The OQO 02 has always seemed like the perfect match for purpose-built GPS unit. Thanks to Garmin, that dream is now a reality. The two companies have combined forces to bring a special OQO-edition Garmin GPS unit. The bundle includes a Garmin Mobile PC adapter, RAM car mount, and a car/airplane power adapter. Garmin apparently customized the user interface to match the OQO UI. We haven’t had a chance to test it just yet, but we’re pretty confident that both companies are capable of pulling this off successfully. It’s available now for $237. Hit the link for more info!

UPDATE: The software and GPS receiver is only $99. The whole set of accessories with mount, charger, and extra fun stuff is $237.

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You’re not one of those people who still pays a subscription fee for navigation are you? Please say it ain’t so. If it is, it’s time to remedy your situation post haste. Forget whatever carrier service you’ve been using on your BlackBerry because Garmin is now offering their top-notch GPS navigation software for a cool $100. Voice and 3D guidance, millions of Points of Interest and Garmin quality; gotta love it. They even have you covered with a version that works with BlackBerrys lacking internal GPS. "Lifetime" is a bit misleading however, perhaps intentionally. The license you’ll receive from Garmin is not transferable from device to device, and so it is good for the lifetime of the handset as opposed to your lifetime. Either way, if you plan to keep your shiny new BlackBerry for more than 10 months then the Garmin deal has paid for itself. Actually, factor in the unlimited traffic, weather and fuel price finder and it’s paid for in far fewer than 10 months.

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You know we had to go and do it! In all honestly though, not that much is of interest with the new BlackBerry 8110. If you’ve been a die-hard Pearl user since the beginning and are in love with that SureType thing, you’ll most likely want to refresh your pocket with the 8110, but for newcomers in this area, it might not be what you’re looking for. For anyone that’s been following, the updated Pearl lineup includes a refined keyboard, external MicroSD slot, video camera, and a couple other features. Our recommendation is to stick to a Curve and hope RIM releases that 4.5 OS soon. That way you can make fun of all the Pearl people that bought it just so they could record video on their BlackBerry. We got a titanium version in hand, but it does come in a crimson red color as well. You know, in case you’re into that sort of thing. Hit the gallery for the unboxing pics!

Click on over to our AT&T BlackBerry 8110 Unboxing gallery!

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In a press event earlier today, Samsung officially unveiled their newest Windows Mobile smartphone. The SGH-i900 is a beast of a handset, sporting single-band HSDPA/UMTS, Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11 b/g, GPS, and an onboard FM radio. That’s about all the connectivity you could reasonably expect to be crammed into device this size. It also sports a 5 megapixel camera, bringing it up to par with the current high-end offerings from Nokia and Sony Ericsson. Samsung indicated that the SGH-i900 will run Windows Mobile 6.1, with a gorgeous 240×400 screen. More importantly, perhaps, is that this baby will also be sporting 8 GB of internal memory. Not bad at all. No indication of when it might drop, and don’t expect to see this on our side of the water, but a little gadget lust never hurt anyone, right?

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It has been rumored, it has been verified, and now we have the pictures to prove it. The BlackBerry Pearl 8110 is doing it’s best Eddie Murphy impersonation and coming to America, most likely in the next month or two and will be available direct to consumers through AT&T’s website or in your neighborhood AT&T retail store. Check out all the shots after the jump including the red version!

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[Thanks, Mike]

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Or several months late, depending on how you look at. Regardless of your perspective, the new ROM is here and ready for you download pleasure. Sprint and HTC quietly released a new ROM for the HTC Mogul this morning, ending months of speculation and despair, though confirming our suspicions at the same time. The big news here is that the new ROM does, in fact, include the promise upgrade to EV-DO Rev. A speeds. That should be a huge upgrade for anyone that has been using their Mogul as a tethered modem, in addition to providing significant enhancements to on-device browsing speed. The other big news, however, is that the rumored enabling of the on-board GPS is nowhere to be found. Not to sound ungrateful here, but how hard can it really be, Sprint? Either way, the new ROM is now available for download from the HTC site if you’re so inclined.

