webOSroundup Calls It Quit After Three Amazing Years

A post from webOSrounup founder David Baxter

When I started this site in November 2009 I never expected the amazing ride it would turn into. What started out as a simple app review site grew into the second largest webOS fan site on the planet with over 300,000 visitors a month, a live podcast, two trips to CES, a lot of contests and more fun than one group of guys should be allowed to have.

It is with great sorrow then to say that it is time for webOSroundup to sign off. It has been obvious for a little while now that WOR has not been able to keep up with the stories and news like we used to and rather than just languish and put up an occasional story from time to time we wanted to go out on our own terms and say thank you to each and every one of our fans…so in standard WOR fashion, we are going to do it with one final podcast.

Next Tuesday (April 10th) at 9pm(Eastern) all of the WOR miscreants from the past and present will be around to talk about the wonderful ride running this site has been. We will be doing it live so we want everyone who can join us to do so.

On tap to join us is: Dan Ramirez, myself, Jesse Mendoza, Ryan St. Andrie, and (hopefully) Roy Sutton. It should be a grand time where we can reminiscent about all the antics, webOS as a platform, and some behind the scenes stuff that you probably wouldn’t otherwise hear. Also, if you have questions, we will answer those as well.

We hope you can join us and add your webOS and WOR stories into the mix as well. If you have any questions or stories, feel free to email me at david@webosroundup.com and we will do our best to get to each and every one of them.

Facebook Gives Nasdaq The Heads Up, Will Trade As FB

Sources are telling CNBC and the New York Times that Nasdaq has won the prestigious hand of Facebook for the social giant’s approaching IPO, leaving the NYSE to chalk up a miss in its efforts to attract a hipper crowd of companies. Facebook will trade under the simple but elegant symbol FB.

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Apple Working On 7.85-inch iPad Prototype

Apple has been working on a smaller version of the iPad in its Cupertino labs, according to Daring Fireball's John Gruber. On an episode of The Talk Show podcast, Gruber said that he's heard details of a 7.85-inch prototype that runs at the same 1024 x 768 resolution as the iPad 1 and 2. Such a device wouldn't quite match the clarity of the new iPad's Retina display, but at around 163 pixels per inch would still offer a sharpness increase over the original iPad without apps needing to be rewritten or updated. Gruber says that the device is about as tall as the 9.7-inch iPads are narrow when held in portrait orientation.

The revelation isn't necessarily surprising, as we've heard rumblings of smaller iPads before, and Apple undoubtedly builds multiple prototypes of products for testing before deciding whether or not they will ever see the light of day. Still, Gruber is well-connected, and the calling out of one screen size in particular is interesting — it's the one specification in particular that the company has been historically the least willing to change, with the iPad so far only coming in a 9.7-inch variety and the iPhone sticking to its 3.5-inch display since being announced over five years ago.

Whether Apple will actually release such a product is far from clear. Steve Jobs once dismissed 7-inch tablets as "dead on arrival," famously saying that they should come with sandpaper so that users could file their fingers down to use them, and it does seem that simply shrinking down the original iPad's resolution would involve on-screen elements being reduced in size. In response to host Dan Benjamin's question of why wouldn't Apple release the device, Gruber says that to Apple the more pertinent question is why they should.

BlackBerry Remains Top Smartphone In Washington

According to the Washington Post, the U.S. Government has no plans to ditch BlackBerry devices.

Why’s that? Due to RIM’s continued focus on security. An iOS or Android device can be hacked in a matter of minutes. No BlackBerry smartphone has been hacked to date. The BlackBerry PlayBook is the only RIM product to have ever been rooted. It isn’t too far from imagination that RIM will do all they can to close up the security holes.

“We appreciate RIM’s focus on security, which is paramount for government use,” said Casey Coleman, the chief information officer at the General Services Administration. The agency has issued some iPhones and Android-based phones for staffers, but the vast majority of its 12,000 agency-issued smartphones are BlackBerrys.

RIM’s pricing for BlackBerrys are also noted as another reason for continued support. That is, most BlackBerry devices are cheaper than iOS or some Android devices. However, the U.S. Government hasn’t fully ruled out iOS or Android, as they continue to improve on their security.

