The LG KF390 unlocked is a great slider  Phone that has been made to help those that might live in rural areas. However, it also works really well for those living in the urban setting as well. It is a solid unit that will get the job done and is fairly easy to use. This was one of the first HSDPA 7.2 Mbps cellular phones to utilize the Telstra’s Blue Tick, which enabled users not to have an external antenna in the regional coverage areas.

It is compact and sleek in its design and seems to be very durable. The spring, which opens the slider, is well made and very responsive. The only downside to this particular phone is that the front of the phone will be a haven for fingerprints. You may want to make sure that you have some of those screen cloths as you may have to keep it clean in order to see. It does come with a small keypad and the bonus is the keys are raised and easy to use. There are also some touch sensitive keys and shortcuts as well.

The Unlocked LG KF390 does have some basic web browsing but you may have some minor difficulties looking at some of the websites that have not been configured for mobile phones. It does have the basic multi-media functions and includes a music player but will not support A2DP Bluetooth. It does have the T9 predictive text input, a two megapixel camera and all the other tools such as the alarm clock, calendar, tasks and calculator. It will allow you to stay in contact with all of your social media as well as check on your email, send text messages and instant messaging. It is a cost effective handset and will provide you all of the basic functions.

Eventhough AT&T’s own Ralph de la Vega mentioned all the way back in November 2008 that you would be able to tether your iPhone to your personal computer and use it as a modem “soon” it looks like we are still quite a ways away from seeing this functionality.  Even with many iPhone carriers around the world deploying this tethering feature as soon as Apple had it ready it seems that AT&T’s silence is saying more than they want it to.  Tech website Engadget reached out to AT&T and received this feedback concerning iPhone tethering on the AT&T network:

"We understand that there is great interest in tethering but cannot provide any details at this time. We know that iPhone users love their devices and mobile broadband, and that they're likely to embrace tethering just as they have other features and apps – by using it a lot. iPhone tethering has the potential to exponentially increase traffic, and we need to ensure that we're able to deliver excellent performance for the feature – over and above the increases in data traffic we're already seeing – before we will offer the feature."

While it does make sense for AT&T to ensure their network can handle the increased load that would accompany iPhone users being able to use their phone as a modem for their personal computers they better hurry up and figure out a solution quickly or risk losing business customers to Verizon.  Verizon recently announced that their Palm Mobile Hotspot app would be a free add on with the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus that is sure to draw the attention of many business customers and frequent travelers that would benefit from being able to use their mobile device as a mobile hot spot while on the road.

One the popular complaints of Boost Mobile customers have been the lack of exciting mobile devices to choose from.  Well it looks like those who are taking advantage of Boost’s budget conscious $50 Monthly Unlimited Plan are in store for a few new upgrades from mobile phone developer Kyocera.  The new Sanyo Juno by Kyocera is now going to be available in both impulsive pink and deep blue for the low cost of $99.99, around the same price as the LG KP500.  Juno offers a sense of simplicity with a nice touch of flare to go with its full QWERTY keyboard and large 2.2 inch display screen that makes viewing the phone’s menu icons extremely easy.

A lack of colors within the Boost Mobile handset catalogue has long been one of the major complaints of Boost Mobile consumers.
“Juno adds some real fun to Boost’s growing handset lineup as it has the perfect combination of functionality, a sleek look and hot colors,” said Neil Lindsay, chief marketing officer for Boost Mobile. “Paired with the Monthly Unlimited Plan, consumers will get exactly what they crave to meet their talking and texting needs for a low, straightforward price.”
Some of the other features included with the Juno are:
· Full QWERTY Keypad
· Thin design with 2.2” High-Res Color Display
· 1.3MP Camera with Digital Zoom
· Dedicated 1-click text & .com keys
· Wireless Web Email Access
· Instant Messaging [Capable]
· Multi-Media & Threaded Text Messaging
· Bluetooth®
· GPS & Wireless Web Enabled
· Voicemail, Caller ID, Call Waiting & Call Forwarding
· Speakerphone with Voice Recognition
· Downloadable Games, Wallpapers & Ringtones
· 600 Entry Phonebook
· Alarm Clock, Calendar, To Do List, Calculator & Voice-Memo Recorder
It finally looks like Boost Mobile fans are starting to get some decent phones, in addition to the BlackBerry Curve, from which to choose.  This will surely make their highly desirable $50 Monthly Unlimited Plan all the more successful.

