From Geek to Chic: Decade evolving smartphone

Ars This article summarizes a decade in the U.S. market the most representative of 20 cell phones, and domestic situation is different, but it may well be an interesting reference (on the part of the original Razr inaccurate translations are deleted.)  What if the model you like, but not mentioned above, please comment - please write also like it because.

 Over the past decade, smart phones from the big hair, hanging in the minority on the belt plaything developed into the mass market mobile computing platform. The mid-90s, "PDA + phone" has become the ultimate mobile Internet Shuangsha, such as the early IBM Simon and Nokia Communicator.  After 2000, with the cellular data technology, mobile processor, touch screen matures, these devices are also increasingly improved.

 This photo album paper, we represented each of two models reviewed in the past decade or so the history of smart phones.  While Apple's iPhone and Android phone in the back five years to hold a dominant, but an impressive number of other models, including the Nokia Communicator series, Palm Treo and Motorola Droid.

2000/2001 2000/2001

Ericsson R380: Ericsson R380 - P800 and P900 series predecessor, was the first Symbian phone, it was also appearing on the market that it is the first smart phone.

 Nokia 9120 Communicator: Nokia Communicator 1996 product launch of 9000 series, 9120 is the first color screen phone.  Nokia gave up its original GEOS Intel 386 processor and operating system, based on ARM9 core Symbian.  Nokia 9000 series on the many features have become common features of today's smart phones.

2002 2002

 Handspring Treo 180: Very few people remember Handspring, which Palm is the founder of the company's founder.  Palm Handspring introduced himself unable or unwilling to launch the Palm OS phone.  For example, Handspring introduced the first color Palm OS devices, has introduced the first PalmOS operating system for mobile phones, the first of the Treo 180 is a flip phone, the phone in the form of continuation of the PalmOS's PDA capabilities.  Soon after, Palm acquired Handspring, Treo next few years have become the top smartphone.

Sony Ericsson P800: Sony Ericsson mobile phone sector consolidation, the establishment of the Sony Ericsson.  Cooperation Ericsson products Sony into a clear style, the first result is the first camera phone with a P800.

2003 2003

 T-Mobile's Pocket PC Phone Edition: T-mobile for Pocket PC Phone Edition is the first Windows Mobile (later known as Pocket PC) smart phones.  Because of the desktop Windows systems integration and enterprise messaging system on the support of Exchange and Office, Windows Mobile device users in the very popular business.

 Palm Treo 600: the founder of the recall after a restless, Palm released the Treo 600.  Clamshell design is more compact candy bar style place, hardware enhancements include full backlit QWERTY keyboard, color screen and low-resolution camera.  In the next 3-4 years, Treo smart phone market dominated by the United States.

2004 2004

 BlackBerry 6210: RIM earlier in this decade, when to launch a variety of BlackBerry phones, the company's popular business-level increase of two-way pagers cellular phones and e-mail functions.  However, as 6120 is the first mobile phone - the model before the headset needs to be connected to the call.  Many executives will be as fascinated by CrackBerry connectivity.

 Palm Treo 650: Treo product line remained strong in 2004, 650 will increase the screen resolution to 320 × 320, an increase of Bluetooth is in childhood, also increase data transmission capacity to EDGE / CDMA standards.  Palm Treo product line in some of the small upgrades, a complete failure until later, when the user has moved to a more stylish touch-screen units, such as the iPhone and Android.

2005 2005

 Motorola Razr V3: thin, laser etched, brushed aluminum casing, the Motorola Razr is that many Americans first smartphone. It is highest in the forefront of U.S. mobile phone sales charts over many years, growing ranks of operators and price-cutting strategy to become the optimal choice for several years.

 

 HP iPAQ 6500: iPAQ from Pocket PC PDA, but the subsequent increase in the cellular phone HP hardware and turned it into a smart phone. Windows Mobile 6500 and the Treo 650 has had stiff competition, 6500 increased by EDGE data connection, but, strangely enough, the lack of WiFi and camera. Variant models behind these features added.

2006 2006

 Danger Hiptop 3 / T-mobile Sidekick 3: Danger's Hiptop T-mobile smart phones sold by the time called the Sidekick, the celebrities, high-tech geek and young people (the IM program and the relationship between QWERTY full keyboard) is very popular .  Manufactured by Sharp third-generation hardware, with built-in ability to download programs that can be profitable - a pattern that later because of the emergence of iPhone application store fame.

 HTC / Cingular 8525: HTC Android smart phone by well-known, such as T-mobile's G1, and Verizon's Droid and Incredible. OEM HTC manufactured by way of the early to Windows Mobile touch screen phones, Cingular 8250 is one of them.

