Debunk -- Engadget Mobile

debunk posts

Not so fast: Android isn't coming to AT&T just yet

by Joshua Topolsky posted Nov 6th 2008 @ 3:37PM

There's been a flurry of chatter over a rumor that AT&T's Ralph de la Vega, CEO of the company's Mobility and Consumer markets announced that the carrier would be releasing an Android-based phone in the near future. We'd love to be able to confirm that info, but according to an article just published on the San Francisco Chronicle's site, de la Vega has feelings that seem to run quite contrary to the sentiment. According to the paper:

"De la Vega said AT&T continues to look at Google's Android operating system but is not prepared to make any moves to carry any Android phones. He said the platform is still evolving and needs to open up even more to offer a wider array of non-Google applications."

As much as we want to see this thing happen, it looks like the boys at AT&T aren't feeling Google's insistence on intrinsically linking devices to its web apps. Haven't you heard guys? The future is in the cloud. Oh, and open.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Debunk: Schiller's front facing iPhone 3G camera

by Thomas Ricker posted Jun 12th 2008 @ 8:02AM

So there's a sensational rumor going around that Phil Schiller unwittingly presented MobileMe at WWDC using an iPhone 3G with a front facing video camera. The very same camera fanboys wished for but Apple choose not to include in the final specs. The idea that Schiller would unknowingly demonstrate such a device is, to put it mildly, absurd. The fact that the evidence is reviewable -- and in HD -- on Apple's website makes it even more so. If you care to look for yourself, the mysterious grease spot appears at 1:18:28 during the keynote. Just be forewarned: you'll never be able to reclaim those 10 minutes when you might need them most. The pictures above should be proof enough.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Solid gold iPhones on eBay: yeah right

by Ryan Block posted May 14th 2007 @ 1:04PM

Business 2.0 is reporting today that not just any iPhones have made their way onto eBay, but some "14 kart solid gold" 8GB units. Not entirely implausible if it were a month from now, but whereas normally we'd just ignore, this one's a little too tantalizing. Yes, the seller has a 99% positive rating on eBay, but seller ratings are easily and often inflated and used to gain credibility before selling one larger, fraudulent items. If this is the real deal (and someone wants to plunk down ten grand to find out), we're prepared to eat our 14 kart solid gold words.

[Via Business 2.0]

Read - eBay auction 1
Read - eBay auction 2
Read - eBay auction

Nokia N97 debunked; fanboys in mourning

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 20th 2006 @ 3:20PM

Sorry folks, it was too good to be true. With a spec sheet that read like something straight out of our wildest dreams -- 20GB hard drive, 3.2 megapixel cam, 3-inch high res display, FM radio, and an alleged 24+ hours of continuous music playback -- we wanted to believe that the Nokia N97 was real. Alas, it turns out that a member of Nokia's developer forums dreamed up the superphone; the rest, as they say, is history. Hey, at least we still have the N95 to look forward to, right?

[Thanks, Tyler]