Verizon iPhone coming in January 2011?

Bloomberg is reporting today that several sources are claiming that a Verizon iPhone will be launching in January of 2011. If a Verizon iPhone would be announced, it would the end AT&T's exclusivity for the device in the U.S.

Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile-phone company, will start selling Apple Inc.'s iPhone next year, ending AT&T Inc.'s exclusive hold on the smartphone in the U.S., two people familiar with the plans said.

The device will be available to customers in January, according to the people, who declined to be named because the information isn't public.

Verizon and Apple have not commented on this most recent report.

Firefox 4 Beta 1 build released

Mozilla has uploaded a copy of their upcoming Firefox 4 update, as a Beta 1 candidate build, to its FTP server. There have been no release notes or announcements found, but expect one soon.

Firefox 4's major improvements are: performance, stability and a brand-new user interface for both Mac OS X and Windows.

Please keep in mind that this is a very early copy of Firefox 4 and should not be used as your primary web browser. Many of the Firefox add-ons you may have may not work with this upgrade.

You can grab a copy of Firefox 4 Beta 1 candidate build from Mozilla's FTP server here.

Cisco announces the Cius tablet

According to Crunch Gear, Cisco, the makers of the famous Linksys wireless routers, have announced that they are joining the tablet games.

It's running Android, and it has full video conferencing technologies. Currently, there is no price, but they say it will ship in 2011.

This device seems interesting now, but with the way that Google is quickly enhancing their mobile operating system, this will quickly become a low-end device. Crunch Gear, doesn't think they will ever ship.

Check out the official specs,

802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, 3G/4G data and Bluetooth 3.0 help employees stay connected on and off-campus
HD video (720p) with Cisco TelePresence solution interoperability for lifelike video communication with the simplicity of a phone call
Virtual desktop client enables highly secure access to cloud-based business applications
Android operating system, with access Android marketplace applications
Collaboration applications including Cisco Quad, Cisco Show and Share, WebEx, Presence, and IM
Tablet Highlights:
7” diagonal, high-resolution color screen with contact-based touch targets delivers an elegant, intuitive experience
HD Soundstation supports Bluetooth and USB peripherals, 10/100/1000 wired connectivity and a handset option
Detachable and serviceable 8-hour battery for a full day of work
Highly secure remote connections with Cisco AnyConnect Security VPN Client
HD audio with wideband support (tablet, HD Soundstation)

Verizon launches the Pantech Jest

Verizon has launched their next "smartphone," the Pantech Jest. Believe it or not.

Pantech has been exclusive to AT&T for several years now, and today they have officially launched the Jest on Verizon's CDMA network.

It features a 2.6" display, optical d-pad, a 2 mega-pixel camera, with video capture. Social apps are also found on the phone, with instant messaging from Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. The phone launches today, for free, and will be available in stores for $70 dollars, on July 5th.

This phone probably would not be the best choice for any internet power users, but for a teenager who is looking for a social phone, this would probably be a good choice.

Hulu Plus announced

It's finally official. According to Engadget, Hulu has finally brought their service to the iPhone, iPad (WiFi or 3G), Samsung TV, Sony TV and Blu-ray player is supported, with Vizio, PS3, and Xbox.

This service has been rumored for several months, without any comment from the guys over at Hulu. The service is coming soon, for $10 dollars a month. Not a bad price, if you ask me.

Sprint Stops Yesterday’s EVO 4G Update

This is apparently due to reports of it bricking some phones. The update is able to be applied twice to the phone, which then crashes the entire OS. HTC and Sprint have pulled the update and promise to have it back when they iron out the bugs.

While the vast majority of consumers successfully downloaded and installed the most recent HTC EVO 4G software update, we have received a handful of reports from customers having some issues with the update. In light of this, HTC and Sprint have decided to temporarily halt distribution of this software release until we can investigate further. We expect to be able to resume software updates shortly.

Seagate Releases a 3TB External Hard Drive

What could be better than a 3TB hard drive, oh yeah, one thats only $250! Seagate has just released their FreeAgent GoFlex Desk. It comes with a USB 2.0 adapter that can be upgraded to USB 3.0 or Firewire 800, depending on your available ports.