2007 2007

 Apple iPhone: 2007 mid, Apple released the iconic iPhone, overnight, changed the pattern of the smart phone market.  Although the lack of first-generation iPhone 3G network support, only through Web (HTML and JavaScript Jobs joked that the iPhone SDK) released applications.  Mobile Safari WebKit core set for the mobile Internet, a high threshold, Apple maintains a dominant position through the device, rather than the operator determines function - although the status of this control for Apple to pay the 5 years the United States only with AT & T Cooperation price.

 Nokia N95: Nokia N95 smart phone hardware configuration has now become the most popular smart phone configuration: 500 million pixels with LED flash autofocus camera, GPS transceiver, WiFi, Bluetooth, the front for video calls camera , video output and so on.  N95 also supports the local programs and JavaME and Symbian mobile Flash.

2008 2008

 Apple iPhone 3G: Apple for the iPhone 3G adds more high-speed UMTS data connection, then just emerging UMTS in the United States. Apple also opened up the third-party developers to iPhone, in July launched application store, and the rest is the mobile developers to create history.

 HTC Dream / T-mobile G1: HTC launched the first Android smartphone continues its OEM manufacturers in the smart phone's position. T-mobile phone in the United States by the starter, called the G1 - meaning the first "Google-powered" smart phones.

2009 2009

 Motorola Droid: Verizon received from the Lucasfilm there, "Droid" authorization to open a successful campaign, Android phones will incorporated into the product line. Marketing impetus for "Droid" Android phone in the U.S. equivalent, but also to Android become the most popular platform for the U.S. market. Droid recent upgrades are some minor changes, also confirmed the design's success.

。 Palm Pre: Palm Treo product line with the first smart phone to become a leader, but soon by Apple and other competitors, tremendous pressure, it can not be developed under the pressure of a new generation of products. Management of innovation and some high-profile talent from Apple hired the system eventually gave birth to webOS Palm Pre.  Although the changes are not Pre HP acquired fate, but innovative developer webOS can show HTML, CSS, and JavaScript technologies such as the ability to play.

2010 2010

 Apple iPhone 4: iPhone 4 external antenna design problems? This hampers the iPhone 4 as the world's best-selling smart phone it? 一点儿也没。 Not a bit. Apple iPhone improved almost every aspect, including the A4 processor, "print quality" IPS screen positive for FaceTime video calls camera, 500-megapixel camera - can beat almost every smartphone on the market. Strong support of developers, Apple's platform, the goal continues to become competitors.

 Samsung Galaxy S: Over the past year, issued a number of Android smart phone, but Samsung's Galaxy S Series is very unique - Samsung almost by every major U.S. carriers released different versions.Unlike other smart phones, Galaxy S's in each carrier has a change of a specific application - whether it is Verizon, AT & T or T-mobile. Sprint also introduced in support of 4G, QWERTY sliding keyboard version.

Apple collaborating with Amazon, Google, and Cingular on new iReader?

UPDATE: some people didn't get that this entire post was an April Fools joke. Sorry for being too realistic.

I was going to not blog until Monday, but I saw something today that just has to be blogged about. Seriously, on Monday I'll be on CNN with Kathy Sierra and Chris Locke talking about this week's events. I spoke against more rules or other infringments on our freedom of speech. No matter how vile or disgusting that speech is. That said, I reserve my right to take a week off to point out the rotten strawberries sitting on our meme shelf.

Back to what I saw: today we were eating at Sam's Chowder House in Half Moon Bay when I saw someone down on the beach using a device I didn't recognize. Being a geek I quickly ran down to the beach to see what it was. Turns out he was an Apple executive (he asked me not to name him) and tried to hide the device when I came near, but I eventually talked him into showing it off to me.

Apple, he told me, is looking to bring out an iPhone family of devices that'll extend your iPhone into new usage patterns. The device that he was carrying around was built by a long-rumored Tablet team inside Apple. The executive also had an early iPhone production sample — we'll talk about that later and how it works with this new device.

Remember the Sony Reader? Well, it's sorta like that. It uses a similar screen. Why? Cause Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ives found that they couldn't comfortably use their iPhones in bright sunlight. Especially to read long portions of text. Since Jobs is an avid book reader, and Ives reads a ton of RSS feeds (the executive says he brags that he reads as many feeds as Scoble) they were looking for a new device that'd make it possible to read, while using the wireless features of the iPhone.

Anyway the device looked just like the Sony Reader, except it was white. It also was slightly longer than a Sony Reader cause it's has a keyboard, Blackberry style, at the bottom of the device. It also has a red stripe along the side that contains an innovative navigation device so you can click on certain parts of documents, or links in those parts, to visit other pages. That "iStrip" is what makes it possible to read RSS feeds and click on links.

But that's about where the similarities with the Sony Reader end. The device has nice, large buttons on either side of the screen to go forward and back between pages. It also has a keyboard. And, comes with some really unique software that go way beyond what Sony offers.

