Aircell have teamed up with T-Mobile in the US to offer HTC HD2 users on the network free inflight Wi-fi for up to six months.

The deal lets you hook up to Gogo Inflight Internet services across the US free of charge. The deal started yesterday (March 24) and will go on to June 30 2011 where if you leave it too late to sign up then you wont get the full six months. However, there’s a good 15 months between now and the deadline allowing you to sign up for the six months of service.

Once the service is activated you’ll be able to take your HTC HD2 on flight and download email, surf the web and connect with friends over social media networks all while flying with some reporting the service being as quick as a broadband connection on the ground.

“Aircell is constantly striving to partner with companies that can enrich the inflight experience,” said Aircell President and CEO Michael Small. “With the newest smartphone from T-Mobile, we can provide our customers with a simple, yet powerful way to stay connected, even at 35,000 feet.”

Aircell commented that 30% of Gogo Inflight WiFi utilise the service via a mobile phone rather than a laptop.

After the offer ends normal prices will be charged if you want to continue using the service which is $4.95 per session. The inflight service has become more available recently and now is active on 760 commercial aircraft covering around 2,600 flights per day. The service is being added to more flights continually.

Press Release can be found here.

Get Free Inflight Wi-Fi for 6 Months when buying HTC HD2

Motorola [MOT] and Verizon [VZ] have just announced that the Motorola DEVOUR is available to purchase online from the Verizon store. It is also available in store to buy costing $149.99 which is the price after the usual $100 mail in rebate as well as signing a 24 month contract with the wireless company.

The Motorola DEVOUR is an Android based phone that runs on a 3G network and happens to be the second Google [GOOG] Android device to hit Verizon.

The technical specs of the phone show that it has a 3.1 inch screen that’s capacitive touch. For storage it has an 8GB microSD card included. A full QWERTY keyboard slides out of the left side of the device allowing it to be used in landscape mode. The MOTOBLUR service is also included that aims to bring social media content to the handset in one location rather than on different applications.

Around the back of the device is a 3 megapixel camera. For connectivity it has wireless networking that can connect up to 802.11b and g networks as well as Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. GPS is included and finally a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The launch of the Motorola DEVOUR also marks the beginning of Skype Mobile launching on the Verizon network. The DEVOUR is one of the several devices listed that can install and make use of Skype calls to Skype users and to international users too by using Skype Out.

Full details regarding the phone can be found over at Verizon.

Via: Mobile Crunch

Motorola DEVOUR now available at Verizon

Samsung have announced that their new Samsung Wave smartphone is the first in the world to get DivX HD certification meaning it supports playback on screen of 720p HD video. That’s a lot of pixels squashed in to the 3.3 inch Super AMOLED screen.

It does make you ask the question though in regards to if a screen measuring 3.3 inches can really produce anything different than a non HD screen at a slightly lower resolution. Would you be able to spot the difference? With that aside, it’s still quite a claim for Samsung and mixed with the Super AMOLED screen should give an amazing viewing experience.

Features of the Samsung Wave include Bluetooth 3.0 and wireless 802.11n. The Wave is the first phone to run bada, the new OS from Samsung. I’m not convinced yet it will go anywhere as an OS, but I’ll wait till I test the unit before making that a real judgement.

Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S recently also. This model also has a Super AMOLED screen although the screen measures 4.5 inches (1.2 inches larger than the Wave). This device also has been certified for DivX HD.

It will be interesting to see what 720p content looks like on the smaller screens when launched. [DVICE]

Samsung Wave gets DivX HD Certification

Virgin in the UK have announced that they are releasing four new Android smartphones.

The four new devices include the LG InTouch Max, Samsung Galaxy Portal, Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 and the HTC Desire. Although four are being announced by Virgin, it is expected that more will follow this year.

The first phone listed is the LG InTouch Max that is based around social networking for those users who enjoy connecting with people on Facebook, Twitter and other various networks. The phone it’s self will be free when purchased on a £22/month contract. With this contract buyers will get 250 minutes of talk time along with an unlimited amount of text messages and unlimited mobile internet access.

