Smartphone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

"A federal agency has banned imports of new cellphones made with Qualcomm semiconductors because the chips violate a patent held by Broadcom. The International Trade Commission said today that the import ban would not apply to mobile phone models that were imported on or before June 7. The ruling is a blow to Qualcomm, to wireless handset makers like Motorola and Samsung, and to service providers like Verizon Wireless, SprintNextel and AT&T. All three service providers sell phones that rely on Qualcomm chips for access to their high-speed data networks, and 80 percent of the phones sold by Verizon use Qualcomm�s technology. Analysts say the decision could also result in higher prices for cellphone users as companies pass along the costs of switching to the new technology."

I'm sure this is long from over, but it sure does bring an interesting state to the mobile phone market. I haven't seen this kind of buzz since the RIM lawsuits from last year. ;) While everyone wants to protect their intellectual property, this does nothing for the average consumer except delay the adoption of 3G and raise the price of phones. I hope we can move past this quicker than the RIM lawsuits.

"The Blackjack is, well, black and perhaps a touch boring because of it - so for the first case review I figured I'd try out a color case - the Monaco Sleeve in Red. The Monaco Sleeve Case for Samsung Blackjack is a leather case that will protect your Blackjack and (if you like) add some color to it."



I'm not necessarily a leather sleeve case kinda guy. The standard case that comes with my Dash is fine enough for me. Nonetheless the fine folks over at WMExperts seem to like the Monaco sleeve case for the Blackjack. If you're looking to add a little pink, red, or tan protection to your all black Blackjack, the Monaco sleeve just may be your ticket.

"At the time of this writing, the HTC Star Trek (that's the Qtek 8500, Dopod S300, Cingular 3135, etc) is generally accepted by most to be the sexiest Windows Mobile Smartphone on the market. With such a distinction, good protection from a case is essential to keep the device blemish-free. There are very few cases for the HTC Star Trek. One in particular from Noreve promises to provide top quality protection with top quality leather, in several color choices. Let's take a look at how it held up wrapped around a Star Trek!"



I'm not very fond of custom cut leather cases. I'm also not very fond of the fact that the 3125 doesn't include a leather carrying case as other carrier branded HTC devices have in the past. For those of you looking for a nice leather case for your brand new Cingular 3125, you might want to check out this review!

Vaja has just added a new case to their line up for the Motorola Q. The latest version supports the larger, and commonly purchased, extended battery. If you've got a Q and you're looking for a top-notch case for it, Vaja is the place to go. The extended battery case starts at $60. 8)

JavoEdge recently released a Silicone case for the Cingular 2125. It provides shock protection and a solid grip to the phone. It boasts EAD (Enhanced Anti Dust) coating. Dust attraction was a problem plaguing other similar types of cases. It also comes in 5 colors or tints. I chose the Frosty Blue one for this review. The JavoEdge case showed up in a nice plastic container that didn't require power tools to open as most packages of this type usually do.
The cover itself looks very nice and feels good in the hand.



It fits well on the phone. Since the hump is not covered you slip the phone in through the top of the case. However, the hump not being covered has some consequences. The obvious one is the hump being nicked (like mine is) when, not if, the phone is dropped. The other is the case tends to slide down the phone. This is even truer when you pull the phone out of a tight space like a pocket. I found myself constantly pulling the case back up to line it up. It was slightly annoying like having to pull your pants up all the time. There are tiny cutouts for the microphone and light sensor. The cut out for the speaker is wide enough so that the two indicator lights are not covered up.



On the bottom of the case is the cutout for the USB and headset connectors.



The case has raised sections so you can feel the buttons around the joystick. There is a cutout for the joystick and even though it is now recessed a bit you can still work the joystick easily.



The following picture shows the most glaring flaw of this case, the uncovered hump! In addition you can see the cutout for these buttons is not the neatest I have seen.



Finally, a back view so you can see the cutout for the camera.



Overall for 19.99 USD I feel this is a decent case. It feels good to hold the phone with it on and there is virtually no dust magnet problem. I wish the hump was covered though. Covering the hump might have made the case more difficult to put on but would have protected the hump and kept the case from trying to wiggle off the phone. You can get more information here.

Jerry Raia is a Contributing editor for Smartphone Thoughts. When not flying airplanes he is playing with Smartphones and Pocket PC�s. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

"The U.S. Supreme Court won't review the patent infringement dispute between Research in Motion Ltd. and NTP Inc., closing down one of the BlackBerry mobile device vendor's avenues against NTP's suit, RIM said in a statement Monday. NTP is suing RIM for alleged infringement of patents covering the operation of a wireless e-mail service. An injunction against RIM in the case could force the company to shut down the BlackBerry service or find a technical work-around to avoid the contested technology. The companies last year reached a settlement in the case, but that deal fell apart."

Well, it wouldn't be right if a month went by without some news from RIM and NTP hitting the streets. In the latest round, RIM has been shutdown by the US Supreme Court. NTP has said they are working on a new "refined injunction" against RIM that would allow government and emergency workers to continue to use their devices. If ever there was a good time for Microsoft's Push Email solution to hit the streets, now would be it. Come on carriers, where's our MSFP?