UPDATE: As several of you have pointed out, it looks like the GPS functionality is, in fact, included. Nice job, Sprint. You can get the actual ROM right here

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Yeah, we’ve certainly heard this sort of thing before, so don’t get too excited just yet. That said, word on the internets is that Sprint is planning on releasing a major Mogul ROM update this Monday, March 10th. What exactly will this supposed update include? In addition to the Bluetooth fix that’s been rumored since about 3 days after the phone was launched, it looks like Mogul owners might be getting a bit of EVDO Rev. A and GPS action. That would be a huge relief to many Sprint Mogul owners who have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of such functionality. We wouldn’t mind seeing a Windows Mobile 6.1 update pushed along as well, but that doesn’t seem too likely. Keep your dial tuned here come Monday morning, and let’s see if Sprint manages to deliver.

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We so know this isn’t a huge deal, but for those that are waiting for it, it might be nice to see some more confirmation. The BlackBerry 8820 will indeed be heading to T-Mobile on March 5th as we’ve previously reported. Nothing has changed since then, with the device sporting the Hotspot@Home Wi-Fi calling, GPS, and the usual BlackBerry 8800 features. Midnight blue is the color this time around (wasn’t that Cingular’s color?), but with the leaked slide highlighting "High-speed internet", we’ve got to wonder what T-Mobile has up its sleeve…Ah, never mind! They mean Wi-Fi is high speed! It would be silly to think their network was actually high-speed.

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In what wasn’t the biggest surprise in recent history, Garmin announced yesterday that it intends to release its first GSM phone in Q3 of this year. Dubbed nuvifone (no, not moviefone), the virgin Garmin offering is a sleek touchscreen device with an all-too-familiar form factor. Garmin’s own OS will drive the nuvifone and specs are very limited for the time being. Of course it will pack high-quality navigation that is similar if not identical to the software found in current nuvi devices, and it will ship in the US with North American maps preloaded. Garmin scores serious points by stuffing HSDPA into the slender device; presumably 850/1900 for AT&T network compatibility. The 3.5" touchscreen doesn’t hurt either. Other items noted in the announcement are integrated email and IM functionality, Google local search and support for Garmin online services such as traffic, weather, fuel prices and hotel discounts. The nuvifone will also include a video capture-capable camera and MP3 / MPEG4 / AAC support. The UI images that are available make it look, well, very plain. There appears to be plenty of empty white space on most of the screenshots which is good for visibility and bad for wow-ability. Then again, there is plenty of time between now and the end of the 3rd quarter so there’s no telling what the release version might look like. Pricing on the nuvifone was not covered during the announcement but we’ll update you with more info as soon as we have it. Truth be told, it looks pretty sweet. Garmin made an interesting choice by using their own OS however. We have to wonder how long it will be before we get some SDK action.

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Feeling a little behind across the pond because you can’t get your GPS rockin’? TeleNav has just launched their GPS Navigator program directly with T-Mobile UK. It runs £49.99/year and includes the usual goodies like 3D maps, voice and on-screen turn-by-turn directions, and access to millions of business listings. And heck, if that’s not enough, I guess you could always ask them to sponsor your party…

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Remember the newest Helio device in the pack? Helio has made good on their promise — the Helio Mysto is available at all usual Helio channels — and you no longer have to be jealous of that Korean friend of yours for getting it first. We went over the Mysto pretty well, but there were a couple applications we didn’t get to test out on our unit. These are Tellme and WHERE. We were actually told about the Tellme thingy a while back and have been intrigued ever since. Since the Mysto (all Helios, really) has built-in GPS, Tellme uses your voice to take advantage of that. Let’s say you have no idea where you are but are in desperate need of some Purell from a CVS (come on, who hasn’t been in that situation?). All you do is press the side button, and say "CVS". The application would then find the nearest CVS to your location. Pretty neat, right? WHERE is a whole ‘nother story. It’s actually a GPS widget platform, and it runs in the web browser. The really cool thing is that the browser is location-aware, so to speak. So as long as you grant permission to access your GPS, the web browser that comes with the Mysto will actually be able to use your location for all the cool web GPS widgets. Some of these are GasBuddy (find nearest gas station, and by gas price),  Weather, Eventful (shows you local music, performing arts, sports events, etc.), and a total useless but kind of cool widget called Dig to China (it basically takes your location and shows you where you’d end up if you dug straight down into the earth and out of the other side. They even have a location-enhanced Twitter for you freaks. These GPS services are in addition to BuddyBeacon, Google Maps, and Garmin Mobile, so we have to give Helio a big high five for totally maximizing the crap out of that little built-in GPS chip! Tellme will run you $2.99 / month, and WHERE is free. Hit the jump for the full press release!