First, there are two models. One costs $499 and works wirelessly with an iPhone. The other is $599 and comes with a built-in Cingular wireless modem (and free service for a year).

Then on the device there's a really nice UI (it's Apple, remember!) Lets you get quickly to books, feeds, newspapers, magazines.

I only had time to try some feeds and books. The book reader is magical. You can buy any Amazon ebook and have it delivered to the machine in about one minute, thanks to the Bluetooth networking capability with the iPhone. I bought a copy of Long Tail and was reading it in just a little more than 70 seconds. Much easier than going to Borders and picking up a physical copy.

Then I was paging through the book. The screen was bright, sharp (thanks to new font sharpening technology that makes the fonts 30% sharper than similar technology from Microsoft called "ClearType." He said they found out a new way of filtering visual noise out that makes our eyes perceive the font as sharper.)

He told me that Amazon built the book buying and reading software, together with an Apple team, and you can buy a variety of books instantly using the wireless capabilities. It was easy to use and beautiful. I instantly wanted one to read books on. When you see this device you'll probably write "paper books are dead."

Each page doesn't appear instantly, as it does on an LCD screen. Instead this screen technology actually has really tiny balls that spin over to reveal either black or white (or up to 256 shades of gray — he said a color version is in development but won't come out until 2008). The advantage to using this kind of screen? It works in bright sunlight, like at the beach. It also takes very little power and never is turned off. Once the device generates an image on the screen it no longer needs any power. He told me he read four books already without charging the battery (more than a dozen hours of constant reading).

The device was totally remarkable. I want one. He told me they probably would ship in July or August "we need some reason for you to come back into an Apple store after you pick up your iPhone in June."

Oh, I forgot about the feed reader. It's a unique version of Google's Reader, built to use the "iStrip" navigation device. It'll come by default with some feeds, they aren't sure how many. I saw TechCrunch. LifeHacker. BoingBoing. Digg. Scripting News. I signed in with my name and the device instantly was synched up with feeds I hadn't yet read either. One other thing I noticed is that there was a "Steve Jobs blog." The exec grabbed it out of my hands when I was about to read that.

Well, I went back up to Sam's Chowder House, told everyone about the new device, told Maryam that she's going to need to wait on the crib purchase, cause I had to have one this summer. Our new baby can sleep on the floor, I figure, our gadget budget is just gonna have to get strained more this summer than I was planning on.

My 13-year-old son Patrick's reaction? (He's a total Apple freak). "You had me there dad until you said Steve Jobs was doing a blog. That was really stretching it."

UPDATE: Happy 10th Anniversary to Dave Winer's Scripting News (and that's no April Fools' joke!)

Oh, and I am not going to post any more April Fools' stuff to my link blog. There are SOME legitimate news items to send through the system today.

Cell phone or Service - Which comes first?

What comes first?

Most people want to pick the coolest phone they can find and then choose a service plan. However, that course often does not work well, since not every phone works with every wireless network.

What comes first -- the phone or the service plan?

The answer is "It depends."

 

First-time Buyers and General Users

For a first-time user, it is better to choose your plan first, then the phone. Because choosing the wrong plan can cost you extra money each month, while the phone is a one-time decision. In addition, most carriers offer a full range of phones for each service plan, from inexpensive to full-featured. Unless you have your heart set on a specific, hot new phone, go for the plan first.

Wireless systems in the USA (unlike Europe and Asia) are not compatible with one another. This means that a Sprint PCS phone, for example, won't be compatible with VoiceStream Wireless or AT&T Wireless service. Even if you just want to switch carriers, you will probably need to buy a new phone.

 

Experienced Users

For experienced users and high-tech junkies, you can start from chooing your favorite cellular phone. Based on your phone, you may choose you applicable rate plans, but first-time buyers may find this harder.

 

How to Choose Your Cell Phone Service Plan

How to choose your cell phone plan?
Cellular phones can provide freedom from wires and a convenience which is becoming increasingly critical. However, choosing your cell phone service plan is as complicated as doing your taxes and as confusing as reading an insurance policy.

Cell-phone service offerings vary a lot from region to region, so it is important to know exactly which carriers provide service in your area. This will let you know all the rate plans for your area. (If you want to find out which cell phone service is available in your area right away, visit our partner site Letstalk.com.)

If you just need a quick usage based cell phone selection guiding chart, click here.

When selecting your cell phone service plan, start by asking yourself "How and Where will you use your phone each month?" Specifically, consider the followings:

Coverage
Geographical area of usage
Usage profile: purpose of cell phone use
Frequency of use
Technology differences
Service contracts
 
To find out which wireless carrier's service is best rated in your area, go to wireless provider ratings page.
To find out which carrier is available and compare plans, click comparison shopping .

If You Like Pizza, The TSA Wants To Hire You!