The Viper SmartStart system is one of the cooler apps on the market for the iPhone.  Viper SmartStart, the automobile security system company, has recently become famous for their iPhone app that allows you to unlock, lock and start your car from anywhere in the world.  You also have the ability to pop the trunk and hit the panic button all from your iPhone.  All of these features can be added to your car for a mere $500.

However, up until this point you only had the ability to talk to your car and give it commands via the iPhone on whether to open the doors or start the car.  Now your car can essentially talk back to you.  Viper just released an update for the iPhone that now includes push notifications.  When your car alarm goes off you will be able to receive a message from the Viper SmartStart system alerting you that your alarm has been activated. 

While all of this technology may see a bit over the line and unnecessary it is still a pretty cool feature to include.  If you live in a cold winter state the ability to remotely start your car to heat it up from your iPhone might just sound too good to be true.  Likewise if you are constantly worried about the safety of your vehicle and any potential items you may have inside knowing that your car as the ability to alert you when the alarm is set off could be worth the $500 and $30 a year fee for iPhone users to have that peace of mind.  All in all I think the Viper SmartStart system and corresponding iPhone app are some of the most interesting pieces of technology on the market today.

Recently Google has been busy updating its phone sales site and the latest word for Verizon Wireless customers looking to get their hands on a Nexus One is to look at the “similarly feature-packed” cousin of the Nexus One, the Incredible.  One important fact that is left out of the update on their sales site is the “coming soon” tag which suggests that the Nexus One has been discontinued for Verizon Wireless customers.

In a separate blog post updating us on carrier partnerships, Google once again reiterates its mini-advertisement for the new HTC phone on Verizon while not mentioning anything about the Nexus One’s future.  While a true CDMA variant should still be coming on the Sprint network Google is still making it quite difficult to understand whether or not the Nexus One for Verizon has been canceled.

Update: In a recent update Google has just informed the tech website engadget that the Nexus One for the Verizon Wireless network is officially dead.  Below is Google’s official statement:
We won't be selling a Nexus One with Verizon, and this is a reflection of the amazing innovation happening across the open Android ecosystem. Verizon Wireless customers who want an Android phone with the power of the Nexus One can get the Droid Incredible by HTC.

This is all certainly understandable and nice to see Google finally come out and say what many have been speculating for a while.  Now that we know the Nexus One is officially dead for the Verizon network customers of this cell phone network can focus their attention on the Incredible by HTC for all of their Android needs or purchase an ulocked HTC Hero to use.

It had already been speculated that both Sprint and Verizon Wireless would eventually pick up RIM’s hot new BlackBerry Bold 9650 smartphone.  It appears that these speculations are starting to become facts as Sprint has recently announced that the BlackBerry Bold 9650 will be hitting store shelves on May 23rd.  Sprint customers who are clamoring over the BlackBerry device will be able to purchase this new mobile device for $199.99 after a $100 mail in rebate and 2 year contract. 

This new BlackBerry device has several great features that will be sure to tempt any BlackBerry fan.  The new Bold 9650 is set to come with a 480 x 360 resolution display, BlackBerry OS 5, WiFi module and a 3.2 megapixel camera.  With specs like these it easy to see why various networks would want to pick up this device.  It is sure to be a huge hit among many smartphone users and BlackBerry customers.

It looks like Sprint is going to be getting the leg up on its competition by being the first cell phone provider to offer the new BlackBerry Bold 9650.  With a bevy of unique features the Bold 9650 figures to quickly become one of the better selling BlackBerry mobile devices, like the BlackBerry Storm 2.  I am sure that other cell phone providers will quickly follow suit once they see what kind of success Sprint will surely have with this new device.  Even at the sort of pricey point of $199 after mail in rebate this new BlackBerry phone is sure to be a best seller for both Sprint and BlackBerry.

