blog..com

Motorola has released their 8th Android device with the new Moto Quench. This new phone will feature a full 3.1inch touchscreen with virtual keyboard. Like the Moto Cliq the Quench will support the MototBlur UI on top of the Android 1.5 OS. Other feature like a 5MP camera, GPS, WiFi, HSDPA, and Flash Lite support will round out the device features. Look for the device to launch sometime this quarter and expect a T-Mobile launch here in the US under the name CLIQ XT. Domestic and international pricing is still yet to be determined.

Soon after Microsoft announced the new Windows Phone 7 OS in Barcelona at the MWC, Nokia and Intel drop some news of their own. The biggest phone and chip producer have teamed up to bring the Linux based MeeGo OS platform for mobile devices. The new MeeGo OS is a combination based upon the Nokia Maemo 5 and the Intel Moblin operating systems. A unique feature for this OS is that it is open souce and can be used across multiple platforms. From PDA’s and netbooks, to tablets and smartphones the MeeGo is a Linux developers dream. The OS is already well into development and should be ready for testing in Q2 this year. Linux fans will have to wait until Q3 2010 when the OS hits mainstream.

Microsoft have officially announced their new mobile operating system today in Barcelona at the World Mobile Congress. The Windows Phone 7 OS is said to put Microsoft back in front of the smartphone market to truly compete with the likes of iPhone, Android, Symbian, and WebOS. This new OS will hit such brands as Qualcomm, Samsung, LG, HTC, HP, Dell, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, and Garmin-Asus. Many of these new devices will also be carried on mobile networks around the globe both on GSM and CDMA technology. Look for AT&T to get first crack at it here in the U.S.

Features: The new OS will feature a clean, light, and zippy UI which brings elegance to the home screen. Expect capacitive touchscreens with large 800×480 displays. 4 point multi-touch displays with home, search, and back keys on bottom. Compasses and Accelerometers should be standard as well. The user interface will feature “live tiles” instead of traditional icons. This means users can partially enter the app without actually leaving the home screen which makes this ideal for apps that update constantly. The new OS however will not be open source like Android but will require developers to purchase licenses to produce content. Microsoft have still not released any details on Multitasking yet.

When: Windows 7 phones should be expected to hit store shelves in time for the 2010 holiday season.

We will have more on Windows 7 and the MWC as it develops, stay tuned.

After the semi-success of the Nuvifone G60 on AT&T Garmin has decided to grow the Nuvifone portfolio with two new models. The first model coming to the family will be the Windows Mobile powered M10. The new M10 will feature a 3.5in touchscreen display and will run the WinMo 6.5.3 OS. It will also sport WiFi and HSPA radios, a 5MP camera, 512MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM.

Garmin has also decided to add an Android powered Nuvifone with the new A50. Like the M10 the A50 will feature a 3.5in capacitive touchscreen with on screen QWERTY keypad. Being an Android device it will have full Google integration with voice, maps, GMail, calendar, and YouTube. In terms of hardware we will find a 3MP camera, 4GB on-board storage, and microSD slot expansion.

Both of these new devices should be available in the first have of the year in both Europe and Asia. There has been no announcement on any AT&T deal like we saw in the G60. With the recent news of Nokia offering free OVI maps with voice guidance, I think these devices will have a difficult road ahead…guidance or no guidance.

Sony have officially announced a new pair of 3D capable blu-ray players in their BDP portfolio. The new BDP-S470 will be Sony’s first ever 3D blu-ray player to hit the market. The player will not be 3D capable out of the box as it will require a firmware update that is said to arrive this summer. Besides being 3D capable (after update) the player will also sport streaming media services like Netflix, Amazon VOD, and YouTube. The price is said to be $200 and should be available March 18th according to the Sony site. One other nice note on this device is that it will be the first player to allow the use of an iPhone/iPod Touch as a remote via an iTunes App download.

The second 3D blu-ray player from Sony is the BDP-S570 that we saw at CES 2010 last month (with no mention of 3D?). The S570 will share the same exact features as the S470 but will also add WiFi connectivity. The S570 should launch around the same time and will carry a price tag of $250 ($50 bump for the WiFi).

For those looking to grab these devices next month I would suggest holding off. Remember that we are still going to see a 3D PS3 firmware update coming soon, plus these blu-ray players technically don’t turn 3D until this summer. A PS3 3D firmware update seems worth the wait for me over buying a dedicated player. Your best bet is to save the cash for some terminator looking 3D shades!