The TSA is looking for employees to fill vacancies within the agency at the Washington-Dulles International and Reagan National Airports. In an effort to advertise the job openings in the nation's capital, the TSA is advertising the jobs on pizza boxes. In what appears to be a novel approach, the ad also includes the statement "career where x-ray vision and federal benefits come standard" as part of the job specifications.

One would think in these economic hard times that the agency would have no problem filling federal jobs.

So what do you think? Is this a novel way to offer federal jobs, or is TSA just desperate?

Comments welcome.

What Do Apple and North Korea Have In Common? Neither Tolerates Criticism

Sir Walter Scott once stated, 'Oh the tangled web we weave when we practice to deceive.'

So what exactly did Sir Scott mean when he wrote this? According to WikiAnswers:

Deception is a false reality imposed on a true reality. It is a fragile and complex weaving of truth, half truths', lies and lies of omission. To successfully deceive another or several people, one must be skilled in the art of deception. To create a deception worthy of belief one must be able to create plausible details that help create the illusion of truth.

In my younger years I called this BS. You knew that the person who was weaving the tale was shading the truth to make himself look better. But when a company shades the truth about a hardware product, it puts itself before the world to be scrutinized. So when the folks at Apple chose to remove all threads that cited the recent Consumer Reports article — which confirmed a reception problem — it makes one wonder what Apple is trying to hide.

If Apple takes the same road as Toyota and BP have taken, I am sure that some bored Congress person will ask for a hearing.

But the bottom line is this: if you are not happy with your new Apple iPhone 4, just take the darned thing back for a full refund.

Comments welcome.

Want A White iPhone 4? How About One With Diamonds?

While it seems that Apple is delaying the release of its white iPhone 4, you can get a white iPhone that is diamond studded. The iPhone is crafted by Stuart Hughes of Liverpool, England. Priced at only $20,000, the diamond iPhone adds a bit of class to the common cell phone.

Do the diamondson the side of the case prevent reception problems?

Comments welcome.

AT&T Apology To Customer Who Was Threatened With Cease & Desist Order

In a 100% reversal, AT&T has offered an apology to a customer that had emailed the CEO two times in two weeks. In the emails the customer had requested an extension on his iPhone eligibility date and also his displeasure with the new rates AT&T  is considering. But in a press release the company stated:

AT&T's official statement on the matter:

We are apologizing to our customer. We're working with him today to address his questions and concerns. This is not the way we want to treat customers. From Facebook to significant customer service channels, AT&T strives to provide our customers with easy ways to have their questions addressed.

Let's face it. This was a PR nightmare that needed to be addressed.

In addition, AT&T may be facing a backlash from customers over their new tired pricing plan.

Comments welcome.

Apple iPhones Becoming Best Evidence For Cops

Police are finding that the Apple iPhone which are being left behind at crime scenes, are providing them with plenty of evidence to be used against suspects. Though you may believe that once you delete an email or other data from your phone, it seems that cops can still extract the information since it is never fully deleted from the phone.

The coppers are just as fond of the iPhone as consumers are for the following reasons:

Detective Josh Fazio of the Will County Sheriff's Department loves it when an iPhone turns up as evidence in a criminal case.

The sophisticated cell phone and mobile computer is becoming as popular with police as it is with consumers because it can provide investigators with so much information that can help in solving crimes.

"When someone tells me they have an iPhone in a case, I say, 'Yeah!' I can do tons with an iPhone," said Fazio, who works in the sheriff's department high-tech crimes unit.

The iPhones generally store more data than other high-end phones — and investigators such as Fazio frequently can tap in to that information for evidence.

And while some phone users routinely delete information from their devices, that step is seldom as final as it seems.

"When you hit the delete button, it's never really deleted," Fazio said.

The devices can help police learn where you've been, what you were doing there and whether you've got something to hide.

The police are going to find it difficult to track down what I type or do since I am the proud owner of a dumb phone. LOL  But it does make me wonder how other phones handle the storing of information and data. I find it hard to believe that it is only the Apple iPhone that can be tapped for useful evidence that the police could use.

What do you think?

Comments welcome.

Own An AT&T, Cingular, Or Mobility Cell Phone? You May Be Entitled To Get It Unlocked

Because of four different lawsuits, AT&T is going to provide consumers with unlocking codes for specific devices that were tethered to the AT&T cell service.

You are a class member if you have or had an AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, and/or AT&T Mobility individual account and you purchased, directly or from an indirect retailer, a wireless handset other than an Apple iPhone for use with AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, and/or AT&T Mobility service from March 12, 1999 to April 2, 2010.

