Author Archives: Stefan Etienne

Founded tech site LaptopMemo. 16-years-old, loves tea, tennis, reading, tech, gaming, + more.

Blackberry Pearl 3G: The Smallest Blackberry Ever, But Still Premium

April 26, 2010 9:21 AM ⋅

So here’s the Blackberry Pearl 3G, the latest outing by Research In Motion, for the upcoming WES (Wireless Enterprise Symposium) which is in Orlando and I have a desire to instead call it Blackberry Land, much like Disney Land. Packing in 3G wireless, a tracpad, 802.11n Wi-Fi, GPS, a 3.2 megapixel camera, microSD card slot, and access to the App World and such. Interestingly though, the Pearl 3G will have two keyboard options: the 9100 using RIM’s exclusive SureType keyboard, and the second (the 9105) using the 14-key T9 phone keyboard. Press release and photo of the Pearl 3G 9105 after the cut. My take on this handset is: I won’t need it. It’s just an update to the crummy Pearl line, thank you very much. Oh, and it comes out in May on multiple carriers.

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Posted in: BlackBerry, Mobile ⋅ Tagged: , , ,

Leaked Dell Roadmap Shows Sparta Netbook, Looking Glass Pro, and Streaks

April 25, 2010 2:00 PM ⋅

After that ever-so-leaky evening at Engadget, where the Dell Lightning, Thunder, and Smoke made their Windows Phone 7 and Android 2.2 debuts, a fresh leaky faucet at Dell has let out this new roadmap found by AndroidCentral, showcasing the Dell Looking Glass Pro (the un-pro version found by Engadget that same evening), the “Sparta” netbook/tablet combo with a unique hinge design, an “Athens” true netbook, along with the Dell Streak (the Mini 5), which will have a US model based on T-Mobile USA, a European model on Vodafone, and a Chinese model, possibly unlocked. More good stuff from the Texans at Dell you could say. Now, about those release dates…

Posted in: Dell, Gadgets, Hardware, Leaks ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

This Week On LaptopMemo: New Comment System & Giveaway Edition

April 25, 2010 12:11 PM ⋅

This Week On LaptopMemo: a new comment system powered by DISQUS, our first giveaway (please enter, ’cause it’s free stuff), an iPad hands-on, the Samsung Omnia II review, and more important stuff from the week….

Posted in: News, Roundups ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,

LaptopMemo Giveaway: An iTunes Gift Card

April 24, 2010 2:00 PM ⋅

The first LaptopMemo Giveaway is not very extravagant by any means but it’s free (yes!), and who doesn’t like free stuff? Up for grabs is a $10 iTunes Gift Card, to splurge on a few songs or some apps for your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. And there are rules. Yup, there’s rules, and here they are:

  • The giveaway is for one (1) $10 iTunes Gift Card.
  • It’ll run for a week from now (Saturday, April 24).
  • You have to leave a comment with a valid email address, telling us why you think you should get the gift card.
  • One entry per person, multiple entries will disqualify you.
  • Your email address will be used to contact you with the card details, so you can start shopping. If you entered the wrong email address, well, too bad.

Good Luck!

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Posted in: Apple, Featured, Internet ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,

iPod Touch with camera appears on eBay, then vanishes on eBay

April 24, 2010 12:46 PM ⋅

It’s been rumored for longer that you can even remember, but an iPod Touch with a camera is probably something that will eventually happen. Some folks who previously bought these Touches at an auction (some story, huh?) posted both of them up on eBay; one doesn’t boot at all, and the other uses an iPhone OS test system, meaning that neither iPod is actually functional, and the cameras can’t be tested (or trusted).  The eBay listing has ended prematurely though, which only leaves suspicion if they were actually real, or to bring some excitement for an upcoming iPod Touch with camera launch. At least 9to5Mac snapped up all of the images.

