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It's been a few weeks since the Motorola Droid crash-landed on Verizon Wireless, and I wanted to give it a good amount of real-life usage before I reviewed the handset. So, does the Droid live up to the hype, or is it another failed iPhone killer?

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Based on the spec sheet that's floating about the Interwebs today, it appears as though Motorola's next Android phone is probably headed to AT&T -- which remains to be the only major U.S. carrier not already offering an Android handset.

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The Motorola Droid has one of the weirdest bugs I've ever heard about. It concerns the camera. It seems some users are finding that the autofocus doesn't work quite right. Motorola says a software fix is on the way.

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A generous -- and in-focus -- number of images of the unannounced BlackBerry Pearl 9100 have been posted to the Internet. If you're a fan of the Pearl line of smartphones from BlackBerry, it's time to get excited.

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Amid a year when the iPhone 3GS was released, Android exploded on the scene after simmering in the form of the T-Mobile G1 for nearly a year and Verizon launching some great ads talking smack about AT&T's performance, there have been a few wireless blunders that are best forgotten. 2009 isn't over yet, but there would need to be something pretty spectacular to top the turkeys on this list.

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The stats are in. During the third quarter of 2009, the Apple iPhone 3GS was the top-selling smartphone in the U.S. Research In Motion, however, owned nearly every other spot in the top ten. Who's the real winner here?

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The Palm Pre has been on sale at Sprint for about six months now. Its little brother, the Pixi, just hit store shelves this past weekend. Both can (already) be had for a song and a dance.

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Apple spends a lot of time emphasizing what you can do with the phone, and most of that is related to the apps, not the platform or any of its built in functions. With over 100,000 apps available, whatever you want to do, "There's an app for that." Are the apps more important than the platform? Microsoft's Ray Ozzie doesn't think so.

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Though the current feud between AT&T and Verizon Wireless borders on the ridiculous, it isn't stopping either company from continuing the schoolyard brawl. AT&T was dealt a blow in court today and came out swinging in response. Its own "attack ad" -- if you can call it that -- misses the mark.

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Apple and Google have been planning to leverage the popularity of mobile devices to serve up ads to enhance their bottom lines. Now that devices are powerful enough to browse the normal web and bandwidth concerns are minimal, this looks like the perfect time to jump in in a big way.

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Right smack in the middle of today's announcement of Microsoft Office 2010 was a teeny little paragraph noting that Office Mobile 2010 is already available to Windows Mobile 6.5 phones in beta form.

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A new study from JiWire unearths some interesting bits of information regarding Wi-Fi use at airports. More than half of users tend to make more than $100,000 per year, and 75% plan to make a big-ticket purchase in the next 12 months. Does that describe you?

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On Monday, Verizon Wireless officially responded to lawsuits filed against it by AT&T. Verizon calls AT&T's lawsuits "meritless," points out that the ads are factually accurate and that "the truth hurts."

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As indicated previously, Microsoft has released a client for Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 users giving them access to app store that WinMo 6.5 users have had access to for just over a month. Deciding on whether or not to install this is a no brainer - do it. You won't regret it.

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Have you been longing for access to applications on your Windows Mobile 6.0 or 6.1 smartphone? Jealous that Windows Mobile 6.5 can and you can't? Be jealous no more, as users of WinMo 6.0 and 6.1 can download and install Microsoft Marketplace for Windows starting today.

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Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein recently said that Android is for "techies" and webOS (its own smartphone platform) is for "people." He also said that he thinks webOS doesn't need 80 gazillion applications to become appealing to the masses. Really?

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The onslaught of Android devices is fully under way. The latest salvo comes from Samsung, which announced the Galaxy Spica i5700 Android device. The Galaxy totes an 800MHz processor and a couple of multimedia surprises under the hood.

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Oh the dangers on blogging on rumors and speculation. Every once in a while, you get it completely wrong. Contrary to what I talked about last week, it seems Samsung is not bailing on Windows Mobile. Quite the contrary - they anticipate increased volume of device powered by Microsoft's mobile platform.

