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Apple iPhone Bluetooth Headset now discontinued

by Darren Murph posted Mar 23rd 2009 @ 11:54PM

Would it be too cruel to say we're shocked it lasted this long? Apple's iPhone Bluetooth Headset never was too popular outside of the hardcore Apple faithful, with a litany of respectable (and let's face it, far superior) alternatives available for a fraction of the $99 MSRP. To that end, Cupertino has seen fit to discontinue the peripheral, though prospective customers can apparently still buy 'em until supply runs dry. Here's a tip, though -- wait for the fire sale.

[Thanks, Richard]

Gallery: Apple iPhone Bluetooth Headset now discontinued

Nokia set to shutter MOSH, direct thrashers to Ovi

by Darren Murph posted Mar 21st 2009 @ 11:57PM

Nokia never put an awful lot of marketing dollars behind its MOSH (MObile SHaring) initiative, but it still managed to reach millions. By and large, it was completely unchecked and unmoderated, enabling users to share all sorts of positive and negative content without Nokia poking around to see what was what. At long last, the mostly underground service is scheduled to be shut down, and it'll be a much more scrutinized Ovi taking over. As of now, there is no definite end date for MOSH, but there's no question that it'll be canned soon. So yeah, you should probably head on over and get one last fix while you still can -- who knows if Ovi will satisfy the same way.

T-Mobile branded Nokia 7376 resurfaces after cancellation

by Darren Murph posted Feb 12th 2009 @ 11:55PM

Not that canned phones are any rarity -- nor are there exhumations -- but it's always interesting to take a look at resurfaced handsets and ponder about what could have been. Pictured above is a T-Mobile branded Nokia 7376, which was reportedly known in some circles as the RM-220. It was bruited that said flip phone was headed for release in May of last year, but obviously it never materialized. Now, we're left with likely non-functional dummy units on eBay for under $10 a pop (shipped, at that), though the hardcore circuit-heads may find a way to get one up and running. Hit up the links below for lots more images, but grab yourself a tissue beforehand if you're a softy.

Read - CellPhonesignal
Read - eBay auction

Orange could be dropping the BlackBerry Bold... forever

by Darren Murph posted Jan 4th 2009 @ 2:13PM

The first time an unruly kid acts up in school, you just throw him in detention. The second time, you tell him to find another institution to be educated at. The same theory apparently holds true in the mobile realm, as Orange has had just about enough of the BlackBerry Bold's inexplicable hang-ups. A recent writeup over at the Telegraph has it that the carrier could be mulling the outright removal of the RIM handset from its lineup entirely. Why? Because of "ongoing technical issues" even after the phone was pulled once and re-released with an updated firmware. It's also noted that return rates for the Bold were well above the average, which is a surefire way to get yourself yanked from the lineup. We'd say that Orange loyalists better get their Bolds while they still can, but then again, maybe that's not the best idea after all.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

Sony Ericsson's P10 (Paris) gets another hands-on, full-blown review

by Darren Murph posted Dec 1st 2008 @ 11:23AM

We know it's the season for giving and all, but you're probably ready to stop being handed all these postmortem looks at Sony Ericsson's P10 (Paris). The UIQ-based handset, which was inexplicably canned earlier this year, was recently acquired and handled by the SE lovers over at SEMC Blog. As with most everyone else that has been fortunate enough to play with this here slider, these critics also couldn't figure out why the firm didn't forge ahead with production. Of course, it could just be the sentimental factor making the phone feel a bit more awesome than it actually is, but even with a bit of bias taken into account, it still seems like a winner. Too bad the powers that be deemed it a loser. Check the read link if you're okay with one last shower of tears.

Motorola cancels RAZR3 / Ruby, era comes closer to an end

by Darren Murph posted Nov 29th 2008 @ 8:15AM

Earlier this month, the almighty RAZR fell from the top spot as America's best selling handset. Now, we're finding that the RAZR3 / Ruby has been canned. Granted, the move isn't all that surprising -- after all, Moto's known for awhile now that it simply can't keep tweaking the RAZR instead of, you know, innovating. But honestly, if this signals that the company is serious about moving forward and possibly adopting Android on the double, we won't shed a tear. Okay, maybe one, but only after all the lights are out.