Posted in: Apple, Gadgets, Internet, Rumors ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,

Sirius XM app coming to Android “soon”, eh? Actually they meant Android 2.1

April 24, 2010 8:36 AM ⋅

Hmph. So the Sirius XM app that iPhone and iPod Touch owners have probably had for a year is finally coming to Android. I’d like to make something clear with the developers making apps. When you say “it’s coming to Android”, just say it’s coming to Android 2.1 phones with fast processors, otherwise, you’ll break my heart, and probably a lot of other people’s. So yeah, that’s the requirements to run the Sirius XM app (along with either Wi-Fi or 3G data connections), which will be released on the Android Market, as Sirius puts it, “coming soon”. Strangely the press release after the cut mentions that the app will only work on the Nexus One and Droid, leaving me puzzled as to how they could leave out the EVO 4G, Droid Incredible, and other phones with 1Ghz Snapdragon processors coupled with Android 2.1. It’s a strange world.

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Posted in: Android, Apps, Mobile, News ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,

Droid Really Does: Android Market Hits 50,000 Apps

April 23, 2010 7:46 PM ⋅

Whoaaaaaa.

Man, does Android move fast! Google has released more versions flavors of Android than anyone can remember (1.6, 2.0, and 2.1) and now while they’re cleaning things up to make sure all Androids have version 2.1, Android 2.2 “Froyo” starts to make the rounds. And in the meantime, the Android Market has approached the 50,000 app mark. Keep in minds fellas that this doesn’t mean if I jump in the Market now I’ll find 50,000 apps I can download from the U.S; what it really means is that all Markets total bring up 50,000 apps. Kudos to AndroidLib, once again, for keeping this LaptopMemo evening exciting (and keeping tabs on the Android Market).

Posted in: Android, Apps, Did You Know?, Google ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Google: No Maps Navigation For iPhones. Thank You Very Much.

April 23, 2010 5:03 PM ⋅

Earlier today we (and practically everyone else) told you that Google was porting its famous Google Maps Navigation, to the iPhone. Wrong! According to an official Google spokesperson, Maps Navigation will be available on platforms other than Android, but won’t be on the iPhone’s upcoming meal list. Well, that sucked was strange, right? At least you have other things to look forward to, like, a new iPhone for instance!

Posted in: Apple, Apps, Mobile ⋅ Tagged: , , , ,

Nexus One “won’t be carried by Verizon”, says Verizon? (update: Wrong. Great.)

April 23, 2010 4:11 PM ⋅

Talk about confusion, or maybe strange PR emails. In my quest of finding out whether or not the Nexus One by Google and HTC will ever head to Verizon; with that “coming soon” option on the Google Phone Store sitting there forever, what I found might have some doubts of whether or not a PR contact that I have at Verizon Wireless is speaking the direct truth from their superiors, but here’s what came up in the reply field:

“Thank you for your question. Google’s Nexus One phone will not be carried by Verizon Wireless. You will have to contact Google directly for any information. It would be inappropriate for me to answer questions on a phone that Verizon Wireless won’t sell.”

This could simply mean that Verizon just won’t sell the Nexus One in its retail stores, and that Google, as previously rumored, would take care of that. But that extra line, “Google’s Nexus One phone will not be carried by Verizon Wireless,” is a little strange to me, and probably wrong (hopefully?). While I try to get more info on this, I’ll leave this to the Internets to discuss. And no troll flaming guys.

UPDATE: You could definitely say that VZW will support the Nexus One, but won’t sell it, and Google will. So that’s that, I guess (?). Now onto the usual programming…

Posted in: Android, Exclusive, Google, Mobile, Verizon ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Google Maps Navigation coming to iPhone…..soon

April 23, 2010 10:27 AM ⋅

While Google Maps Navigation has been one of the many feats that Android can and could pull off that the iPhone couldn’t, its exclusivity will be coming to an end says Google executives. There was no release date outed by the Googlers, but usually products announced by Google show up not too late after that. One thing that’s completely confirmed is that TomTom and Magellan (and everybody else) will be getting app sales hurt big time. And that’s fine with us, a long as Maps Navigation is the better app (personally to me, it is).

Posted in: Apple, Apps, Google, News ⋅ Tagged: , , , , ,