LOS ANGELES, CA – January 16, 2007 – Helio today released Mysto™, an ultra-thin slider featuring a large, reflective mirror-like screen, a svelte, sapphire blue body and electrostatic keys that make the device shiver when pressed.  Mysto also debuts two new Helio GPS search services, WHERE™ and Tellme™, adding to Helio’s burgeoning portfolio of GPS-enabled services that started with the industry-first launch of GPS-enabled Google Maps™ for mobile and GPS-tagging of photos and videos, plus real-time Garmin turn-by-turn Navigation. Combined with nationwide 3G access and Helio’s acclaimed user interface and suite of communications services, Mysto is an ultimate mix of good looks and intelligence.
Based on the U600 that was released in Europe and Korea this past year where it has been a huge success, selling millions of handsets worldwide, Mysto has been customized and made exclusively for Helio for the U.S. market by Samsung.

“Mysto is a startling combination of beauty and brains,” said Sky Dayton, CEO of Helio.  “We packed our best communications services and some amazing new GPS features into one of the thinnest sliders available. Mysto feels like a finely tuned machine in your hand.”
Beautiful Genius
Mysto combines exquisite design and sophisticated technology to meet Helio members’ needs.  Smooth to the touch, thin and sexy, Mysto boasts a 2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, night mode and built-in Photo Studio for high quality photos and video, a large mirror-like 2.2 inch QVGA display, 100MB of available internal memory expandable via microSD™ to 4GB, an HTML browser, stereo Bluetooth and support for an array of audio and video formats including MP3 and AAC audio, and MPEG-4 and H.264 video.  Mysto also has external electrostatic keys that vibrate with “haptic feedback” with the tap of a finger, giving users the look of touch sensitive controls and the tactile sensation they want while using one-click search to jump onto the Web from the device idle screen, navigating through Helio’s ultimate inbox messaging hub made famous on Ocean, or playing a favorite song or video downloaded from Helio Player.
 
Lose Your Lost
With the introduction of WHERE and Tellme, a Microsoft subsidiary, Mysto expands on Helio’s line-up of GPS-enabled services that already include geo-tagged images and videos uploaded to Flickr and YouTube™, Buddy Beacon™, Google Maps™ for mobile and Garmin Mobile™. Tellme, the first one-touch voice search application for mobile in the U.S., lets users simply press one button and say a word to receive local search results, no need to know your location or spend time typing, just say what you want and get it. Tellme returns local listings containing phone numbers, maps, turn-by-turn directions and the ability to SMS the listing to friends.  Now, Helio members don’t have to worry about saving restaurants, theaters or other business listings in their address books and finding a late night snack is a snap. 

WHERE, a service of uLocate Communications, is a mobile GPS widget platform that gives users access to a library of location-enabled applications. WHERE provides information on things like local weather and events based on the user’s current location. WHERE is accessible on Mysto through its location-aware mobile browser and is a free service for Helio members.
Availability and Pricing
Mysto is now available at Helio retail locations, www.helio.com, by calling 888-88-HELIO and at thousands of retail locations nationwide for $149.  Tellme is available on Mysto for $2.99 per month. WHERE is free of charge to All In Members; data charges apply for A La Carte Members.   