Next up is the Samsung Galaxy Portal that leans more towards those who need a GPS type device. The Galaxy comes supplied with an Augmented reality application that lets you visually search for locations based on what the camera sees and your current location. The phone is also available on the same contract as the above phone costing £22/month for 250 minutes, unlimited texts and data.

The HTC Desire is next that is in the final stages of launch here in the UK on other networks such as T-Mobile. The phone it’s self is similar to the Google [GOOG] Nexus One and allows access to email, mail, social networks and is capable of capturing fairly good quality images with it’s 5 megapixel camera. The HTC Desire also uses HTC’s own Sense User interface on top of Android making for a very good browsing experience for those using the handset. It does lack the noise cancelling functionality of the Nexus One though, but if you can live without that feature it is a very good phone from what we have seen. Unfortunately prices are not known, but T-Mobile do offer the handset free for a £35/month contract. I expect Virgin will come in slightly cheaper than this.

Finally we have the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 Android phone that we have been waiting many months for. The X10 is Sony’s first jump in to the Android market and from what it looks like and performs like (prototype models tested) it looks set to be another good selling device.

Prices for the X10 are not known just yet although we expect Virgin to announce them very soon.

Via: Zath

Virgin Mobile gets Four new Android Smartphones

AT&T [T] have launched the Microcell 3G device that aims to give those in bad reception areas a signal to use their phones over a broadband connection.

The 3G Microcell device attaches up to your home router and creates a small femtocell network in your home and routes calls over your broadband connection to AT&T and on to the person who you want to call. It allows for several sessions at once to be active and can transmit both voice and data over the Microcell device. AT&T comment that the 3G Microcell device is the only one of it’s kind that supports both 3G data and voice services.

The device is built by Cisco [CSCO] and will cost $149.99 when launched and have no other costs associated unless you want to upgrade the services.

Once purchased and activated you can log in to a console at AT&T and specify numbers that are allowed to connect to the device preventing others nearby using the service without your authorisation. Up to 10 lines can be specified for use with 4 phones being able to use the service at any given time.

When calls are made you use your regular minutes and no charges are incurred on the Microcell device with the $150 being a one off payment.

In addition, AT&T will offer a companion rate plan option for MicroCell customers – especially customers on Family Talk plans — who want to supplement their existing voice plans. For $19.99 a month, individual or Family Talk customers can make unlimited calls through a 3G MicroCell, without using minutes in their monthly wireless voice plan.

If you do decide to opt for the above mentioned calling plans then you can get the 3G Microcell for $50 as opposed to $150 by using a $100 mail in rebate.

Although I can’t say I’d enjoy having to buy a device to boost a signal for a company I am paying to get a signal from in the first place, I could still be tempted if I was in a far out location where I’d normally expect reception to be bad (assuming I could also get broadband at that far out location).

More details available over at AT&T.

Via: Giz

AT&T 3G Microcell Home Femtocell Signal Booster Device Launched

Digg have finally launched their iPhone application that brings the social network to the Apple [AAPL] device.

The application is free to download and can be grabbed from the usual sources (the App Store on the phone or iTunes) and once installed allows you to see all the latest Digg content on your iPhone or iPod Touch device. Although we assume it will work on the Apple iPad resized to fit the screen, it is unclear at the moment if Digg are working on a specific Apple iPad version of the software.

To get started on the application after it is installed you just need to log in with your regular Digg account and once done, you have access to the features that you would be able to use on the full website version along with details of what pages you have digged and those friends you have.

The Digg iPhone App also allows you to bookmark items you stumble across so that you can read them later. Also a function share items with friends is also included where you can send them via Twitter or Facebook.

Available now from the iTunes store.

Digg iPhone App Launches

iFixit have created an interesting infographic that shows the Apple iPhone vs Google Nexus One to see overall how they compare side by side in terms of screen resolution, battery life, screen quality and many other things.