In yet another internal memo it looks like the Sprint Hero is set to receive the Android 2.1 update in early May.  According to other internal memos the Hero was supposed to have had Android 2.1 last week so we can not really count on these memos to be highly accurate.  However, this latest news does come from two different sources.  The guys over at Android Guys got a customer service rep on the phone who said:

Agent (Jolly K): “I am sorry for misinformation. The updates says that Android 2.1 HTC Hero is being launched in the first week ok [sic] May”

At about the same time the fellas over at Phandroid got their hands on a camera shot of a memo indicating the same thing saying the Hero can expect the upgrade to Android 2.1 in early May.

For those of you wondering what the hold up might be Sprint is notorious for their update certification process.  If they even get the smallest inkling of a bug they will delay the roll out until the bug is fixed and can be re-tested.  So I am assuming there was some sort of last minute bug that appeared and Sprint is thoroughly testing any patches that were put in place to correct this problem.  While it might be a bit of a pain to have to wait on receiving your Android update it is much better than having several issues with your mobile device once the new OS is released.

Since Hero customers have waited this long I am sure that you can hold out for another week or two to ensure that your HTC Hero mobile phone will continue to work the way you would like it to after the release of the Android 2.1 operating system.

If you can not wait any longer for the Android 2.1 OS to come to the Samsung Moment you just might not have to wait any longer.  Thanks to a couple of members of SDX-Developers the highly anticipated Android update can finally be added to your Samsung mobile phone.  There are currently two different builds on the forum and both seem to work quite well.  It is being reported that both builds work with voice and data.  The only problem that users are reporting is a “faulty” marketplace.

Even though both of these builds that are designed to bring the Android 2.1 to the Samsung Moment are currently working without issues for most people there is still a slight chance that this new upgrade can wipe your phone.  If you are looking to perform this sort of addition to your mobile device then you are probably aware of the risks that come along with doing so. 

While there is that slight chance that you might brick your Samsung phone it might just be worth it so that you can use the new Android 2.1 OS.  With all of the added features that are included with this new Android upgrade many Samsung users will wish that they made this switch much earlier than they did.  I for one am getting tired of waiting around for Samsung to bring this new Android update to my Moment mobile device.

In a recent announcement Apple mentioned that they are finally set to bring multitasking to the iPhone OS 4.  One of the biggest complaints from iPhone users has been the lack of multitasking that users of other smartphones have recently been able to enjoy.  Apple says they have finally been able to figure out how to implement third party multitasking without hurting performance or battery life.

To get the new multitasking feature to work you just double click the home button to see a list of your apps and then you can just tap to switch between the apps that are running.  The new system actually runs the services apps need in the background which means the apps do not need to do this themselves.  While this does not make it true multitasking it is still very effective in getting the job done.

There are seven services that the new system can run in the background.  These services include background audio, Voice over IP, which means you can receive calls in the background, locations services for GPS and social networking, push notifications, task completion so that you can finish downloading in the background and fast app switching which allows apps to sleep and resume instantly.

The one service that is notably missing from the new operating system is the ability to manage a conversation using IM or Twitter.  This might be a big omission for some people but the vast majority of iPhone users should be pleasantly surprised  with the effectiveness of this new iPhone OS update.  One downside to the latest update is that this new OS will only be available for the 3GS and 3rd generation iPod Touches.  The 3G and below will not be able to support the new OS due to a hardware limitation.

So it finally appears that a May release for the successor to the BlackBerry Tour 9630 is official.  An internal website where Bank of America employees can order new handsets shows the device listed as coming to Verizon in May.  In addition to a May arrival the website also confirms that this new device is set to be a member of the Bold family.  While the model number is still question it is exciting news nonetheless.  I can easily see this new device taking the model number of 9750 to keep RIM’s naming convention in order but it has been rumored that this successor device will carry the number 9650.  Since this new device is so similar to the Tour 9630 it could be sort of confusing to have two nearly identical phones using the same numbering convention within the 96xx family.

I am really hoping that this device receives an official announcement at the upcoming WES conference.  Many BlackBerry fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of a successor to the BlackBerry Tour 9630 and deserve an official announcement along will all of the different features that this device will have.  As a BlackBerry user myself I am especially excited to see this new Tour device when it is released next month.  The BlackBerry Tour 9630 has been one of the better BlackBerry devices since its inception.  I am expecting more of the same with its successor. 

This new device is also expected to include BlackBerry’s new push to talk application.  This new application was a recent big announcement for BlackBerry and it makes sense that it would be included with any new device that is going to hit the market.