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We should state from the jump here that we didn’t get much time to play with this thing. About 30 seconds after we picked it up a Samsung PR rep scurried up and told us to stop taking pictures…what could they be hiding? We’re not entirely sure, but we’ll let you know what we did discover. The SWT-W100K appears to be a South Korea-only device (judging from the conspicuous Anycall branding). It sports an embedded WiMAX radio, 4.3" WVGA touch screen, Bluetooth, GPS, media player, DMB mobile TV support, Opera Browser, 2 megapixel rear-facing and VGA front-facing camera, and more. The response time of the device is quick, and the menu system seems to be pretty clearly organized (though much of the text was in Korean). We’re guessing that the odds of this thing landing on American soil are effectively null, but you know where to send that review unit, right Sammy?

Click on over to our Samsung SWT-W100K Mobile Internet Device hands on!

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Your handheld device may not look particularly cool with this odd old school Motorola antenna-looking contraption sticking out of the miniSD slot, but this gadget is so compact and useful that you might not even care. Spectec hit Las Vegas this week with the latest in their line of SD-slot adapters; a compact portable GPS unit that plugs into a miniSD slot! Primarily targeting Windows Mobile users, Spectec’s upcoming adapter provides a tremendous size and weight reduction compared to standard bluetooth GPS receivers. Keeping your GPS receiver charged up is not an issue of course, as power is drawn from the handheld. Device compatibility will not be limited to Windows Mobile, but driver development could be a bit slower for other platform devices. Thanks to Spectec’s design however, drivers will not be a necessity for this receiver. If drivers aren’t present on the handheld, the adapter will enable Bluetooth and become detectable as a standard external bluetooth GPS receiver! Very slick indeed.

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We had a chance to sit down with the fine people from Dash earlier today, and they were eager to show off their innovative new Dash Express GPS navigation unit. From our initial impressions, we think they have a real winner on their hands. The Dash Express is a dash-mounted GPS navigation unit with a twist. It sports the usual array of mapping and navigation utilities, with an interface that rivals some of the more established names for ease of use and sophistication. Where the Dash Express gets unique, however, is with their implementaiton of Wi-Fi and GPRS radios to create a dynamic environment that allows for real-time traffic and POI updates, and much more. The Express can be controlled via the onboard touchscreen as well as by way web-based interface. The web interface allows users to send commonly accessed points of interest, web feeds, and pretty much anything else directly to the device. The interface is slick and fast, providing an excellent end-user experience. The software also includes a set of plugins that work with Firefox, Outlook, and Internet Explorer so users can send addresses embedded in emails and web pages directly to the device by way of a right-click menu — no web-interface required. We’ll have more on this in the coming months, but check out the shots for now!

Click on over to our CES: Dash Express gallery!

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While combing through our very special delivery one more time, we noticed something that looked a little out of place. There was a black rectangle box covering up something on the BlackBerry 8xxx slide. When we moved it, guess what was there? Yes, folks. The Rogers branding. While it isn’t the biggest news, this just confirmed something we already knew, and heck, who could resist posting an ultra-super-clear shot of the BlackBerry 8xxx? Enjoy!

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We told you there are devices, as in plural, remember? The second exclusive Palm handset we’ve got the info on is codenamed the Palm Wanda. Think of it as a cross between the Palm Centro and the HTC Touch. No, like really, look at the backside on that thing! It looks to be a standard affair, running Windows 6.1, well, Standard. Hit that with a tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE radio (boo!) and some UMTS/HSDPA action, and you’ve got a Palm Wanda. A 2 megapixel camera, QWERTY keyboard, and GPS are also not left out of the equation. Vodafone said it themselves, this is the successor to the Treo 500v! You know we roll, after the jumpage!

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Nope, we’re not talking about a tree here! It looks as if the HP Silver won’t be the only HP handset sporting some HSUPA action. You now have a pretty decent line, with the Standard version, and now the Professional one making the rounds. The HP Oak sports a nifty slide-out QWERTY keyboard with a traditional number pad on the front, in addition to integrated GPS and Wi-Fi. We’re not really judging here, but it looks like you might have some difficulty with that 1010mAh battery. Release date? Thought you’d never ask! September, guys. It’s a long way to go, and ₤260 couldn’t come soon enough. Whittle the HP Oak, so to speak, after the jump!

