Tag Archives: Motorola

ISIS Adds LG, Motorola, HTC, Samsung and Sony Ericsson to List of Supporters for NFC-Based Mobile Payments

Posted by on September 28, 2011 No comments

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ISIS – the mobile payment NFC-based joint venture between T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon – have added a stable of new OEMs to the list of those who will implement ISIS technology into their future NFC-enabled phones. Even with how exciting Google Wallet looks, ISIS seems to be generating a ton of carrier and OEM support. The thing is we don’t know what ISIS has been working on behind the scenes as they haven’t come forth with any details.

The press release doesn’t mention whether or not these deals are exclusive so this doesn’t mean Google Wallet is ruled out on any of these manufacturers’ phones. After all, Sprint and Google have to have someone to help promote these services. Currently only the Nexus S 4G is supported, and while that phone is made by Samsung it is still under the Nexus brand.

For the time being, though, it seems ISIS is making all the moves and attracting all the excitement and we still don’t know why that is. Let’s hope they actually detail their technology and services sometime soon. Read on for full press details.

HTC, LG, Motorola Mobility, RIM, Samsung Mobile, Sony Ericsson and DeviceFidelity to Implement Isis NFC and Technology Standards

Mobile Device Makers to Accelerate Adoption of Mobile Commerce; NFC Architecture Provides Security and Convenience

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Isis, the joint venture between AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, announced today that HTC, LG, Motorola Mobility, RIM, Samsung Mobile and Sony Ericsson will introduce NFC-enabled mobile devices that implement Isis’ NFC and technology standards. For consumers who have or purchase smartphones that are not NFC-enabled, Isis is working with DeviceFidelity to add NFC functionality to the mobile device, ensuring a wide range of consumer choice.

“Working together with the device makers and our founding mobile carriers, Isis can provide the consumer choice and scale necessary for widespread adoption of mobile commerce.”

“Isis’ technology standards provide the direction and certainty needed for the development and deployment of NFC devices and the mobile commerce ecosystem,” said Scott Mulloy, chief technology officer, Isis. “Working together with the device makers and our founding mobile carriers, Isis can provide the consumer choice and scale necessary for widespread adoption of mobile commerce.”

NFC-enabled phones will allow Isis consumers to securely make payments, store and present loyalty cards and redeem offers at participating merchants with the tap of their phones.

“Today’s announcement signals the growing acceptance of NFC technology by some of the world’s leading device makers,” said Kouji Kodera, chief product officer, HTC Corporation. “At HTC, we see tremendous opportunities for consumers and merchants as we move beyond traditional payments to a future of NFC-enabled mobile commerce.”

“NFC technology on LG devices will provide consumers with an all-in-one mobile experience that delivers convenience without comprising security or piece of mind,” said Jeff Hwang, president, LG Mobile Phones. “Creating the ideal mobile wallet, LG NFC enabled devices will help change the way consumers shop, pay and save.”

“NFC is the future of mobile payments and will ensure that transactions are done securely from mobile devices,” said Christy Wyatt, corporate vice president of software and services product management, Motorola Mobility. “Through working with Isis as well as the broader Android ecosystem, we look forward to providing consumers with NFC-enabled handsets that make mobile commerce a reality.”

By using NFC-enabled smartphones, Isis will enhance how consumers, banks, payment networks and merchants interact, significantly modernizing the payment experience.

“RIM is working in close collaboration with Isis to help make the concept of mobile commerce a reality,” said Andrew Bocking, vice president of BlackBerry Software, Research In Motion. “The new line-up of BlackBerry® 7 smartphones include various models that are NFC-enabled and demonstrates RIM’s commitment to enabling NFC-based experiences on BlackBerry.”

“The key to widespread adoption of mobile commerce will be the broad availability of NFC-enabled handsets,” said Dale Sohn, president, Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile). “Samsung Mobile will be working with Isis and the mobile carriers to ensure NFC-enabled handsets are widely available to consumers.”

Isis is committed to developing a comprehensive, open mobile commerce platform that aligns the interests of all key stakeholders and provides consumers with freedom of choice and security.