LG brings yet another social media friendly touchscreen device to the table with the new GD880 Mini. LG claims that the Mini is the smallest and slimmest touchscreen phone on the market today. The device features a 3.2 inch display and supports a resolution of 480×854 pixels. Other features like a 5MP camera, HSDPA, GPS, and Wifi prove that good things can come in small packages. In terms of the OS LG has passed on an Android option and have elected to use their in house LG OS. As I said before this device is targeted very much at social media users. The Mini’s utilizes a new “social network connect” service that joins your contacts from Twitter and Facebook and then sync’s to their numbers in the phone book. For all those looking to test drive this Mini you can expect an early April release date. LG have still not announced final pricing, but expect the mobile to land on Vodafone UK first.

Motorola are officially set to release their second Android based device on the Verizon network in the next few weeks. After the huge success of the Moto Droid the new Devour steps up to plate as a more affordable version of it’s big brother Droid. The Devour will still be rich in features despite the lower cost compared to the Droid.

The device will support the MotoBlur interface similar to the Dext/Cliq on T-Mobile. Other feature such as a 3.1 inch display, full QWERTY slide-out, and 3.2 mp camera are sure to satisfy most tech savvy users. The Devour will still feature all the connectivity types as the Droid as it sports WiFi, 3G, Bluetooth, and GPS navigation. One notable point is the device will be running Android 1.6 and not 2.0 due to the MotoBlur interface. As with many carrier branded smart phones OS updates seem to pour in soon after launch.

Motorola has also spent some heavy cash on advertising with a nice Super Bowl ad that launched last night. Both Android fans and Megan Fox fans should be delighted as the Devour is the main focus point in the ad (yeah right). For those looking to Devour this device expect a March 15th release from Verizon. Hit the video below to see Megan Fox getting squeaky clean with her Devour, enjoy!

SlingMedia (makers of the SlingBox) and AT&T have finally thrown down their gloves to allow the iPhone to “Sling” over 3G. When the Sling Player application first hit the App store the application would only allow for a WiFi connection as AT&T did not want their precious network overloaded. Now Sling addicts and IT managers alike can rejoice as office networks around the country increase their speed 10 fold. Happy Slinging everybody!

2009 was a busy year here at Gazelle. More than 50,000 of you gazelled 100,000 electronics, we launched partnerships with Walmart.com, Sears, and Costco. There are now Gazelle services for small businesses, NPOs, and individual fundraisers, oh and did we mention our customers helped us recycle 7.34 tons of e-Waste.

Whew…. It was a crazy year, but we’re ready to do it all again and then some. Check out our press release summarizing 09’ and giving a sneak peak at what to expect in 2010, including new categories, upcoming partners, and expected growth.

Apple has finally given the world it’s first tablet computer today at their “Last Creation Event” in San Francisco . After months of name speculation from iSlate to iTablet the new Apple Tablet will be called the iPad. The initial specs on the device have it coming in three different size variants of 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB.  In terms of operating system Apple has decided to use the iPhone OS and not the Snow Leopard OS. The OS will allow multi-touch but no multitasking just like the iPhone. The battery on the device is very impressive and is estimated at 10 hours. The dimensions of the device line up like this: 1/2 inch in thickness, 7.47 inhces wide, 9.56 inches long, 1.5lbs in weight, and a 9.7 inch display. The iPad will be powered by the new Apple A4 1GHz chipset which is said to rival the SnapDragon processor which some new WinMo devices use. There is also an accessory dock which will sit the tablet upright and hold a full QWERTY keyboard at the bottom.

iPad Connectivity: The iPad will also support Bluetooth, 3G, WiFi, Accelerometer, Compass, and Maps. The 3G data will be on AT&T with 2 different plan options. The first will be 250MB of data for $14.99, the second will be unlimited data for $29.99. All AT&T Hotspots will be free with either plan. The iPad will use new 3G micro sims, and all models will be sold unlocked.

iPad Apps Galore: Besides being a tablet computer the iPad will support Gaming and e-Books. They are really looking to go after the PSP fans and Amazon Kindle users with these two feature add-ons. The Tablet will utilize an App called iBooks for all e-book purchases. It will look very similar in interface as iTunes but will be specifically made for e-book purchases. Apple has also released the iWork App specifically designed for the iPad. The new iWork app will be the dedicated “office app” for the iPad with a robust UI compared to the iPhone.

Now down to pricing: The new iPad will start at $499 for the 16GB model, $599 for the 32GB model, and $699 for the 64GB model. The addition of the 3G data option will cost an extra $130 for each model. So 3G models look like this: $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB, and $829 for 64GB. This “truly magical product” as Jobs calls it should hit stores in late March