AT&T Mobility agrees to give to its eligible AT&T Wireless, Cingular and AT&T Mobility current and former customers, upon request and where available, codes that unlock AT&T Wireless, Cingular and AT&T Mobility handsets other than (i) the Apple iPhone; or (ii) any handset that AT&T Mobility introduces or has introduced for sale pursuant to a contract with a handset manufacturer that provides for an exclusivity period of ten (10) months or longer ("AT&T Handset"). Unlock codes for AT&T Handsets will be provided to eligible postpaid customers who have completed a minimum of ninety (90) days of active service with AT&T Wireless, Cingular or AT&T Mobility and who are in good standing and current in their payments at the time of the request.

AT&T Mobility will provide unlocking codes for AT&T Handsets upon request to eligible prepaid subscribers who provide a detailed receipt or other proof of purchase of the handset. Customers may request five unlock codes per year.

What isn't known is how one goes about getting an unlocking code once the case is approved. The lawyers who filed the lawsuit only have provided the details described above in .pdf format, which can be read below.

Black Nokia E71x AT&T Phone

Product Details:

Black Nokia E71x AT&T Phone:

The black Nokia E71x AT&T Phone is one of the thinnest smartphones currently available. Measuring at 4.45 x 2.25 x 0.39 in, weighing 4.44 oz and quad-band compatibility (GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz | WCDMA 850 / 1900) ensure you can easily carry and stay connected no matter where life takes you. Adding to its arsenal of communication features the AT&T Nokia E71x smartphone has 3G and Wi-Fi (WLAN IEEE 802.11b/g) connectivity.

You can browse the web and view your favorite websites in HTML / CSS, XHTML, MP, WML, CSS with the JavaScript MIDP 2.0 browser. Support for HTTPS and WAP 2.0 further expand your mobile web options. Access your email (Xpress Mail / IMAP / POP), send Instant Messages (AOL / Windows Live / Yahoo!), and enjoy Cellular Video (CV). The Nokia E71x smartphone's 2.4" 320 x 240 pixel TFT (QVGA) 16 million color screen provides a vivid view.

Quickly compose with the full QWERTY keyboard and stay productive with Quickoffice (Quickword / Quickpoint / Quicksheet) and PDF Viewer. Keep in touch and manage your schedule with multiple entry contacts, picture caller ID, ringtone profiles, video ringtones, contact groups, speakerphone, voice commands, calendar (week / month view), voice recorder, reminders, to do list, alarm clock, and much more.

Listen to your messages with the Text To Speech Message Reader. Download and add applications, Cool Tools, games, ringtones, graphics and themes from MEdia Mall. The Nokia E71x AT&T Phone guarantees you're just as productive when on the move and away from the office.

Integrated 3.2 megapixel camera features digital zoom, LED flash, red-eye reduction and doubles as a camcorder. Take photos with a maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels and capture 640 x 480 at 22 fps / 320 x 240 (QVGA) at 30/15 fps / 176 x 144 at 15 fps (QCIF) video.

Share your memories with relatives and friends via multimedia messaging. Use Video Share (stream real time / prerecorded footage) to communicate with another compatible Video Share enabled cell phone. AT&T Video Share Starter and Video Share Plus add-on services let you communicate in a new way.

Playback your digital media anytime anywhere with medial player application. Support for MP3 / WMA / AAC / AAC+ / eAAC+ digital audio formats and RM / eAAC+ streaming audio formats enable you to enjoy your music when on the move.

Identify songs with MusicID and download music from your favorite artists with AT&T Mobile Music. Take all of your media with you on microSDHC cards (max 8GB microSDHC card support). Sync with Windows Media player. Enjoy your music wirelessly in stereo with a Bluetooth stereo headset or Bluetooth stereo speakers.

The Nokia E71x AT&T Phone is a Bluetooth version 2.0 device with Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) and supports Bluetooth:

GAP / SAP / DUN / OPP

FTP / SPP / HFP / GOEP

HSP / PBAP / BIP / SDAP

GAVDP / AVRCP / A2DP

The Nokia E71x smartphone provides you with an almost unlimited amount of options for handsfree operation. Pair to Bluetooth headsets and professional and self installation car kits and enhance your mobile experience.

When on the road the AT&T Nokia E71x helps you reach your destination with AT&T Navigator. Have audible turn by turn driving directions, visual maps and more at your disposal. No need to worry about getting lost, the Nokia E71x has you covered.

