 3, Carphone Warehouse, Orange, Phones4U, T-Mobile and Vodafone.

You can order your own direct from Nokia. The store still offers it as a pre-order at the moment, but that’s likely because they’re clearing the backlog of existing orders before listing it properly.

Rejoyce!

Reports state that the Sidekick Slide, listed as “temporarily unavailable” on T-Mobile’s official site has been switching itself off.

T-Mobile has made this statement “T-Mobile USA suspended sales of the T-Mobile Sidekick Slide on Friday evening, Nov. 16, after Motorola – the manufacturer of the device – confirmed that some devices may inadvertently power off when the slide door on the front side of the phone is opened or closed”.

“T-Mobile has taken this action to help ensure our customers only receive devices we’re confident will perform at their peak, so they can stay effortlessly connected to those who matter most”.

“Motorola is currently working to identify the root cause of the power cycle issue in affected Sidekick Slide devices. The T-Mobile Sidekick and Sidekick are not affected by this issue”.

Customers affected are urged to return their handsets to stores where they will receive an upgrade to the LX model.  As yet I have been unable to find out if the UK handsets are suffering the same problems as their stateside cousins; and, if so, whether the same rules apply.