"Judge James Spencer of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia refused to delay the proceedings any further, or to hold the companies to their previous settlement. The decision means that RIM might have to pay out big bucks to settle the case. If they don't, Spencer could enforce an injunction banning BlackBerry sales in the US. That would cripple RIM's business, cutting it off from the market that provides 70% of its sales. Earlier this month, RIM Co-Chief Executive James Balsillie said that the company had developed a workaround for the service that would not violate any contested patents. But the fix has yet to be publicly demonstrated, and even if it does work, it could be costly, inefficient and still result in service blackouts. Observers of the case say that with the threat of a shutdown looming, RIM might have to pay out a billion dollars or more to settle the case."

The timing of this couldn't be any better for Microsoft. If they could just get the last piece of the always-on email solution out the door, they could pick-up a lot of disgruntled RIM users.

"Police yesterday appealed to young people who use a Glasgow park where the remains of a baby boy were found to use text messages to get in touch. Detectives hope it will encourage more people to come forward with information after the baby's body was discovered in a duck pond. A spokesman said last night: "Text messaging is proving to be very popular with young people, and we hope this will encourage them to come forward, particularly if they want to remain anonymous."

When did sending a SMS become anonymous? It's got your number stuck on to it. There is nothing anonymous about it. Unless, I'm missing something - Am I? If you really want to be anonymous, try calling the police from a pay-phone and forget the whole SMS thing. :wink:

Are you still looking for the perfect case for your phone? Well, if you have hair covering your whole body, and you like to swing from tree branches then you'll want to check out this hot new case. Just be sure to hide it when you visit your family at the zoo, or they'll all want one too!

"Simply slip your phone into the Phone Thong to hold it at your side. The adjustable strap fits around your hips, or can be slung over your shoulder. The clasp on the strap can be moved to adjust the strap length to your hip size, or to your preferred length when worn around your shoulders."



Oh my, a thong for your phone. 8O

Did you succumb to temptation and unload $1400 to order the MPx220? If you did, I am sure you are looking for a nice leather case to protect your investment. I may have a suggestion for you, nothing but the best, designed by Piel Frama.



Our MVP friend Andreas Erle had to part with his latest toy the Motorola MPx220, so that Piel Frama could custom design a suit for it. You can read the Google translation of the photo review here. I am highly impressed with Piel Frama's tailoring skills and would recommend them to all our readers. :-) And in case you are wondering how this suit is different from the one for the MPx200, you can check that out over here.

"The first impression of the Piel Frama case is that it is a well-made, sturdy, practical case that beats any imitations by a far mile. Other cases like the cheap and nasty leather ones, the clear plastic ones, or those with snug fit rubber all have their own target market; the PF case seems to find its niche in the upmarket, business group. It doesn't add much to the overall weight and it is designed so that the phone can still be fully functional in the case."



Personally I do not like cases because they make the phones look bulky. Also, it seems like a waste to cover up a beautifully styled phone. But I have heard that Piel Frama designed cases have the power to melt your heart, and also your wallet. :-) So check out the review and after that you may want to visit the Piel Frama website.

� Super slim design
� Optional Ultra Clip
� Sync Port access
� Allows charging while in the case
� Fits: Smartphone Qtek 7070, Orange SPV
� Size: 4-6/8" x 2-1/8" x 1-1/8" inch.

Arne Hess has posted a review of a new case for HTC Canary and Tanager phones. The Covertec case is leather, horizontal, and looks great! Read the full review at PPCW.net.

"In my opinion, mobile phones are much easier to drop than PDAs. This is coming from first-hand experience, having dropped many, many mobile phones over the years and not that many PDAs (thank goodness!). When holding a PDA, you tend to rest it on the palm of your hand while gripping either side with your fingers - a mobile phone, on the other hand, is usually held only with your fingers, with partial support at the base of your palm, depending on the size of the phone. Recently I was unlucky enough to drop my Qtek 7070 while walking along a concrete pavement. This was when I was using a holster-style case (also made by Piel Frama) and I had just finished talking on the phone. As I was walking, I attempted to replace the phone back in the holster and as I though it was safely in, I let go of the phone. SMASH! I actually witnessed my pride and joy (at this point it was only a few days old) crash to the cement, actually bounce, with the SD card flying out underneath a car. Needless to say I was absolutely beside myself and had to be comforted by random passers-by. At that point I knew that I needed a solid leather case for my phone that provided all-over protection and that allowed me to talk on the phone while using it. That day or not long after, I contact Piel Frama about their new Qtek 7070 case."

Check out the article for photos and her thoughts on this case.

If you have a Tanager Smartphone, then check out this new leather case from Piel Frama:

• Snap Closure.
  
• Sync through travel cable.
  
• Removable belt clip added.
  
• 2 MMC Slots.
  
• 1 Money Pocket.
  
• Soft Leather Lining.
  
• ABS inserted protection.

What case are you currently using for your Smartphone? What would it take to get you to switch?