Monitors Driver Download -- Open Drivers

Open Drivers collect Monitors driver for one-stop download, update and installation service. All Monitors for vpr Matrix, ViewSonic, Sony, Samsung, Princeton Graphics, Philips, Panasonic, NEC, Mitsubishi, Mag Innovision, KDS, Hyundai, Hercules, Hansol, HANNS.G, Fujitsu, Elo TouchSystems, EIZO, Dell, CTX, BENQ, AG Neovo, ADI, Acer have been listed in Open Drivers. Drivers for Monitors have been categorized by device manufacturers. The main driver developers of Monitors can be listed.
Monitors Driver Download, Update and Upgrade >>
vpr Matrix - Monitors Driver
ViewSonic - Monitors Driver
Sony - Monitors Driver
Samsung - Monitors Driver
Princeton Graphics - Monitors Driver
Philips - Monitors Driver
Panasonic - Monitors Driver
NEC - Monitors Driver
Mitsubishi - Monitors Driver
Mag Innovision - Monitors Driver
KDS - Monitors Driver
Hyundai - Monitors Driver
Hercules - Monitors Driver
Hansol - Monitors Driver
HANNS.G - Monitors Driver
Fujitsu - Monitors Driver
Elo TouchSystems - Monitors Driver
EIZO - Monitors Driver
Dell - Monitors Driver
CTX - Monitors Driver
BENQ - Monitors Driver
AG Neovo - Monitors Driver
ADI - Monitors Driver
Acer - Monitors Driver

Own An AT&T, Cingular, Or Mobility Cell Phone? You May Be Entitled To Get It Unlocked

Because of four different lawsuits, AT&T is going to provide consumers with unlocking codes for specific devices that were tethered to the AT&T cell service.
You are a class member if you have or had an AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, and/or AT&T Mobility individual account and you purchased, directly or from an indirect retailer, a wireless handset other than an Apple iPhone for use with AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, and/or AT&T Mobility service from March 12, 1999 to April 2, 2010.
AT&T Mobility agrees to give to its eligible AT&T Wireless, Cingular and AT&T Mobility current and former customers, upon request and where available, codes that unlock AT&T Wireless, Cingular and AT&T Mobility handsets other than (i) the Apple iPhone; or (ii) any handset that AT&T Mobility introduces or has introduced for sale pursuant to a contract with a handset manufacturer that provides for an exclusivity period of ten (10) months or longer (“AT&T Handset”). Unlock codes for AT&T Handsets will be provided to eligible postpaid customers who have completed a minimum of ninety (90) days of active service with AT&T Wireless, Cingular or AT&T Mobility and who are in good standing and current in their payments at the time of the request.
AT&T Mobility will provide unlocking codes for AT&T Handsets upon request to eligible prepaid subscribers who provide a detailed receipt or other proof of purchase of the handset. Customers may request five unlock codes per year.

Free Ring Tones for Cingular Cell Phones

How to Download Free Ringtones for my Cingular phone? You can get 10 Complimentary MP3 Real Music Ringtones in just 3 easy steps. Get the latest hits featuring your favorite artists! Choose from polyphonic ringtones for Cingular phones or realtones. We have the latest Cingular ring tones available. Cingular, now AT&T Wireless, is the largest mobile phone company in the United States, with more than 57 million subscribers. The company has the largest digital voice and data network. During an extensive nationwide test of major wireless carriers by a leading independent research company, Cingular/AT&T Wireless dropped the fewest number of calls across the country. So, what are you waiting for? Download Free AT&T Cingular Ringtones now. NO CREDIT CARD REQUIRED!

How I put my old Cingular SIM in my iPhone and made it work

First I must say all thanks go to the amazing people in the iPhone development team (they don't like links to their site because of bandwidth issues). I especially want to thank "iZsh", "nightwatch", "daeken" and "roxfan" and the rest of the hard working programmers for providing to everyone, the code needed to use other SIMs in the iPhone. I also want to thank a couple of my fellow chatters in the room "Dionisis" for sharing his walkthrough with me when he figured out how to do this and "aPPlewEEd" for catching an obvious error of mine that stumped me somewhere around 2 a.m. and kept me from getting this working.
This procedure does NOT unlock the iPhone after doing this, it still remains carrier dependent. But you can now use most any AT&T (pre-Cingular renaming) or Cingular pre-paid account (mine is from a contract that ran out) or any virtual operator's SIM card that uses the AT&T and Cingular network. This also works for corporate accounts. It has been brought to my attention that if your ICCID number begins with 893103801060, then you have an old style AT&T SIM and this procedure will not work.
This method is for those who live in the United States and can get access onto the AT&T network. Please send all inquiries about service to AT&T. I don't work for AT&T, I can't answer your account questions, nor do I know anything about rate plans or what would work best for you.
Ok, so grab your iPhone, shut it down and remove the AT&T SIM that it came with. Now get the SIM that you want to use in the iPhone and write down the 19 or 20 digit number that is on the card. This number will be referred to later as the ICCID. If your number is illegible, you may be able to determine what this number is by using it in your old phone.
The only other method of determining the ICCID would be to download the iPhone Tool here. Unzip the download. There is a file called tool in it, put it on your desktop. Open the Terminal, type: cd dekstop Then type: ./tool Then, with your iPhone connected to your computer and iTunes closed, type: --activate Now go to the iPhone and press Settings > General > About and scroll down to get your ICCID. Disconnect the cable for the iPhone and close the Terminal. Restart the Terminal and type: cd desktop Then type: ./tool Then, with your iPhone connected to your computer and iTunes closed, type: --deactivate When you get the number, put the SIM into the iPhone.