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Palm recently made a major system update available for the Palm Pre, its first webOS device. webOS 1.3.1 doesn't introduce any new applications, but it brings in a wide range of improvements to existing applications. The biggest changes are support for Yahoo IM, Calendar and Contacts, and the native email program also sees some major updates.

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I've been putting the latest top-of-the-line BlackBerry through the wringer, and it shouldn't be surprising that this is a rock-solid smartphone. But I did have a few minor and major concerns about our favorite messaging smartphone, and continue reading for a full review.

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Even when you have an upgrade available for your Windows Mobile phone, it may not be the most pleasant device upgrade you've ever done. In fact, it can be one of the worst. There is speculation that the WinMo 7 upgrade story will be vastly improved, but for now, we don't have that.

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Today AT&T took the unusual step to publish a public letter openly refuting the advertisements that have been run by top competitor Verizon Wireless. In the letter, AT&T calls Verizon's claims "blatantly false."

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Today MediaFLO announced its first non-phone FLO TV device, the Personal Television. It uses MediaFLO's mobile TV network and lets users watch live or time-shifted TV in a wide swath of U.S. markets. But $250 for a stand-alone device that requires a monthly contract is a big hurdle to overcome. Can FLO TV do it?

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On Nov. 3, AT&T sued Verizon Wireless over its "There's A Map for That" ad campaign, which poked holes in AT&T's 3G coverage across the U.S. Over the weekend Verizon aired three more anti-AT&T commercials -- and ticked AT&T off. AT&T is demanding that Verizon pull the commercials.

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When it comes to selling applications to mobile device owners, the easier the better. That's why support for carrier billing is so important. According to Research In Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie, BlackBerry Apps World will add carrier billing support in 2010.

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If browsing for new applications from your phone doesn't qualify as fun in your book, take heart. Microsoft recently made Windows Marketplace for Mobile available from any desktop browser.

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Rumors from China are firming up some key events for Windows Mobile 7. It seems that WinMo 7 is mostly complete and it should be released to manufacturers in Q1 2010. We can then expect handsets to show up in stores in the third quarter.

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At the BlackBerry Developer Conference, I got a chance to sit down and talk with Xobni CEO Jeff Bonforte about the upcoming application for the BlackBerry platform. While it's still a few months away, the Xobni mobile app looks like an excellent way to easily manage thousands of contacts. Keep reading for some more details and a video demonstration.

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Based on the performance of both Apple and Nokia in the most recent financial quarter, Apple is now the most profitable maker of cell phones. It earned $1.6 billion in profits compared to Nokia's $1.1 billion. Nokia, by the way, sells hundreds of millions more phones than Apple does.

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In the coming years, it looks like Samsung will be significantly reducing Windows Mobile in its lineup of smartphones. As one of the largest smartphone makers in the world, taking Windows Mobile from over 80% of your lineup to less than 20% in just a few years is a big shift.

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Though neither Motorola nor Verizon Wireless has provided any official numbers, it appears as though about 100,000 Droids may have sold the first weekend the new Android phone was available. Also, based on internal documents, Verizon is already planning a major system update for both the Droid and HTC Eris Android phones.

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Samsung has taken it upon itself to step up and deliver what no one asked for: another mobile operating system. Today, Samsung announced "Bada," a new, open platform that Samsung hopes will be the feature-phone OS of the future.

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Apple will be releasing an iPhone that will work with all cell phone networks in the third quarter of 2010 according to an industry insider. This means that instead of making a CDMA and GSM version, they will make one UMTS/CDMA hybrid phone, and it also means Verizon will be the likely beneficiary in the US.

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Over the weekend, Sprint and a number of other companies agreed to invest another $1.5 billion into Clearwire, the growing provider of WiMax services. Notably absent on the list of financiers was Google, which has previously given cash to Clearwire.

