Dell’s Mini 10 already offers GPS with an integrated 3G chip, but if you’re not interested in mobile broadband, starting next week you can opt instead for a wireless 700 location solution, a hybrid of Broadcom’s assisted GPS and Skyhook’s WiFi positioning technologies. We had a chance to sit down with a few of the product managers working on the device, and even within a brick-laden office building it did a pretty fine job of finding us within 30 meters and integrating with Flickr, Loopt, and Yelp using the Loki plug-in for Internet Explorer / FireFox. Impact on battery life was said to be “immaterial” although a ballpark estimate was about a five percent hit when in use. For $70, it’ll come bundled with CoPilot turn by turn navigation software. It requires the $30 HD display upgrade, but even then, an extra Benjamin total for a large-screen navigation device is hard to pass up if you’re looking to get a netbook anyway. If you’re still not sold, Dell promises it’ll be available for other Mini options, with and without the HD upgrade, in the near future. Now how about a few words on the Mini 11, eh Dell?

Filed under: GPS, Laptops

Dell’s Mini 10 getting GPS / WiFi tracking upgrade next week originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, RIM, Alltel, GSM, EDGE, EV-DO, HSDPA, UMTS, CDMA, BlackBerry OS

We’ve got to give the divested markets representing the hollow husk of what was once Alltel a lot of credit — they seem to be doing everything in their power to continue rocking. For proof of that, look no further than this — pretty solid evidence that there’s an Alltel-branded Tour coming down the pike. Assuming they can keep the price within reason, it’d make for a truly epic purchase on these fancy new one-year contracts they’ve moved to, would it not?

BlackBerry Tour emerges in Alltel livery for those non-Sprint, non-Verizon types originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, Rogers Wireless, GSM, EDGE

In North America, Rogers has a reputation for getting the most cool GSM handsets the quickest (that’s not the only reputation it has, but we won’t go there right this second) — but this is one case where T-Mobile USA beat ‘em to the punch by a mile. The Canadian carrier is adding the Nokia 7510 to its TalkSpot-compatible lineup, meaning you’ll be able to offload calls to WiFi when you’re within range of a hotspot and transfer seamlessly to and from GSM. There’s no 3G, but the colorful flip does come with changeable faceplates, a concealed secondary display, 2 megapixel camera with flash, and microSD expansion. Look for it for CAD $49.99 (about $43) on a three-year deal.

[Via Unwired View]

Nokia 7510 comes to Rogers’ TalkSpot service originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, RIM, Verizon Wireless, GSM, EDGE, EV-DO, HSDPA, UMTS, CDMA, BlackBerry OS

Only the most buttoned-up, high-security businessfolk still require phones without cameras these days — and seeing how the BlackBerry Tour is destined to become the new de facto choice for buttoned-up, high-security businessfolk, it stands to reason that a cameraless version makes a whole lot of sense. Sure enough, it turns out that Verizon will be offering a non-cam version right alongside the regular Tour when it launches on the 12th, but don’t think of this as a great money-saving opportunity if you don’t snap a lot of photos — Big Red wants to charge the same $199.99 on contract for this one that they’re charging for the regular version. CIA operatives, though, have to be pretty stoked.

[Via CrackBerry]

There’ll be a BlackBerry Tour without a camera, too originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Culture, Handsets, RIM, Misc

Not that we haven’t heard a few miraculous gadgets-saving-lives stories before, but this one is in a league of its own. According to the always-embellishing Sun, one David Fitzherbert is thanking his smartphone after coming entirely too close to falling 700 feet to his death. As the story goes, he got wedged between a pair of rocks after losing control of his skis in the Matterhorn, and while we aren’t quite sure why he chose RIM’s BlackBerry over — say, chap-stick, car keys, his wallet or a fattening breakfast — he credited it with adding just enough width to his person to keep him wedged. Two hours after finding himself between a rock and a hard place, rescue crews arrived and flew him to a hospital where he used the “0.5-inch wide” phone to tell his wife that he had survived a nasty spill. We still say David owes a round of thanks to genetics, luck and Zeus, but hey, what do we know?

BlackBerry credited with saving skier’s life, serendipity left hanging originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, Palm, GSM, EDGE

Having the Palm Pre on Sprint might be good for Americans driving their pick ‘em up trucks down the CDMA data highway, but it doesn’t do Europeans (or Palm’s bottom line) any good over in the Old World. Now we’ve got video and images of a GSM-loving Palm Pre on the loose in Vietnam. Why ‘Nam? Easy, as workers gain more rights and higher wages in China, manufacturers of all our fancy consumer electronics are heading further south in search of cheap labor. While this doesn’t mean a damn thing regarding launch, it’s still good to see a functioning GSM Pre in the wild on the way to launch sometime before the end of the year, possibly sooner. Video after the break, as the saying goes.

[Thanks, Enzo]

Continue reading Video: Palm Pre caught playing with GSM SIM in Vietnam

Video: Palm Pre caught playing with GSM SIM in Vietnam originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, Others, ATT, T-Mobile, Windows Mobile, Android

If you want to get HD in your handheld, NVIDIA’s Tegra processor is the hot way to do it at the moment, and we’ve got reasonably concrete sounding rumors from disparate sources that a handset containing one of the chips is currently under development by a “top five” smartphone builder (we’re guessing it’s not Apple), and that it’ll be out sometime before the end of the year, selling at T-Mobile and AT&T for just $199. The details of the device beyond that are scant, with Android being a possibility but Windows Mobile looking more likely, and a continued pledge of battery life of rated for “days and days” of mobile multimedia. We like the sound of that.

Read - NVIDIA Tegra phone due from “big five” firm
Read - Rumor: NVIDIA Tegra phones in Q409?

NVIDIA Tegra smartphone due from a “top five” manufacturer before 2010? originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, HTC, Orange, T-Mobile

The HTC Hero has made its first appearance on a UK carrier’s website, but finds itself burdened with a teasing “coming soon” badge. Having talked to Orange, we can confirm previous reports that the device will be available for free on some, as yet undetermined but surely eye-gouging, price plans. The company said they are still testing the device and should have pricing information by tomorrow. Expect T-Mobile to quickly follow suit and unveil their Hero by another name (G1 Touch?), also fully subsidized. Both carriers will be offering the graphite edition of the phone, so if you have your heart set on the white Teflon-coated goodness, you may have to go the SIM-free route.

HTC Hero spotted on Orange UK website originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, Others

One of our favorite intellectual property rips of recent months is without a doubt the SciPhone Dream G2 from China. Having completely missed the point of Google’s open-source OS being, well, open-source and thus free for SciPhone’s use, the company instead chose to hack the G2’s “proprietory” OS to look like Android. The charger, however, built to look like the iconic Android mascot is pretty damn cute; enough so that the idea of paying $150 just to get our hands on the 100-240V USB charger has crossed our minds. See the Android’s naughty bits after the break.

[Thanks, Steven]

Continue reading SciPhone Dream G2 Android charger is best ever

SciPhone Dream G2 Android charger is best ever originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handsets, RIM, Verizon Wireless

Looks like Verizon’s got a winner here. That leaked promotional graphic was right on the money, as the carrier’s just replaced its BlackBerry Tour teaser with a pre-order page and, lo and behold, it’s indeed coming July 12th for a penny under $200. We’re still waiting to see if Sprint’s whispered July 20th date pans out, but regardless, if you want a Tour before anyone else, looks like VZW’s the way to go.

[Thanks, Jeff]

Verizon’s BlackBerry Tour coming July 12th, pre-order page now live originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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