Apple Chooses Cingular as Exclusive US Carrier for Its Revolutionary iPhone

MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO—January 9, 2007—Apple® and Cingular announced that Cingular, the largest wireless carrier in the US, will be Apple’s exclusive US carrier partner for Apple’s revolutionary iPhone unveiled today. As part of this multi-year partnership, Apple and Cingular are working together to provide innovative new features to mobile phone users, such as iPhone’s pioneering and unique Visual Voicemail, a first on any mobile phone in the world.
“Apple chose Cingular because they are the best and most popular carrier in the US,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We are thrilled to be offering our revolutionary new iPhone exclusively with Cingular, and look forward to working together with them to create some wonderful new features for our customers.”
“By partnering with Apple, we are continuing our commitment to raising the bar for customers,” said Stan Sigman, Cingular’s president and CEO. “We think the iPhone is one of the most innovative devices ever created, and we look forward to letting our customers be the first in the world to experience the future of mobile phones.”
iPhone’s unique Visual Voicemail was co-developed by Apple and Cingular. Visual Voicemail makes voicemail as fast and convenient as email by allowing users to go directly to any of their voice messages without listening to any of the prior messages.
iPhone will be available in the US beginning in June 2007 in a 4GB model for $499 and an 8GB model for $599, and will work in combination with Apple’s iTunes® running on either a PC or Mac®.
iPhone will be sold in the US through Apple’s retail and online stores (www.apple.com), and through Cingular’s retail and online stores (www.cingular.com).
Cingular wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 58.7 million customers. Cingular is solely owned by AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), a premier communications holding company in the united states and worldwide. Cingular has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation—the Allover Network—and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is a leader in third generation wireless technology, featuring the first widely available HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) service in the world. Cingular is the only US wireless carrier to offer Rollover, the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. BULLET LIST HEADER (as needed)

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Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online store.
Press Contacts:Mark SiegelCingular(404) 236-6312(404) 374-2799mark.a.siegel@cingular.com
Natalie KerrisApple(408) 974-6877nat@apple.com

Cingular Wireless International Cell Phone Service Information

Cingular Wireless International Cell Phone Service Information
While Cingular does offer International cell phone service, they seem to have the least amount of roaming partners of all of the major US cell phone providers. Still, the most frequently traveled countries, such as Mexico, Canada and Western Europe are covered by Cingular's international service. There is a handful of countries where the rates are a moderate $1.29 per minute for both in and out calls as well as a handful of countries where the rates are $2.49 per minute but the vast majority of all calls are charged at $1.99 per minute. At an average of two dollars a minute for in and out calls, anything more than using your Cingular cell phone overseas strictly for emergencies is cost prohibitive for most people.
With today's alternatives, the majority of cell phone users who still use Cingular (or their usual domestic cell phone provider) while overseas, are those that absolutely need to maintain their US number everywhere they go and cannot leave an alternative phone number on their voice mail. If you do not mind the expense, in order to use your Cingular service internationally, you must first make sure that your current Cingular cell phone has the appropriate bands for overseas (900 and 1800 Mhz). If not, you will need to obtain a phone - either through Cingular or otherwise (Cellular Abroad has a wide variety of cell phones).
Many people ask if they can use their current Cingular cell phone with our service. Until recently, Cingular has only sold locked phones that were not compatible with other carriers service. However, there are now a select few models that are compatible with other SIM cards as well. If your Cingular phone is an international phone with this "unlocked" capability, you are much better off if you buy one of Cellular Abroad's Prepaid SIM Cards (link http://www.cellularabroad.com/SIMcards.php).
If you cannot use your own phone and do not want to purchase another phone, you can also rent a handset through Cellular Abroad and purchase a SIM card. For more information regarding Cellular Abroad's

SMS through E-Mail: Cingular, Nextel, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Virgin Mobile

Sending SMS through email is very, very easy. If you can be reminded through email, you can now be reminded through SMS.
I have email reminders sent to me for everything. If you know the correct email address, you can also send these messages to your cellular phone. Here are the email addresses for the 6 most popular cellular phone carriers:
T-Mobile: phonenumber@tmomail.net
Virgin Mobile: phonenumber@vmobl.com
Cingular: phonenumber@cingularme.com
Sprint: phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
Verizon: phonenumber@vtext.com
Nextel: phonenumber@messaging.nextel.com