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This looks like the first BlackBerry Pearl 2 Vodafone’s going to get, and you shouldn’t have to wait much longer. We’re hearing rumblings of a…yeah, right! It’s right on the slide, and it’s a January release date! This particular model in the BlackBerry Pearl lineup is one we told you about, and that’s the BlackBerry Pearl 8110. This particular model incorporates GPS, but not Wi-Fi. Nothing looks out of place here, so you should fine the regular quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE radio in there, along with a 2 megapixel camera, SureType, and everything else. There doesn’t seem to be a price listed which is a little strange given the release timeframe, but we’re guessing it won’t hurt your pockets too much. Just remember what’s around the corner chaps…

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If you don’t feel like dropping some serious coin on one of the other Vodafone devices we’ve showed you, this little Windows Mobile phone might be just up your alley. Set to be priced at ₤120, it doesn’t skimp on too many of the necessities. You won’t find 3G here, but you will get Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, GPS, a full QWERTY keyboard, 1.3 megapixel camera, and a decent 320×240 display. The only issue? You’ll be waiting until September to get your grubby mitts on this sucker right here! Check it out up close, after the jump!

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HP has fell off for a little bit, but it looks like they might be coming out swingin’. Set to debut also in July, is the HP Silver. It’s a Windows Mobile 6 Standard device, that supports HSUPA! They’re using a 320×240 screen but with a "RIM SureType" keyboard. Virtual BlackBerry OS, anyone? GPS and Wi-Fi aren’t left out, and while it doesn’t specifically state there is Bluetooth, we’d wager on it being included. ₤250 for the HP Silver. Going once, going twice! Fullness after the break!

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Been a Palm fan forever but feel you’re getting quite shafted lately? We’d agree. So let’s see if the Palm Drucker can change any of that! To start it off, the Palm Drucker is going to rock quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE with a tri-band UMTS/HSDPA radio! It will sport the new Windows Mobile 6.1, but this is going to be a Windows Mobile Professional device! It even finally has a 320×320 screen! There’s a full QWERTY keyboard, 1500mAh battery to handle the power, a 2 megapixel shooter, GPS, Wi-Fi, and the usual Bluetooth 2.0. Look for this to replace the aging Palm Treo 750v, and be released around July of 2008 for ₤270. Full slide after the break!

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What’s a Nokia Liam, you say? It’s about to replace the Nokia E61i in a smaller and more stylish design! Check it: quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS/HSDPA (the actual bands are not specified so we won’t count on USA 3G at first), a 3.2 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 320×320 QVGA 2.36" display, obviously a full QWERTY ‘board, integrated GPS, and a front-facing camera for video calling. So far we’ve got it pegged for a Q2 ‘08 release date, but you can bet your bottom dollar we’ll be hearing more about this real soon. Full slide, after the jump!
 

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Remember the BlackBerry 9000? It looks like that wasn’t a BlackBerry 9000 at all, but rather another device in the BlackBerry 8000-series! According to this document, which completely validates all our predictions of specs for the device, the BlackBerry 8xxx will see a commercial launch on Vodafone in May of this year. The specs one more time? 624MHz processor built on the new Tavor chipset, full HSDPA with tri-band UMTS (850/1900/2100), a "half VGA" screen (480 x 320), a frickin’ 1500mAh battery, GPS, Wi-Fi, a 2 megapixel camera, and will be targeted to the high-end BlackBerry users.  Again, we’re looking at a May release for Vodafone, so we can’t imagine AT&T is going to be far behind, they might even get it before! Hit the jump for the full slide!

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GPS receivers seem to be popping up in some pretty unlikely places these days. They’re damn near standard in most high-end smartphones, and everyone and their mother / sister / brother / aunt has some sort of navigation system in their car. Hoping to capitalize on this movement, manufacturer Pharos has just launched a new miniature GPS receiver designed to work with digital cameras. The idea is that the receiver will allow for easier geo-tagging and trip logging. The device interfaces seamlessly with Google Maps, allowing you to plot your route with pictures, and orient your shots. It sounds a bit ridiculous for some, but for frequent shutterbugs, this could be a pretty useful bit of kit. Look for it to be available later this month for $89.95.