HTC Granted Face Unlock Patent

One of the features that Ice Cream Sandwich brought to Android and the Galaxy Nexus was Face Unlock. Although not very secure, it did provide a fun, additional method to unlocking the phone. In a curious turn of events, it turns out HTC has been granted the patent behind the technology, which certainly raises some legal questions.


HTC’s patent details “a method for unlocking a locked computing device”, which could be a smartphone or tablet, with biometric information. In this case, that information can include an image of a person’s face, although fingerprints are also covered.

Right now, if Face Unlock fails to work, the user is asked to enter a backup password to gain access to the device. HTC’s patent also describes the same functionality, although they take it one step further: if the user enters the correct password, their face at that moment is saved and added to the “allowed” list. That would work well if the facial unlock failed to recognize you in low light situations, for example. Having said that, it might make it even easier to cheat the system.

If HTC has been granted this patent, what does it mean for Google and Samsung? Right now the feature is found on the Galaxy Nexus, as well as the Galaxy S via the way of Samsung’s Value Pack. If HTC choose to enforce the patent, they could tout Face Unlock as an exclusive feature; or, they could simply sit on the patent for the benefit of Android as a whole, only using it if, say, Apple was to try and implement a similar function.

Falcone Considering Bankruptcy For LightSquared

Hedge fund manager Phil Falcone said he is considering seeking bankruptcy protection for his wireless network company LightSquared Inc., a venture that has consumed billions of dollars from his funds and has become a difficult sticking point with his investors.

A bankruptcy filing is "one of the options I am considering," Mr. Falcone said in an e-mail, saying it's the "best way" for him to maintain control of the company. "Spectrum value does not decrease in bankruptcy,"

United Vision Marketing Firm Has Offered To Acquire RIM

Yes, this just happened. It’s real. A firm by the name United Vision Marketing has a announced today that they are offering to buy Research In Motion’s BlackBerry assets. There’s no word from RIM just yet, but let’s hope we hear something soon. What do you think RIM will do please sound off in the comment section? Would be a good idea to accept the offer or not?

Check out the press release below for more info.

Press Release

NEW YORK, April 5, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — United Vision Marketing Firms CEO announces today that they are making an offer to Research In Motion (RIM) to acquire its Black Berry assets. The decision was made to acquire RIM after a strategy session with UVMF’s board members and consultants and the announcement by RIM’s new CEO of a possible sell of the company. The proposed deal is an all stock swap deal that will position RIM shareholders to be in a greater equity position by swapping for UVMF’s IPO stock price.

The team at UVMF feels the move is perfect timing on how to better leverage itself against other device makers. The deal will help the development of UVMF’S $1.6 Billion proposed Pearson Education Tablet (PET), take UVMF public and develop a new brand imaging campaign for Black Berry Products using UVMF’s entertainment ties.

UVMF is a much smaller company but is best known for its big ideas. One of the key innovators is the self proclaimed Dr. Nono C. Pearson who is the founder/ CEO of the firm. Dr. Pearson, who was born on Flag Day, started his career in music as a D.J. producer and song writer. Since then he has started and predicted new trends that have gone on to become the biggest in history and some of the worst trends in history, like our current economic crises.

One trend that Dr. Pearson has been more vocal about in past interviews is what he called “making country cool” in rap music. This was at the time when the east and west coast rap music ruled the air waves. It’s now documented that the “make country cool” movement in rap music has sold over 78 million records for the recording industry.

Now the 37 year old innovator is headed to Wall Street with the copyrights to prove that he is the owner of what he calls “Corporate Hip Hop” and once again he is pushing the concept through the entertainment business.

UVMF signed up a multi-platinum selling rapper to help set the trend that will help develop the market and leverage the acquisition deal. Some analysts are saying the deal is a good move as the “innovate or die” culture continues to proliferate on Wall Street says UVMF insiders.

“From day one we have been positioning United Vision Marketing Firm to be the Apple of the future in terms of out innovating the competition by continuously focusing on the best technology, creativity and delivering socially relevant content.” says Eze Redwood COO of UVMF.

Unlike much of the competition UVMF has a huge portfolio of socially relevant ideas to bring to market that will totally monetize its business model beyond advertising revenue.

