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Virgin Mobile's new TNT isn't exactly dynamite

Barely a week after Virgin Mobile launched its new Arc, the prepaid carrier is now showing the new TNT! handset on a Beta page on its Web site. Though it is billed as a "dynamite flip phone," the TNT! hardly packs an explosion. In fact, it is as basic a cell phone comes. Inside the simple design you'll find a color display, text messaging, a Web browser, and a speakerphone. The TNT! (is the exclamation point really necessary?) is made by Kyocera and is a variant of the company's Adreno S2400, though with a stripped-down feature … Read more

T-Mobile rumored to be readying Android phone for 3G launch

Word in the blogosphere is that T-Mobile USA will include a Google Android phone as part of its nationwide 3G wireless network launch later this year.

Several blogs reported Monday that T-Mobile is set to offer service in some 20-plus cities starting October 1. And the carrier plans to include the HTC Dream smartphone as one of its first 3G phones to launch with the network, according to reports.

T-Mobile started offering 3G service in New York City in May. And the company said at the launch it would roll out the service in other top markets by the end … Read more

Garmin navigation devices run Linux

LinuxDevices has uncovered an impressive fact about Garmin's Nuvi (8xx and 5xxx series) GPS devices:

They're running Linux.

A quick look at the Nuvi 8xx source code indicates that the devices run a 2.6.17.7 Linux kernel on a Marvell "Monahans" processor, likely either the Marvell PXA-300 or -310. The kernel seems configured to use 64MB of RAM, and to be patched with Steven Rostedt's real-time patches.

The devices are based on GNOME Mobile, and continue to suggest that while Linux may not have won much on the traditional desktop, it may well … Read more

Yahoo signs U.K. mobile-advertising deal

Yahoo has signed up 3 UK, a mobile-phone network operator in the United Kingdom, to sell banner ads and sponsored links on the company's Planet 3 portal site for mobile Internet use.

Yahoo will begin supplying ads from its partners later this month, the company said Wednesday.

"We believe Yahoo has the experience to help us take full advantage of our advanced portal and unique all-3G subscriber base," Neil Andrews, 3 UK's head of on-portal advertising, said in a statement.

Yahoo already is the exclusive mobile-advertising partner for 3 UK competitor Vodafone.

Smartphone rumors for everyone

It's summertime and things are heating up, and we don't necessarily mean the temperature (because it certainly isn't very hot here in San Francisco, but I digress). No, we're talking more about rise in smartphone rumors, which isn't uncommon for this time of year as the carrier's start prepping for the fall and holiday seasons. As such, the blogosphere is blowing up with speculation, and looks like there's something for every carrier. Now, we must reiterate that these are just rumors and obviously, the service providers and device manufacturers haven't confirmed anything, … Read more

Will iPhones via China Mobile be unlocked?

Unlocked, semi-legal iPhones have proliferated in China since Apple failed to make a deal with a Chinese carrier. Now that AT&T will offer an expensive solution for those wanting iPhones in the United States on different carriers, will the unlocked market be...unlocked?

For $699, the new 16GB iPhone 3G will be available to non-AT&T customers in the United States. As I've reported, China Mobile and Apple are now in talks that are more likely to bear fruit. This post is based on a few questions I really can't answer. Let's have them.… Read more

How to train a horse without leaving the car

As Crave learned recently, there are some impressive technologies out there to train the novice equestrian. And now we've discovered that there are systems available for the beasts themselves--specifically, those trained to race.

Kurt Systems, which Gizmag describes as a "Turkish racehorse and camel training equipment specialist," has created a mobile racehorse trainer that basically looks like a car with a slot carved right down the middle for the animal and its jockey. This bizarre vehicle, modded from a Ford F150 truck and powered by a Volvo diesel engine, "provides a moving enclosure in which a … Read more

Fring gets Facebook, other third-party add-ons

After so many announcements for this or that application's Facebook appearance, it's nice to see Facebook play a supporting role in kind.

On Tuesday, Fring, a VoIP and IM application for a range of mobile phones, added the ability to fold Facebook into the communicator, through a new Settings menu option called fringAdd-ons. Gmail Notifier, Orkut, vTap videos, and Yandex.mail are also in there, together representing the first extensions created by third-party developers using Fring's application programming interface.

Exactly how many add-ons join this handful will depend on Fring's popularity with casual developers. Fring is … Read more

Why Instinctiv avoided the iPhone SDK

A few days ago, I posted about Instinctiv's Shuffle application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It's an interesting piece of software that addresses a growing problem for some discerning listeners--how to get a meaningful playlist without having to program it song by song--but it only works on so-called "jailbroken" devices.

Instinctiv's FAQ alluded to problems that made it impossible for it to use the iPhone software developer kit (SDK), but I was curious to hear more, and Monday I had a chance to talk with Instinctiv co-founders Justin Smithline and Peter Brodsky.

As Brodsky … Read more