AT&T Phone BlackBerry Bold 9700 Black

Returning with upgraded operating system (BlackBerry OS 5.0), optical track pad navigation, 3G connectivity, high resolution display and social networking (MySpace / Facebook / flickr), the black AT&T BlackBerry Bold 9700 has all you need when on the move.
Browse the web in HTML. Handle up to 10 personal / corporate email accounts (AOL Mail / Gmail / Windows Live Hotmail / Yahoo / POP3 / IMAP4 / SMTP / Microsoft Exchange / Lotus Domino / Novell Groupwise) and open a variety of email attachments (Microsoft Word / Excel / PowerPoint / Corel WordPerfect / Adobe PDF). Watch YouTube videos and send Instant Messages (AOL / Google / ICQ / Windows Live / Yahoo!).
Full QWERTY keyboard makes for a quick response. The AT&T BlackBerry Bold 9700 lets you connect via 3G and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g.
Easily find your way with the AT&T BlackBerry Bold 9700 and make the most of Blackberry Maps and its GPS / aGPS capability. The BlackBerry Bold 9700 ensures you get where you need to go.
Enjoy your music and playback your video. The AT&T BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphone's media player supports many popular digital audio and video formats. Add to your collection with AT&T Mobile Music. Identify songs with MusicID. Pair to Bluetooth stereo speakers or a Bluetooth stereo headset and listen to your favorite albums without the wires.
With the built-in 3.2 megapixel camera featuring 2x digital zoom, autofocus, image stabilization, flash and camcorder mode, you can preserve your life as it happens.
The AT&T BlackBerry Bold 9700 has a microSD memory expansion bay allowing you all the space you need for your music, images, video and documents. Connect via USB to your computer and sync your files (BlackBerry Media Sync / BlackBerry Desktop Software).
Stay productive with DataViz Documents To Go Standard Edition. You can edit Microsoft Excel, Word and view PowerPoint presentation right on the AT&T BlackBerry Bold 9700. Download applications from Blackberry App World and AT&T Media Mall and expand your mobile tool set.
Helping you you with your daily tasks, find voice recorder, calendar, memo pad, task list preloaded. Keeping you connected, the BlackBerry Bold 9700 has a phone book with picture caller IDs, ringtone profiles, voice dialing, speakerphone and is a Bluetooth version 2.1 device.
Shop with Blackberry Wallet, get tickets with Ticketmaster and access your online world anywhere. The AT&T BlackBerry Bold 9700 is compact (4.29 x 2.36 x 0.56 inches) and weighs 4.3 ounces with the battery installed. Powered by a 1500 mAh li-ion battery, the AT&T BlackBerry Bold 9700 provides 6 hours of talk time (504 hours standby time).

LG Vu Plus AT&T Phone

Connect at 3G with the AT&T LG Vu Plus and stay current with your online world. With AT&T Social Net and the AT&T LG Vu Plus you have access to your Facebook, MySpace and Twitter social networks. View AT&T Mobile TV and video on the LG Vu Plus cell phone's 3-in 240 x 400 pixel 262K color capacitive touch screen and stay entertained with full episodes of your favorite shows.
Read your Mobile Email (Yahoo! / AOL / AIM / Windows Live / Gmail), send / recieve Instant Messages (AIM / Windows Live / Yahoo! Messenger) and get ringtones, games, cool tools, videos and more from AT&T AppCenter. The AT&T LG Vu Plus cell phone's landscape HTML web browser and slide out full QWERTY keyboard enable you to satisfy your mobile internet needs.
LG Vu Plus AT&T Phone allows listening to XM Radio, shop for music (Napster Mobile / eMusic Mobile), identifying songs with MusicID2, and playing back your MP3, WMA, AAC and AAC+ digital audio files. Pair the AT&T LG Vu Plus to portable Bluetooth stereo speakers or a Bluetooth stereo headset and enjoy.
The LG Vu Plus has a 3.0 megapixel camera that features flash, autofocus, 2x zoom, and continuous shot. Image Editor, Image Filter (water color / cartoon / sketch), Image Adjustment (RGB color / contrast / hue) and different camera resolutions (2048x1536 / 1600x1200 / 1280x960 / 640x480 / 320x240 px) help you preserve your memories.
Store and take all of your music, pictures and video on microSD cards. The AT&T LG Vu Plus supports microSD cards up to a maximum capacity of 16GB. Connect via USB and easily manage your media.
Capture video and make video calls with AT&T Video Share. The AT&T LG Vu Plus keeps you in touch with 1,000 entry phone book, picture caller ID, ringtone profiles, speakerphone, speaker-independent voice commands and Bluetooth ver.2.0 + EDR wireless connectivity. Quad-band compatibility ensures you can always be reached.
Let the LG Vu Plus and AT&T Navigator guide you to your destination. Stay on schedule with Calendar, voice memos, notepad and more apps. The LG Vu Plus measures 4.31 x 2.1 x 0.60 inches and provides 3 hours of continuous talk time.