“In past bubbles we have seen many firms receive high valuations without having a true business model for sustainable growth. This model is what caused the final domino to fall in 1929 to create the great depression, shortly after a temporary credit fix that eventually came to an end. We are continuously hyping economic predictions in sectors such as education, technology, and finance; in which there are little to no real sustainable growth strategies for the future. Most of our youth are unengaged with many of these products or simply just can’t afford them. Soon the bottom will fall out of that trend if we don’t face the truth. United Vision Marketing Firm has the innovative business model to help create real sustainable growth for our clients. Our most valued asset is having the human capital that has the passion to actually go out and develop the markets. We fully understand having that kind of leverage alone is priceless.” Says Dr. Nono C. Pearson CEO of United Vision Marketing Firm.

HTC EVO 4G LTE Official Website Now Live

Sprint has just launched its new dedicated landing site for the HTC EVO 4G LTE, which you can preorder on May 7 and will be released sometime in the second quarter. To sign up for email reminders, just visit sprint.com/evo4glte and enter your email address there.

Additionally, in Sprint and HTC's official press release that announces the new EVO, Sprint confirmed that unlimited data plans will remain the same price, starting at $79.99/month for individual plans (this already includes the $10 premium data add-on).

The full press release appears below for those that are interested, don't forget to head on over to our comment section and post your impressions of the device.

Full Press Release:

HTC EVO 4G LTE, Exclusively from Sprint, First HD Voice-capable Smartphone Available in the U.S.; Offers Best-in-Class Features, including Beats Audio, Amazing Camera and HD Display

Next-generation EVO offers the ability to enjoy industry-leading features without fear of overage charges or throttling with unlimited data plans for new and existing Sprint customers.

Available in Q2 for $199.99; Register for updates at www.sprint.com/evo4glte

NEW YORK – April 4, 2012 – Sprint (NYSE: S), the only national wireless carrier offering truly unlimited data for all phones while on the Sprint network¹, and HTC, a global designer of smartphones, announce the next evolution of the award-winning HTC EVO™ family: HTC EVO™ 4G LTE. HTC EVO 4G LTE focuses on exceptional improvements in camera technology, audio and voice quality on both the network and device.

HTC EVO 4G LTE will be available in the second quarter for $199.99 (excludes taxes and surcharges). The availability date will be announced later. Customers can sign up for updates today at www.sprint.com/evo4glte, and pre-order will begin Monday, May 7, at www.sprint.com.

HTC EVO 4G LTE is built on Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, integrated with HTC Sense™ 4. HTC EVO 4G LTE boasts brilliant features, including a vibrant 4.7-inch HD display, HD voice capabilities, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, large 2000mAh embedded battery and dual-cameras (8-megapixel rear-facing and 1.3-megapixel front-facing) with instant capture capability. HTC EVO 4G LTE brings back the fan-favorite kickstand built into the smartphone’s refined, slim design.

With the launch of HTC EVO 4G LTE, Sprint becomes the first U.S. carrier to announce plans for a nationwide HD Voice network beginning in late 2012 as part of Sprint’s Network Vision program.

HD Voice is the next-generation evolution of voice quality and the future of voice communications for mobile phones. The service will provide fuller, more natural-sounding and less fatiguing voice quality and should reduce troublesome background noises often found in a cafe or on the street.² Users should expect to identify voices and hear every word better than ever. Sprint's commitment to HD Voice starts with HTC EVO 4G LTE, Sprint’s first HD Voice capable device.

"Sprint has a long history of leading the wireless industry in innovation, and the debut of HTC EVO 4G LTE marks another chapter in that innovation story," said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. "Once again, we are partnering with HTC to deliver the benchmark Android device for the year with the next generation of our award-winning EVO brand. We know our customers will appreciate the focus on audio and voice quality with EVO 4G LTE, including the addition of Beats Audio and HD Voice capability."

HTC EVO 4G LTE is Sprint’s first device with HTC’s Authentic Sound experience integrating Beats Audio™. The technology enables customers to hear music the way the artist intended with unique audio tuning that delivers thundering bass, soaring midrange and crisp highs.

HTC EVO 4G LTE incorporates Beats Audio across the entire phone experience, including playing music stored on the device, streaming from a favorite service, watching a movie or YouTube™ video, or playing the latest hot game. HTC Sync Manager software also lets users easily get their music on the device from their PC, and it works with current programs, including iTunes^®.