“NFC offers consumers the ability to broaden their communication experience beyond the phone, and common standards and best practices are key to a secure and convenient mobile commerce experience. Sony Ericsson is poised to be part of this movement and to drive the development of new, exciting and creative experiences to deliver the most entertaining smartphones,” said Jan Uddenfeldt, chief technology officer, Sony Ericsson.

“DeviceFidelity is proud to be among those chosen by Isis to power its NFC mobile wallet offering,” said Deepak Jain, chief executive officer and co-founder, DeviceFidelity. “Working side-by-side with Isis and leading handset makers, we aim to provide the scale and choice of consumer preferred devices to ignite the industry and assure continual mass adoption of mobile commerce.”

Gingerbread OTA Update Now Available For HTC Thunderbolt

Posted by on September 28, 2011 No comments

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We’ve been getting reports that HTC Thunderbolt users are finally receiving that Gingerbread OTA update we told you about earlier today. Well, sorta. A lot of the info on that changelog was actually copy/pasta from Motorola’s change log so don’t expect too many changes. If you haven’t been prompted for the update just yet, you can successfully pull the update by jumping into your Settings > Software Update > Check New. This OTA update will bring HTC Thunderbolt owners up to Android 2.3.4. Good luck and godspeed! If you run into any difficulties or notice any funny business, sound off in the comments.

Second Coming of the Motorola XOOM Slated for November?

Posted by on September 27, 2011 No comments

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Images of several new Motorola tablets have surfaced over the past week or so, and while specific details are scant we could be seeing at least one model launching in time for the holiday season. A report from digitimes suggests Motorola is developing both a 7-inch and 10-inch model, while a leaked image gallery suggests we might also get something in the 8-inch department. All are running on Android Honeycomb and it seems there is no plan to get the tablets up to speed on Ice Cream Sandwich at launch. While hardware specifics are unknown, the tablets are said to be super slim. Right now buzz is picking up for a November launch of the 7-inch model, which is being manufactured out-of-house by Compal Electronics. The manufacture of the 10-inch model will be handled by Motorola directly.

[via AndroidCommunity]

 

A Pair of Motorola Xoom 2?s Pose For The Camera – Super Slim 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch

Posted by on September 27, 2011 1 comment

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On Friday, we showed you some leaked pics of what we believed to be Motorola’s upcoming Xoom 2 tablet. In one of the pics I noticed the tab was surprisngly small when compared to the hand holding the device and we now know why. Apparently Motorola has been hard at work on a pair of Xoom devices slated for a holiday release — one with a 10.1-inch screen and the other with an 8.9-inch display. Just like my women, thickness is always a factor when deciding on a future Android device but don’t let these pics fool you. The smaller one, dubbed “Flemming” measures in at only 9.3mm thick and when compared to the almost too thin 8.6mm Galaxy Tab 10.1, that’s not too shabby.

Both of these Xoom 2′s feature new IPS displays, 5MP HD rear cams, are LTE enabled and are running Android 3.2 that’s reported to be “buggy as all hell, with frequent reboots and crashes.” Let’s hope some of these issues can be remedied once Ice Cream Sandwich drops later this year. Design wise, I think Motorola is definitely hitting the mark. I’ve always been one for the “industrial/screw look” of my late Zune. What do you guys think?

[Via Engadget]

Motorola Xoom 2 Pictured in 10.1 and 8.2 Inch Media Tablet Versions

Posted by on September 26, 2011 No comments

We’ve heard a bunch of days ago that the Xoom 2 was supposed to come in 2 flavors, but till now we didn’t have any solid proof to point to this direction. Luckily, now we do and you can see it after the break with your own eyes:

The new Honeycomb tablet from Motorola will come in a 10.1 inch and 8.2 inch version with the latter being focused on media features. Both new Xoom 2 version will be very thin, gravitating around 9mm or so, they’ll both have a dual core CPU and pack lots of connectivity options, most likely with LTE on board as well.

The 10.1 inch unit will do HD capture, support Netflix HD streaming, while the 8.2 inch Xoom 2 will be called the Media Edition and pack an IPS display with anti-glare coating. An IR blaster will also be available, turning the tablet into a remote for your home entertainment system and most likely for your TV. Also, the little Xoom 2 is expected to be water resistant, so that’s somewhat of a selling point.

No info about the launch date of these puppies, or the price, but Q4 is a safe bet and so is the inclusion of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on both of them, maybe even 4.1 if their launch is delayed.