[Via UnwiredView]

Linux-based Samsung i800 gets canned

by Darren Murph posted Jul 30th 2008 @ 4:08AM

Back in February, we all had high hopes that the Linux-based Samsung i800 would be a real winner when it launched on Orange this fall. Unfortunately, the i900 is apt to be out and about before the i800 can even have a proper funeral. According to Edelman, Orange's PR firm, the "i800 has been withdrawn in order to... prepare a more competitive Linux mobile." In all honesty, we don't suspect that many folks will miss it, but those holding out on picking up a new cellie can safely move on to courting other handsets.

[Image courtesy of SmartphonesOfToday]

Sprint discontinuing Voice Command on July 1st

by Darren Murph posted Apr 27th 2008 @ 8:01AM

Sprint's not going out of its way to make a big fuss about it, but its long-standing Voice Command service will soon be no more. The service, which allowed Sprint-Nextel phones to dial two buttons and then give voice commands to place calls, will be discontinued on July 1st, 2008, meaning that all your server-based contacts will soon be inaccessible. Aside from removing the VC fee from your monthly bill, Sprint's advising users to download and print their contact lists, and better still, it's encouraging users to rely on handset-based voice-activated dialing (or pick up a new phone if their current one can't pass muster). So long, Voice Command -- we can't imagine too many folks actually missing you.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Ghana man killed by exploding handset?

by Darren Murph posted Jan 28th 2008 @ 6:02PM

Truth be told, we aren't exactly inclined to believe this here article is entirely accurate, but nevertheless, Modern Ghana is reporting that a resident was recently killed by an exploding cellphone. Notably, this unfortunate accident wasn't due to a faulty battery, or at least that hasn't been blamed just yet. Rather, the young man simply answered his ringing mobile while it was still plugged into the wall, and seconds later, electricity flowed into the cellphone unrestricted and threw the man back. Reportedly, he was pronounced dead on arrival at a local hospital, and we're sincerely hoping that investigators get to the root cause of all this if indeed the tale is true.

[Via textually]

Zealot leaps onto subway tracks to retrieve iPhone

by Darren Murph posted Jan 3rd 2008 @ 2:55PM

At first listen, one may assume that leaping onto subway tracks for an iPhone is completely and utterly insane, and while we'd tend to agree, it's not like we haven't seen folks do similarly zany things in the heat of the moment. Reportedly, a vacationer in New York recently dropped his iPhone down onto the subway tracks while shuttling back home, and after realizing his dear mobile was missing and backtracking quite a ways, his pal finally spotted it down below. As you can probably imagine, the crazed owner leaped down, snagged the scratched up (but still fully functional) device and managed to climb back out unscathed. Granted, we can only imagine how painful it would be to drop even more dough on yet another iPhone when all that stands between you and your current one is a leap of faith, but we'd probably just ask one of those friendly MTA employees to help us out before going mano a mano with the Reaper.

[Via Switched]

Exploding phone battery not blamed for Korean's death

by Darren Murph posted Nov 29th 2007 @ 10:49AM

This certainly won't be the first time that an exploding cellphone battery has been pegged with blame before all the facts shook out, but now it seems that the South Korean worker who perished yesterday was in fact not killed by his mobile. Reportedly, the National Institute of Scientific Investigation "said the injuries were too substantial to have been caused by a battery explosion," and an unnamed medical examiner was quoted as saying that it was "difficult to conclude that the damage of internal organs was caused by [the explosion]." Details are still likely to unfold in the coming weeks, as it will be about a fortnight before autopsy results are analyzed and a final conclusion is drawn. Seems that "virtually impossible" notion from LG may be accurate after all, eh?

[Image courtesy of Yonhap News]

Chinese welder killed by exploding cellphone battery

by Darren Murph posted Jul 5th 2007 @ 12:13AM

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, and unfortunately, the latest case of exploding battery syndrome led to something far worse than a minor injury. Reportedly, a 22-year old Chinese welder actually perished after a cellphone battery residing in his pocket exploded. The eruption was so violent, in fact, that it "broke a rib and drove the remnants of the pack into his heart," and while rescue crews were able to get him to a hospital, he passed away shortly thereafter. Currently, the manufacturer of the phone and battery are being withheld, but expects in Jinta were dispatched in order to conduct an investigation.

[Via Inquirer, image courtesy of ABC]