"The partnership between HTC and Sprint has resulted in one of the most popular and successful smartphone brands of all time with over 7 million EVO devices sold to date," said Jason Mackenzie, president, HTC Corporation. "With HTC EVO 4G LTE, we've created a desirable successor that is sure to excite the millions of current EVO customers and beyond with HTC’s distinct design, amazing camera and authentic sound."

ADVANCING SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY

HTC EVO 4G LTE makes mobile photography and video easy and intuitive.

• The on-screen photo and video buttons are right next to each other so users don’t have to switch modes. This allows the user to take video and still photos concurrently.
• It makes the whole idea of “video mode” or “photo mode” irrelevant. While shooting a video, the user can just tap the shutter button and it captures a still image of that exact moment. Still images can also be captured during video playback.
• HTC EVO 4G LTE’s camera has a super-fast start-up time and auto-focus. With the fast auto-focus, users can easily stay with a moving object or person, taking numerous pictures just by holding the shutter button.

In addition, HTC ImageSense™ technology combines hardware and software advancements to the camera lens, sensor and software, including integration of a new custom HTC ImageChip, to take great photos even in adverse conditions. The best-in-class f/2.0 camera lens lets in 44 percent more light than the lenses used on most camera phones. The Smart Flash also adjusts the flash strength based on how far away the object is, so users won’t get photos where everything looks washed out.

REFINED STYLE AND DESIGN

Crafted from aluminum spaceframe in an anodized black finish, HTC EVO 4G LTE delivers cutting-edge function and style in a thin and distinctive design. The smartphone’s 4.7-inch display and 80-degree viewing angle makes it easier to share pictures and video with others. The multiposition kickstand allows users to watch videos hands-free.

HTC EVO 4G LTE customers can enjoy an unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, Anytime^SM includes unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones³ – a savings of $40 per month vs. Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and 2GB Web, or $10 per month savings vs. Verizon’s 450-minute plan with unlimited text and 2GB Web.

Sprint recently announced Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio are expected to have 4G LTE and enhanced 3G service in mid-year 2012. Sprint 4G LTE will enable faster speeds for data applications, and the enhanced 3G service promises better signal strength, faster data speeds, expanded coverage and better in-building performance. The launch of these large metropolitan areas demonstrates the continued commitment by Sprint to invest in its network through Network Vision. Sprint customers in these areas will soon enjoy ultra-fast data speeds and improved 3G voice quality. Whether a Sprint customer is using a smartphone to share a video, checking the Web via a mobile hotspot, Sprint 4G LTE will make it easier. And, when someone makes an important voice call, they can expect to find a clearer connection and a stronger signal in more areas. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 55 million customers at the end of 2011 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

About HTC

Founded in 1997, HTC Corporation (HTC) is the creator of many award-winning mobile devices and industry firsts. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC pushes the boundaries of design and technology to create innovative and personal experiences for consumers around the globe. HTC’s portfolio includes smartphones and tablets powered by HTC Sense™, a multilayered graphical user interface that vastly improves user experience. HTC is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE: 2498). For more information, please visit www.htc.com.  

Visit www.sprint.com/newswroom or www.sprint.com/presskits for more information and images.

Sprint Announces The HTC EVO 4G LTE

The HTC EVO 4G LTE, Sprint’s variant of the HTC One X, was unveiled today at Sprint’s press event in New York city. Sprint’s CEO, Dan Hesse, took the stage during the press event, showing off what will be Sprint’s flagship smartphone for the summer.

The HTC EVO 4G LTE features a 4.7-inch 720p HD display, a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 8 megapixel rear camera with an f2.0 lens BSI sensor, dedicated imaging chip and HTC’s new Image Sense technology. Other specifications include a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera, 1 GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, NFC, LTE and a 2000 mAh battery which will keep the EVO 4G LTE up and running for over 24 hours.

"One of the new unique features found of the HTC EVO 4G LTE is HD Voice. The feature uses voice over LTE in combination with noise cancelling technology on the handset to deliver extremely clear audio calls."

From a design standpoint, the HTC EVO 4G LTE features a uni-body annodized aluminum shell similar to other HTC devices. HTC has brought back the kickstand (painted red) which is featured prominently as a design feature on the back side of the handset. The placement of the kickstand would make most people think that they would be able to use in only in landscape mode, but HTC’s engineering magicians have created a dual-directional kickstand which works in landscape and portrait more – giving user the flexability allowed by the thicker kickstand featured on the HTC Thunderbolt.