The information is quite interesting as in some respects the iPhone beats the Nexus One and in other ways the Nexus One beats the iPhone such as the processor speed although the iPhone has a quicker GPU it seems.

iFixit believe the Google [GOOG] phone needs more attention due to the lack of people buying it when compared to the Apple [AAPL] device (if only they’d just let the carriers sell it rather than the whole silly google.com/phone malarkey)

Anyway, the infographic is below with a larger version that can be found here.

Apple iPhone vs Google Nexus One Infographic

Hackers (or researchers as they like to be known) have successfully hacked a fully patched Apple iPhone and created a way to copy the entire SMS database that includes previously deleted text messages.

The team comprised of VIncenzo Iozzo and Ralf Philipp Weinmann who created a website that was rigged with some code. Once an Apple iPhone [AAPL] (fully patched) user browses to the site the website is able to copy the contents of the SMS database within about 20 seconds of the person viewing the website.

Right now, if you visited their special website it would crash your browser, but the team say with a few more weeks they could run the attack without causing the browser to crash.

“Basically, every page that the user visits on our [rigged] site will grab the SMS database and upload it to a server we control,” Weinmann explained. Iozzo, who had flight problems, was not on hand to enjoy the glory of being the first to hijack an iPhone at the Pwn2Own challenge.

Apple do their best to try lock down these vulnerabilities, but as with all things it’s impossible to clamp the security down so tight that someone can not break in. There’s always some part of the code that can be exploited as demonstrated here.

The payload used chained return-into-libc (“return oriented programming”) on ARM to execute in spite of code signing. As far as we know, this is the first public demonstration of chainged return-into-libc on thre ARM platform.

Not only could this hack take the SMS database, but if configured to do so a list of contacts could be stolen along with photos, music and emails.

Other than discussing a non-root user called “mobile” that allowed them to do certain things, the team decided not to comment as the information has been passed on to a security company who will not release the details till Apple manage to release a security patch.

Via: CNET

Apple iPhone Hacked – SMS Database can get Hijacked

T-Mobile in the UK have confirmed that the HTC Desire will be in store ready for purchase this coming Monday March 29. The new handset is already available to order online and via phone, but ordering that way has an estimated 7 day delivery time which indicates you’d be best actually waiting till Monday and going to pick up a HTC Desire from your local T-Mobile store.

A message was posted on the T-Mobile forums indicating that the reports of the phone going out of stock online were actually incorrect and that it was just a glitch in the reporting. Either way, it looks more likely that you will get the phone quicker if you pay a visit to the store.

The HTC Desire is an Android based smartphone that runs the Sense UI over the top of Android. The device has a 5 megapixel camera and a good sized 3.7 inch AMOLED screen allowing for some very clear images to be shown.

If getting the phone on a 24 month contract costing £35/month then you can pick up the HTC Desire for free. If £35/month is too much for you and you don’t need that many minutes or texts then you can pay £129 for the handset along with £15/Month on a 24 month contract.

Other variations of phone prices and contract prices can be found on the T-Mobile website allowing you to pay more or less up front for the phone and balance it off with an 18 or 24 month contract to suit your needs.

HTC Desire on T-Mobile UK to hit Stores Monday 29 March

For those using the Motorola MILESTONE over in Hong Kong, you’ll be glad to know that an Android 2.1 update will be heading your way soon.

According to several sources, Android 2.1 has been uploaded to servers ready for deployment in Hong Kong and Macau.

What we are also hearing is that a Dutch language pack has also been included in the firmware which indicates it is also heading to Europe to be rolled out soon on to MILESTONE devices over this way.

The Android 2.1 update will bring a number of features to the MILESTONE (aka DROID) device which includes live wallpapers, speed improvements and a Motorola Car Home interface for when the device is used in a car.

From what we understand the roll out schedule is due to start before the end of March although we don’t have exact details of when and where and what times, but by the end of March the devices should all be updated unless that changes again.

In regards to Motorola DROID users who were planning on getting the update last week, we are still not sure if this new rollout on the MILESTONE also indicates a roll out on the DROID equivalents in the US. We sure hope it does though.

More details at Motorola Hong Kong and Engadget

Motorola MILESTONE Users in Hong Kong to get Android 2.1 Update