Long-rumored versions of HTC's ubiquitous Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2 have finally been made official for AT&T -- but perhaps more notably, they mark AT&T's very first forays into the WinMo 6.5 arena as Microsoft officially unleashes the latest version of its mobile platform on the world this week.

The Pure is a particularly heavy rework of the Diamond2's industrial design, shedding the square metal-adorned shell for a glossy black plastic one while carrying over the 3.2-inch WVGA display and 5 megapixel autofocus camera. Meanwhile, the Tilt 2 resurrects the Tilt name -- dormant since AT&T's version of the TyTN II made way for the Fuze last year -- bringing a 3.6-inch WVGA display, full QWERTY keyboard with tilt-up display (hence the name), full duplex speakerphone, and a 3.2 megapixel cam. The Pure will be the first on shelves, available already (ahead of Microsoft's official release on Tuesday, interestingly) for $149.99 on contract after a $50 rebate; the Tilt2 comes "in the following weeks" for $299.99 after $50 rebate.

via: Engagdet

More than 30 smartphones running on Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 from a total of over 15 handset vendors are to be launched before the end of 2009, according to Benjamin Tan, senior director, GCR Mobile Team Unit at Microsoft China.
Tan revealed the numbers as he met a group of reporters in China recently.

Handset vendors which have expressed their support for Microsoft's new mobile OS include HTC (High Tech Computer), Acer, Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics (LGE), Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, and Hewlett-Packard (HP), according to market sources in Taiwan.

In addition, telecom carriers from around the globe, including AT&T, Sprint Nextel, Verizon Wireless, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone, NTT DoCoMO, Softbank Mobile, SKT, Telstra and Telus, have also voiced support for Windows Mobile 6.5, the sources added.

HTC, a long-term partner of Microsoft, is expected to offer two Windows Mobile 6.5-based models, the HTC Tilt2 (HTC Touch Pro2) and HTC Pure (HTC Touch Diamond2) to carriers including AT&T, indicated the sources.
Source: Digitaltimes Telecom

Sony yesterday the 5th, delivered its promise of making digital readers and eBooks accessible and affordable for consumers with the introduction of two new Readers. Part of a new Reader line, the Reader Pocket Edition(TM) puts a library in your hands for as little as $199. Both the Reader Pocket Edition and the Reader Touch Edition(TM) will be available at the end of August, at SonyStyle.com, SonyStyle stores and select retail partners. Also, new releases and New York Times bestseller titles in the eBook Store from Sony will now be available for $9.99.

"We firmly believe consumers should have choice in every aspect of their digital reading experience," said Steve Haber, president of Sony's Digital Reading Business Division. "Our goal is to expand the market and provide greater access to what consumers want to read when they want to read it - whether they buy, borrow or get it for free."

The Reader Pocket Edition sports a five-inch electronic paper display packaged in a stylish chassis and is available in a variety of colors, including navy blue, rose and silver. The Reader Pocket Edition is easy to navigate with one hand, and fits into a purse or jacket pocket. The diminutive device can store about 350 standard eBooks and provides up to two weeks of reading enjoyment on a single battery charge. It will be available for the ground-breaking price of $199, making it the most affordable dedicated reading device on the market.

The Reader Touch Edition features a responsive, menu-driven six-inch touch screen panel that enables quick, intuitive navigation, page turning, highlighting and note taking with the swipe of a finger or by using the included stylus pen. Users can take handwritten notes with the stylus pen or type with the virtual keyboard. All notes can be exported and printed out for easy reference. The Reader Touch Edition includes an onboard Oxford American English Dictionary that allows you to look up a word by simply tapping on it. The Touch Edition also offers five adjustable font sizes, as well as expansion slots for both Memory Stick(R) PRO Duo(TM) and SD card, making your portable library virtually limitless. It comes in red, black or silver and will retail for about $299.

Both models feature Sony's award-winning industrial design and an E Ink(R) Vizplex(TM) electronic paper display that mimics the look of ink on paper. They will ship with an attractive protective sleeve and USB cable. Sony's eBook Library software 3.0, which now includes support for many Apple(R) Macintosh(R) computers as well as PCs, makes it easy to transfer and read any Adobe(R) PDF (with reflow capability), Microsoft(R) Word(R), BBeB(R) files, or other text file formats on the Reader.

Through The eBook Store from Sony (ebookstore.sony.com), users can also access more than one million free public domain books from Google. These titles, which Google has digitized as part of its Google Books project, are available in EPUB format and are optimized for current models of the Sony Reader. From Sony's eBook Store, Reader owners with a U.S. location can download and transfer any of these titles to their Reader, while new, U.S. located eBook Store users can access available titles after setting up an account and downloading Sony's free eBook Library software.

Sony is also committed to working with local libraries throughout the country as they make the move to digital books. Sony Readers are compatible with the industry-standard formats that libraries use for their digital collections, so consumers can easily download perennial favorites and new releases from their local libraries and enjoy them for free.