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Right now, AT&T offers the iPhone 3G 8GB for $99, and the iPhone 3GS 16GB and 32GB for $199 and $299, respectively. Despite word from Apple's own Phil Schiller that the company's lineup is set for holiday sales, reports of a $99 iPhone 3GS 8GB model have hit the 'net.

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Apple has two recently discovered vulnerabilities that can put user data at risk. One is implemented by a developer that has accessed a backdoor to transmit user data back to its servers without Apple's or the user's knowledge. The other is an exploit in the wild that logs in with root access. Just as Windows' popularity on the desktop has made it the target of hackers and unscrupulous software developers, it seems the iPhone's popularity has made it a target as well.

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The gloves are still off. Verizon Wireless has unleashed another volley aimed at AT&T and the iPhone. In this latest round of anti-iPhone advertisements, the iPhone is banished to the Island of Misfit Toys and substituted for "coal" in the stockings of "naughty people."

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Coinciding with the availability of the Motorola Droid and the HTC Eris at Verizon Wireless stores today, the Android Market is featuring two juicy, new applications. Photoshop.com Mobile and Slacker Radio mean more photo editing and Internet radio powers for Android lovers.

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Former Motorola researcher Martin Cooper -- one of the inventors of the cellphone back in 1973 -- says that the devices do too much these days, and don't do any of them well. Is a JitterBug in Cooper's future?

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Not sure what to make of this one, as it feels slightly oily. Google and Best Buy announced a new program whereby Best Buy employees will help customers download and install the Google Mobile app on their brand new cell phone.

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Sprint and T-Mobile are in the "big four" club of American carriers, but it seems Verizon and AT&T continue to grow while Sprint and T-Mobile are losing out. T-Mobile just reported that they lost 77,000 net subscribers in the third quarter and Amazon has killed the Kindle that works on the Sprint network.

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Buried in the coverage of Verizon's second Android phone (HTC Droid Eris) today was news about a new, entry-level BlackBerry that's headed to both Sprint and Verizon Wireless. The 8530 is a smaller, less expensive Curve that should appeal to the mass market more than the enterprise user.

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Verizon Wireless stores are planning to open early tomorrow morning -- and in some cases at midnight -- to let eager customers purchase the Motorola Droid. Anyone think the Droid is going to stir up iPhone-like excitement?

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If you thought Verizon Wireless was going rest easy with the Motorola Droid launching Friday, you've got another thing coming. Today, Verizon Wireless announced that the HTC Eris -- a.k.a, Hero -- which hits stores November 6, too, for $99.

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In the phone world, a list of top phones two months ago is really outdated, but it is an interesting snapshot at what is grabbing our mobile communication attention and are satisfying us most. August is particularly interesting as this would be right after the iPhone 3.0 and Palm Pre launched.

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Verizon Wireless has confirmed that it is in fact altering its Early Termination Fee policy. Starting November 15, those purchasing "advanced" devices such as smartphones and laptops, will need to agree to a $350 ETF to get the subsidized price.

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Today T-Mobile CTO Cole Brodman shared a number of data points regarding T-Mobile's Android customers. T-Mobile apparently has high hopes for Android adoption, as it is planning to roll out its very own T-Mobile Channel in the Android Market. It will also make carrier billing a reality later this year.

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Techies are seeking professional certifications in emerging areas like healthcare and green IT, and especially old standbys like IT security, according to a new survey.

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If you thought $175 was a steep early termination fee to pay, get ready for some unwelcome news. In order to ward off scammers, Verizon Wireless is giving serious consideration to doubling its ETF to $350 for "advanced" -- read: expensive -- devices. Whoa.

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One of the most impressive Windows Mobile 6.5 devices announced in recent months, the HTC HD2, sports a massive 4.3-inch touch display and is powered by a speedy 1GHz Snapdragon processor. If you were worried it would only be available in Europe, rest easy. Today, HTC confirmed that this powerful device is headed to a major U.S. carrier.

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