HTC Desire, Wildfire, and Legend to Join the Froyo Party in Q3

It has now been confirmed by HTC that these three phones will get Android 2.2 "beginning in Q3." This is good news to the owners of these phones, as it means the latest and greatest of that little green robot.

iPhone 4 Having Proximity Sensor Problems?

There have been many reports that the iPhone 4's proximity sensor is a little "over sensitive" and is causing problems such as turning on the speakerphone or putting the call on hold. The iPhone 4 has had many of these little problems since launch, but most seem to be slowly fading away. Let us know in the comments is your iPhone 4 having proximity sensor issues.

iMovie hacked to run on the iPhone 3GS

iMovie, Apple's movie editing application, which is currently available on Mac computers and exclusively on the iPhone 4, has been hacked to be able to run on the iPhone 3GS, something Apple said is not supported by the hardware.

The hack requires a jailbroken iPhone 3GS and a few edits to the code of Apple's iMovie .ipa file. The instructions were posted on Redmond Pie, but it broke Apple's Terms of Services and has since been removed.

Apple would probably say that (and they have) the iPhone 3GS' sub-par processor and 256 MB of RAM, compared to 512 MB in the iPhone 4, would make iMovie sluggish and not perform well on the device. Well, it seems like that isn't true and all Apple wants is for us to buy the iPhone 4. Apple is most likely keeping this exclusive to the iPhone 4 also because it wants to consider it a "feature."

Developer creates application to use iPhone 4′s LED flash as a flashlight

Well, we all expected this would happen sooner or later. One iPhone developer has created an application that will allow the user to use iPhone 4's LED flash on the back of the device as a flashlight. Currently, users could use an app that would make the screen white, and hence, act like a flashlight. Using the flash gives it more of a traditional flashlight feel.

We can't tell you, however, whether the app follows Apple's App Store guidelines, but the developer has stated that he is planning on submitting it to the App Store.

iPhone 4 goes on sale at AT&T stores nationwide

Apple's iPhone 4 will be available at all AT&T retail and online stores today, for walk-in purchases. Lines have begun forming at AT&T stores, with a reported 20+ people at one AT&T store in Las Vegas.

Customers can also purchase the iPhone 4 directly on AT&T's website.

Apple website hints towards iWork for iPhone apps

MacRumors is reporting that a newly posted AppleCare information section on the ordering section for the iPhone on the Canada online Apple Store, U.K. online Apple Store and the Australia online Apple Store shows that Apple will be providing software support for "Using iWork for iPhone."

iWork, Apple's alternative to Microsoft Office, is currently available on the iPad, but it would also make sense to see it on the iPhone. There has not been any confirmed date or price at this time.

PlayStation Plus now available via a firmware update (3.40)

Engadget is reporting that Sony has just released a new firmware update for the PlayStation 3, firmware 3.40. The biggest update in this firmware is the addition of "PlayStation Plus," a $50 (per year) service that entitles the user to a 50% discount on PlayStation Network games, early access to betas of games, one hour demo's on games, and more.

Other updates in the new firmware are:

• 5-star ratings for content purchased on the PlayStation Network Store
• A video editor and uploader for Facebook and YouTube
• More integration of Picasa and Facebook photo galleries

If you've got a PlayStation 3, what are you waiting for? Go and download the update!

How to enable wireless syncing on the iPhone, iPod touch or iPad

Looking for that USB cable every single time you want to sync your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to your computer? Can't find it?

Remember that app we reported about, Wi-Fi Sync, that claimed to enable wireless syncing for your iDevice? Remember we later reported that the app was rejected by Apple. Well, Wi-Fi Sync has made its way into the Cydia Store for jailbroken devices ($9.99).

Here's a tutorial on how to set the app up and get wireless syncing working.

NOTE: Your iDevice must be jailbroken for this to work! Your computer and iDevice must also be on the same wireless network for this to work.