The Reader Pocket Edition and Reader Touch Edition, as well as available accessories such as AC adaptors, cases and covers with reading lights, will be available at the end of August at SonyStyle.com and SonyStyle stores. Book lovers interested in trying out a Reader in person will also be able to find them for sale at Best Buy, Borders, Costco, Staples, Target, Wal-Mart and other authorized retailers nationwide.

Pocket projectors are all the rage now, the ability to use a projector the size of an iPod to display information on a wall is a godsend for the business set, who look to expand the ability to make presentations without having to travel with expensive projectors or having to customize their presentations to what equipment is available. But while getting more popular, projectors like the PICO and the Mili Pro - which can connect to an iPhone or iPod Touch - are still in their infancy.


At it’s current state of technology, the MiLi Pro can project a 640×480 resolution image up to about 30 inches away before the lumens simply dissipate from distance. So, while it won’t project in very large meeting places, it can work for small, intimate gatherings where the presentation can be seen on a 40? screen area.

The Pro, which has a dock for the iPod Touch/iPhone also comes with VGA and RCA connectors which enable it to work with larger LCD screens directly. And it’s own adjustable stand makes for easy tweaking to get the image just right on screen. Charges in about three hours and comes with integrated speakers as well.

But don’t forget you’re only talking about a resolution just about VHS quality, so don’t expect to be watching HD video with it.

From Coolest Gadgets

The age of the touchscreen dumbphone is definitely upon us, is it not? Today AT&T and Samsung announced the availability of the Solstice, a phone featuring a 3-inch (presumably resistive) touchscreen, TouchWiz, and lots of funky social networking tie-ins. Still, one gets the overwhelming impression that phones of this ilk are simply trying to cash in on the buzz of like-minded devices, while not bringing anything particularly notable to the table. This 3G-equipped number comes loaded with a 2 megapixel camera, microSD support up to 16GB, and... not much else. The phone will be available August 2nd for $99.99 with a two-year contract. Call us crazy, but for that kind of money, aren't there superior touchscreen devices on this network?

DALLAS, July 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T* and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S., today announced the Aug. 2 availability of the Samsung Solstice(TM), a compact and fun touch screen phone that provides users with an instant connection to social networking, messaging and multimedia features. The Solstice is a dream come true to all users with its easy-to-use, polished design.

The lightweight and sleek Samsung Solstice has a full 3.0 touch screen, with a virtual, landscape QWERTY keyboard, and features Samsung's unique TouchWiz(TM) user interface, which includes one-touch access to frequently used applications and social networks through new widgets for Facebook, MySpace and Yahoo! oneSearch(TM). The Solstice also provides customers with access to mobile broadband from the nation's fastest 3G network, AT&T Navigator and AT&T Mobile Music with Napster Mobile(R) and eMusic(TM) Mobile.

"AT&T customers will be thrilled with the Samsung Solstice's improved full touch functionality," said Mike Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "The widget bar functionality makes this device an easy to use passport to customers' favorite applications."

The Solstice features multiple messaging options such as Mobile Email, IM and MMS and comes equipped with a 2.0 megapixel camera with camcorder, perfect for capturing those spontaneous moments. Users experience a tactile response with haptic feedback and know when they accurately press a virtual button. The full QWERTY keyboard, with sensitivity adjustment, is easy-to-use with clear letters, numbers and symbols.

Additionally, the Solstice includes an accelerometer that will automatically detect motion and the orientation of the device allowing for the use of richer applications and features, including autorotation of the display, motion sensing games and photo scrolling by tilting the device.

With specially designed widgets to customize and personalize the way you use your phone, Samsung's TouchWiz user interface allows for quick access to your favorite features and social networking sites. By simply expanding the tray, users can "drag-and-drop" widgets onto the phone's home screen for one touch access to their favorite features.

"Samsung is proud to launch the new Samsung Solstice, the next handset in our line-up of touch screen devices at AT&T," said Omar Khan, senior vice president, Strategy and Product Management, Samsung Telecommunications America. "The sleek, compact Solstice brings a rich web browsing and instant access to your favorite social networking sites through widgets and Samsung's innovative TouchWiz user experience."

Additional key specifications of the Solstice include an MP3 player, video and audio streaming, preloaded games, Bluetooth(R) technology and a microSD(TM) memory card slot supporting up to 16GB. The Solstice also includes dual-band 3G connectivity and quad-band GSM technology. AT&T has the broadest international coverage of any U.S. wireless provider, delivering voice service in more than 215 countries and data service in more than 170 countries. AT&T also offers voice and data roaming coverage on more than 130 major cruise ships, as well as 3G services in more than 95 countries.

Pricing & Availability

The Samsung Solstice is available beginning Aug. 2 through AT&T retail locations or online at http://www.wireless.att.com for $99.99 with a two-year service agreement. (Pay $149.99 and after mail-in rebate receive $50 AT&T Promotion Card. Two-year agreement and messaging or data plan of $20 or more.)

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.

Source: Engadgets and AT&T