Yesterday Verizon Wireless announced the impending availability of the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 smartphone on its network. Available online on November 3rd, and in stores on November 8th, the new 8130 is the first CDMA powered BlackBerry Pearl on the market. Verizon also announced a new BlackBerry specific data plan. For an additional US$29.99/mo, BlackBerry users with an existing voice account will be able to get unlimited data and unlimited access to as many as 10 personal IMAP or POP email accounts. Verizon is also offering a standalone data-only option for $34.99/mo.

The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 comes equipped with many current business and multimedia features, such as a 2.0 megapixel camera, a 3.5mm audio jack, and EV-DO 3G data. A built-in GPS unit can be used with Verizon’s VZ Navigator service (an extra cost) to get turn-by-turn directions from the Pearl. Other features of the device include an external microSD card slot that supports cards with capacities up to 8GB in size and Bluetooth 2.0 stereo support. (more…)

AT&T yesterday announced the Motorola Q 9h, the first Motorola Q smart device sold in the U.S. with worldwide capabilities.
The Q 9h provides a new, sleek form factor, offering a full ergonomic QWERTY keyboard, downloads at up to 3.6 Mbps via AT&T’s UMTS/HSDPA-based network, Windows Mobile 6, built-in GPS capabilities, Documents to Go for document editing, Opera browser, a 2.0-megapixel camera with flash, and support for applications and services. These include the debut of My Q Paks, a suite of third-party applications designed to meet a user’s lifestyle needs.

Windows Mobile 6 provides users with the familiar look and feel of their desktop computers at home or in the office. It delivers the ability to view email messages in their original rich HTML format with live links to Web and Microsoft Office SharePoint sites, which means that text and images are displayed as they would be on a Windows PC. (more…)

Second Life’s popularity has hit Japan as well and they are now working on ways to develop the technology needed for bringing it on their mobile phones as well. It’s all pretty close to becoming true as the service will be released before the holidays.
The service is
targeted at DoCoMo handsets from the 3G FOMA 700 and 900 series. If it proves successful, an adaptation for other phone models might see a close release as well. Some people spend hours and hours building themselves a virtual life from their PCs. Putting some mobility in this second reality means detaching it from the desktop and taking it anywhere the player might go.

The craze with the Second Life might just see an even greater development, now that it has a new environment to exploit. Of course, it will bring only some basic features, as it would be impossible to make the mobile phone version match the huge number of features and possibilities handled by the more evolved processor of a PC. It should be great even in this basic form, as it will bring a solution for those who want to stop using the PCs for a while. (more…)

One of the most powerful mobile phones from NTT DoCoMo’s new lineup is the SO905iCS, a Sony Ericsson device. There are few handsets out there that can brag about having a 5-megapixel camera as this proves to be one of the lucky ones.

The phone looks anything but
what globally released devices from this producer have gotten us used to see. The slider has the same rectangular look, with few curves aside the slightly rounded corners. Moreover, the 2.7-inch screen looks huge, especially because of its length. At a resolution of 480 x 864 pixels, it proves to be great for watching videos and for easy navigation.

The strongest point of NTT DoCoMo SO905iCS is definitely the 5-megapixel camera. There are only few other handsets capable of this performance out on the market and many people willing to give up a separate digital camera for an evolved one packed in their mobile phone. There is also a secondary camera included, although this is less evolved. (more…)