If you are using Mac OS X:

Step 1: Go to this website and download the version of Wi-Fi Sync that fits to your computer (Mac OS X 10.5 or Mac OS X 10.6)

Step 2: Install the application

Step 3: On your iDevice, open Cydia and search for Wi-Fi Sync. Purchase it and install it. There are ways to get Wi-Fi Sync for free, but we won't go into that.

Step 4: Launch Wi-Fi Sync, which can be found on your home screen (SpringBoard)

Step 5: Wait for your iDevice to pair with your Mac and when a notification pops up on both devices, accept them both

• If your iDevice cannot find/pair with your Mac, go to System Preferences>Security>Firewall and click Advanced. From there, UNCHECK the box that says "Block all incoming connections"

If you are using Windows:

Step 1: Go to this website and download the Windows version of Wi-Fi Sync

Step 2: Install the application

Step 3: On your iDevice, open Cydia and search for Wi-Fi Sync. Purchase it and install it. There are ways to get Wi-Fi Sync for free, but we won't go into that.

Step 4: Launch Wi-Fi Sync, which can be found on your home screen (SpringBoard)

Step 5: Wait for your iDevice to pair with your Windows computer and when a notification pops up on both devices, accept them both

• If your iDevice cannot find/pair with your Windows computer, go to Control Panel>Windows Firewall and turn the firewall off. You may configure it as you wish if you do not want to turn it off completely.

That should be it! You should now be able to sync your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad wirelessly to your Mac or PC.

Notes:

• In general, sync times did not increase. However, we did check "Disable Device Backups" which can be found in the Wi-Fi Sync preferences (click icon in menu bar or notification tray).
• This application does NOT charge your iDevice, so you still need to plug it in for that.
• You must be extremely careful when uninstalling this, making sure to do it correctly.

Cable-free syncing!

[UPDATE] AT&T pushing Android 2.2 update to Nexus One customers?

Engadget is reporting that they have received numerous tips from their readers over the past few hours claiming that they have begun receiving an over-the-air update for Google's Android 2.2 FRF85 (a.k.a. the final build of "Froyo").

There is no confirmation of this yet, and it is also unknown whether T-Mobile is also pushing this update to its Nexus One users (though there is one report of it).

UPDATE: Several sources are now reporting that T-Mobile Nexus One users have begun receiving the Android 2.2 update. Keep an eye on the notification bar on your Nexus One.

Apple to face iPhone 4 class action lawsuit

Valleywag is reporting that Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff, LLP, the same California law firm that sued Facebook and Zynga over fake advertisements, is looking into the possibility of suing Apple over the iPhone 4 issues customers have been experiencing.

The law firm is looking for people who "recently purchased the new iPhone and have experienced poor reception quality, dropped calls and weak signals."

The iPhone 4 has been causing users a big headache due to its signal issue and screen discolorations. Apple has said, regarding the signal issue, to grip the phone differently and claims that every mobile phone experiences the same "issue."

Google releases web-based mobile reader for Google Docs

Google has released a web-based, mobile reader of its Google Docs product to Android, iPhone and iPad users.

The mobile viewer allows users to view documents, zoom in and out, navigate through pages and download the document via their mobile web browser. The supported files types are:

• PDF
• .PPT
• .DOC
• .DOCX

To access the mobile reader of Google Docs, go to docs.google.com on your Android device, iPhone or iPad and select any document you have stored.

Kindle for Android now available

Engadget is reporting that Amazon's Kindle for Android application is now live in the Android Marketplace. The app has all of the features as every other mobile Kindle app: accessing the Kindle store, adjustable font sizes, free book samples, wireless bookmark synchronization etc.

The application requires Android 1.6 or later.

Motorola Droid 2 shipping August 23rd, Android 2.2 pre-installed

Android and Me is reporting that they have heard from a "trustworthy source" that the Motorola Droid 2 will be shipping to customers on August 23rd. Also, according to the same source, Droid 2 will be the first smartphone that will ship with Android 2.2 (a.k.a. "Froyo") out of the box.

While testing models of the Motorola Droid 2 are running Android 2.1, Motorola is reportedly working hard to get Froyo working well on their new phone.

No price has officially been announced at this time, however, it is expected to be around $199 with a two-year contract.

Droid 2 on left, original Droid on right