[SXSW] At SXSW, I met with Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO, of Loopt, a location-based social networking site, and he showed me the new Loopt app for the iPhone. Loopt introduced its new Pulse button that allows SXSW attendees to access a consolidated guide for all the panels, films, bands, and parties going on at SXSW (Pulse! tab > Events) From there users can listen to music clips from the SXSW bands and see who else is going on Facebook. Loopt was one of the first successful mobile location-based social networking site, but now competing with trendy new comers Gowalla and Foursquare, who added a gaming component to the regular location-based social networking, the company had to release a check-in feature 5 months ago.

According to Sam Altman, the site counts now over 3 millions users, and the new Pulse feature include tens of thousands of local events, allow check-in to events, public Tips, and the ability to RSVP to events posted on Facebook. New partners SonicLiving, Zvents and Metromix are giving access to music and entertainment content to Loopt users.

Continue Reading "Loopt Revamped iPhone App with Pulse Feature"

[SXSW] Yesterday at SXSW, Paypal launched its new version of the Send Money application for the iPhone. Paypal allows users to send money securely to others around the world (190 countries, 24 currencies), without the hassle of bank wire transfers procedures.

Paypal launched its first mobile version for the mobile web in 2006, Paypal for iPhone was launched with the Apple app store in July 2008 and today the new feature of the iPhone app include Bump money transfers, Split Check and Collect Money. (see video)

Continue Reading "Paypal Send Money App for iPhone - Version 2.0"

Looks like Sprint will be yet another carrier that will carry the Google Nexus One which they hope will be able to take full advantage of Sprint’s 3G Mobile Broadband Network. There is no word on pricing or availability, but do expect some news concerning both to be available pretty soon. Sprint touts that their 3G network has double the coverage of AT&T and 10 times that of T-Mobile when based on square miles. Expect Sprint's Nexus One to be powered by the Android 2.1 operating system. Other hardware specifications remain intact, so why not check out our review of the Nexus One and see whether it rocks your boat or not?

Another day, another portable media player to hit the market - this time round it would be the ICOO E900P which boasts support for 1280p videos - yup, you read that right. Forget about full HD as the E900P ushers in an even higher resolution, eh? Too bad the drawback would be less storage space due to the larger file size. Features include a 5" display at 800 × 480 resolution, USB on the go, support for popular audio and video codecs as well as a YPbPr port for video output. Funny how there is no HDMI port on this - what a shame!

Most of you out there love to stand out from the rest of the crowd, and the world is full of personalization for some egoistic reason or another. Same can be said for Typeface - personalized fonts which is based on how your mug looks like. That's right, this new business concept will analyze what your face looks like, converting it into an appropriate font. No idea on how the technology works, but woe to you if your font is illegible to most folks - guess it is time to get a little nip and tuck, eh?

Interesting - US search market figures for last month by Nielsen points towards the ascension of Microsoft's Bing with Google's market share figures dropping. With Bing being the default search engine for Internet Explorer and Motorola's range of Android-powered handsets, Microsoft must be doing something right to keep 'em coming back for more. Proportionately speaking, Bing experienced a 14.7% increase compared to Google - which is a totally different story from its traditional path which came at the expense of Yahoo instead. Where do you think will be Bing's saturation point?

Check out this humanoid robot known as Cody, who is able to perform a variety of basic functions such as opening doors, drawers and cabinets. One is able to control it using a controller that resembles that of a PlayStation console, or you can also choose to rely on the force-torque sensors in the robot’s wrists to have it moving. Basically, it allows folks who are unfamiliar with video game interfaces to make Cody move around and about. Features include stereo cameras for vision as well as a laser range finder.

Acer is working to roll out its Calpella Timeline series of notebooks when March 22nd rolls around, featuring machines which run on Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors. The series will feature a variety of display sizes that range anywhere from 13" to 15", boasting an 8-hour battery life which is similar to their current ultra-thin Timeline models. They might share the same thickness as that of current Timeline models, although their weight will be increased due to the cooling modules within. No idea on pricing details though.

If you’re currently running Microsoft Exchange in your office and have been toying with the idea of migrating to Google Apps, but the pain of migration might have stopped you, Google has just made it easier for you to do so. The search engine giant has released a new migration tool that will help you migrate your company’s email, calendar, and contact data from Microsoft Exchange to Google Apps. The good news is that it just takes a few steps, it’s efficient, fast and (apparently) painless. Users can even continue to use Microsoft Exchange during the process of migration. Google Apps Migration for Microsoft Exchange currently works with Exchange 2003 and 2007 and both on-premise and hosted Exchange. So will you be moving to Google Apps, or do you still want to hold on to Microsoft Exchange?

Official blog post.

Word is going around that Sprint will be unveiling the HTC Supersonic, the first handset compatible with Sprint’s 4G data network, at CTIA next week. The device should be running on Sprint’s new WiMAX network, which should offer speeds up to 10 times faster than current networks. Until now, Sprint only has WiMAX in a few dozen cities, so if you’re a frequent traveler, WiMAX might not be your favorite thing. Of course, let’s not forget the Sprint Overdrive that we recently reviewed too. Looks like we’ll have to wait a few more days will we get the full details on the HTC Supersonic. Till then, stay tuned!

While there isn’t any official word from Nokia or AT&T just yet, a recent FCC filing seems to indicate that Nokia’s CS-12 Internet Stick might be headed for AT&T, as it features all the appropriate GSM and WCDMA bands needed for AT&T’s network. AT&T’s current network won’t be able to hit the CS-12’s 5.56Mbps speeds, as the network is still stuck on 3.6Mbps, but if the connection is stable, it shouldn’t be that bad.

FCC Filing.

iLuv is ready to rock and roll with the ISP150 Bar Speaker, where it will turn the rather ordinary iPod into a portable disco - assuming you aren't rocking out in some huge hall, of course. Meant to work in tandem with the iPad, notebook and iPod, its integrated speakers can be powered via USB or a quartet of AAA batteries. Features include a 3.5mm audio jack, USB connectivity as well as a power switch and volume control. At $34.99 a pop, we wonder who would want to lug it around on their travels since it doesn't seem all that convenient.

If you happened to have pre-ordered the Samsung BD-C6900 Blu-ray player on Amazon a while ago, you'll be pleased to know that shipping hsa commenced, where it retails for $399.99, where it will come equipped with 1GB of built-in memory, explosive 3D capabilities and DLNA streaming among others. Looks pretty phat to us - any takers, or do you prefer to pick up a PS3 instead?

Our friends at GottaBeMobile recently had a talk with Kapil Wadhera, ODM Director at Intel, concerning the latest Classmate PC 2.0. A lot of governments have already decided to spread love for this netbook all around to students courtesy of its natural rugged design that ought to be able to stand up to the rigors of everyday use by active kids, resulting in less repairs as well as lower occurences of downtime. Most educational institutions prefer the non-convertible Classmate since the convertible version isn't exactly solidly built. We did a hands-on on the Classmate recently, so check it out.