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Korean PMP specialist Cowon will start shipping its latest offering in early January and to say that the N3 packs a punch is an understatement. Running Windows CE 5.0 with a 600MHz processor behind a 7-inch 16.7M-color Samsung 800 x 480 touchscreen, the Cowon N3 combines a state of the art PMP with Sirf III-supported navigation and a DMB TV receiver. DMB TV might not be supported in the US yet, but in Korea it is certainly growing in popularity and N3 owners won’t have to miss a second of their favorite DMB TV programming; even while navigating! The N3 allows users to open navigation in a PIP frame while watching TV or media. PIP navigation might not be the safest feature of this PMP but it’s cool nonetheless. In terms of more standard PMP functionality, a laundry list of audio, image and video formats are supported along with AV In, Video Camera In and Line Out connections. It also supports multiple SDHC cards to allow plenty of room for maps / multimedia and 128MB of RAM helps it multitask smoothly during operation. Wrap all of these features up in a sleek-looking PMP only 7.5" wide and you’ve got yourself a winner.

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You might have heard a little this and that about the Helio Mysto device. It’s a new handset making its way to Helio’s powered by SK Telecom network, and it will launch first in the Korean American Helio market tomorrow. If you’re not Korean, you’re going to have to wait for the general market release early next year which is looking like mid-to-late January. If you want to get sneaky, though, you can head on down to Helio’s NYC or Santa Monica store on December 26th and pick one up! They’re $149 but won’t be out on display — you gotta’ tell the nice people BG sent you and have them snatch one out of the back! If you don’t make it on the 26th, you’re back in the same boat as everyone else, and have to wait another month or two. How do we like it? Well, it’s not a totally unseen device (it is a Samsung U600, after all), but Helio has completely done up the software and UI on this thing and it’s lightning fast! It also has GPS, a 2 megapixel camera, and it’s oh-so-sexy. We even heard they delayed the Mysto just to make sure everything was solid, and we’re pretty sure if you’re a Helio fan, you’re going to love it. Hit the jump for the hands-on madness!

Click on over to our Helio Mysto hands-on gallery!

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The Dash Express, everyone’s favorite Wi-Fi-enabled dash mounted GPS navigation system, has been in beta testing for quite some time now. The company has finally released some specifics about the products release date and price point, and we’re pretty excited to see what’s in store. The Dash Express will finally see store shelves in mid-to-late February. It’s available for pre-order right now for $599. That pre-order price includes 3 months of the all-inclusive Dash service. After the 3 months, however, you’ll have to put down $11-$13/month if you wish to continue to use the networked services, including real time traffic info and dynamic POIs. $599 is pretty steep for a glorified GPS navigation system if you ask us, but we’ll have to wait until we get our hands on one to see if this thing is worth the price. Hit us up with a review unit, guys!

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One of our Helio peeps hit us the other day and briefly said, "We’re sending you the coolest application for the Helio Ocean everz!" No details, nothing! Well, a day later we got a download link for the app, and what did it turn out to be? Their new YouTube application! As you might know from our previous reviews, the Ocean is a fantastic device, but it is plagued by random lagging and freezes. We had no idea how the YouTube app would perform based on our past use of the phone. The fact is, it works incredibly well! It’s lightning fast, has an amazing UI, and the features are by the boat load — geo-tag videos, post video responses, comment on videos, rate videos, upload videos. We’re really impressed! Hit the jump for a plethora of pics!

• Browse: view tens of millions of videos
• Rate: let everyone know which videos you like best
• Comment: add your own two cents by posting text comments for everyone to read
• Share: send favorite videos to friends using address book integration
• Save: save favorite videos to My Favorites and My Playlists
• Subscribe: subscribe to a channel to check out more from that user
• Record and Upload: capture a video on Ocean and instantly upload it to a personal channel

Oh yeah, it’s available now for all Ocean users!

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