Motorola Xoom 2 Will Come in Two Versions: Media Edition Included

Posted by on September 26, 2011 No comments

he folks of This is My Next and Engadget recently came across a treasure trove of information regarding the Motorola XOOM 2. It turns out that there will be two versions of the tablet, one standard and a Media Edition, that will be smaller.

The original Xoom 2 will pack a 10.1 inch display and a case that’s 9mm thick, plus a 1.2GHz dual core processor and 1GB of RAM that’s faster than the RAM on any other slates. 1080p recording is also promised, as well as Netflix HD streaming, plus this seems to be the first tablet with Adobe Flash 11 support.

An IR blaster is also promised for some reason, so maybe it will have to do with the Android ecosystem at home . As far as the Motorola tablet in the Media Edition goes, this one will pack an 8.2 inch HD IPS display and it will be meant as an e-reader replacement. Expect a subwoofer on board, an IR blaster as well and tons of multimedia features. The picture below supposedly shows the Media Edition, that looks exactly like the Xoom 2 we’ve seen leaked over the past day.

The codename Fleming was also mentioned for this device.


Motorola XOOM 2 Gets Pictured Exclusively, Looks Very Hot!

Posted by on September 24, 2011 1 comment

We’ve had our share of rumors regarding a new version of the Motorola XOOM, but never a leaked picture, unless you count the screenshot from a leaked Motorola ad. Well, luckily we have good old Mr. Blurrycam giving us two shots of the XOOM 2, available after the break.

The follow-up to the not so well selling XOOM might not be exactly named XOOM 2, so for now remember the codename as MZ617. Inside sources say that the device has the same weight as the original Motorola Honeycomb slate, also it has a HDMI and microUSB port on the bottom and big physical flush buttons on the back side. Add a SIM card slot to that, some LTE love and a 10.1 inch screen and you’ve got a potential hit.

Let’s pray for a better price than the $800 that the first XOOM launched with…. Also, camera-wise, we’ll be getting a blue cam at the rear with the inscription HD near it, so it’s probably an 8MP sensor, in order to mark the evolution from 5MP. The design of the slate makes it look like a huge Photon 4G device, so it’s pretty original. There’s no carrier branding, but I’m guessing Verizon would love to sell this product…


Motorola Atrix 2 Preview Reveals Non-Pentile Display?

Posted by on September 23, 2011 No comments

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Seems Motorola may have finally wised up when it comes to those atrocious Pentile displays in their upcoming Atrix 2 device. TIMN who got some extended hands-on time with the device, was able to snap a quick pic of the screen comparing it to the Bionic. What did they find? Well, it seemingly, the Atrix 2 will be using traditional LCD for their display. You can check out the picture below and judge for yourself.

I added another pic from Droid-Life comparing a couple more Pentile/non-Pentile displays. All in all, I’d say this is pretty great news for anyone who was thinking of picking up the new Atrix 2 when it releases. What do you guys think? Is this the start of Motorola doing away with Pentile altogether? Does screen quality even matter to you?

[TIMN via Droid-Life]

Motorola Xoom (WiFi) Users Receiving 3.2.1 HTK55D Update Now

Posted by on September 20, 2011 No comments

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Motorola Xoom (WiFi) users are reporting that a mysterious update is being pushed to their device’s today. We received a Phantip from one of our readers letting us know of his Xoom prompting him of the Android 3.2.1 build HTK55D update. While we have yet to see of a changelog from Motorola, according to the boys on XDA this is some kind of bootloader maintenance update so be careful if you’re rooted. If you haven’t yet been notified jump into your Settings > About Tablet > System Updates and it should be waiting for you. Have any of our reader successfully updated? Notice any improvements or any kind of weirdness?

Thanks, Christopher!

7 Inch Motorola Tablet Spotted in Testing Lab?

Posted by on September 19, 2011 No comments

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The folks at This is My Next, AKA The Verge, have apparently gotten their hands on video footage of a tablet device from Motorola running Honeycomb. This one’s shell is white and apparently looks to be 7 inches (though I see it being closer to 10 if these images alone are to be judged). Not much else is known but that, but at least we know Motorola’s cooking up something. Now, how about the actual video? :)