IBLOG SPACE

" Killzone 3 " is real, and it's coming in 3-D. You may have seen an extended clip if you tuned in to Sony's E3 press event last month. The game will not , however, include a four-player co-op mode, as has been rumored to be the case. A preview from FirstPlay further stoked speculation this week, but the digital magazine has since issued a follow-up response correcting their co-op assertion. "Unfortunately the 'Killzone 3' preview contains a piece of erroneous information about a four-player co-op mode which isn't present in the game," a statement from FirstPlay read that was posted by CVG. "It was something that had been rumored that we mistakenly picked up on as fact. Apologies for that, especially to Guerrilla for whom this has been an annoyance." So don't expect to be ganging up on the Helghast with a big co-op party for now, as this info seems to have been completely debunked. There's more to multiplayer than four-player

BioWare has thus far remained true to their commitment to a "continued stream of DLC" for " Mass Effect 2 ," and they plan to continue on course, even after their "Kasumi" and "Overlord" packs. In fact, BioWare says there are still "big plans" left to be realized with "ME2" before they release the "Return of the Jedi" of their trilogy. "We still have more DLC in the plan for 'Mass 2,'" BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk told VG247. "The last ones were really well received. People were really, really impressed with the Overlord Pack, and the Kasumi one did really well too." There will eventually be an endgame, though, which Zeschuk freely admits. The frequency of BioWare's DLC releases could decrease as well, but they will keep on coming for the time being. "It's at the point where it'll probably diminish a little bit, but there are still some pretty big plans for DLC,&quo

SCEA showed off its own very Harry Potter -esque PlayStation Move game "Sorcery" at the big Sony E3 presentation in June. Microsoft's Kinect system may be getting the real deal, though, depending on what kind of mistake Walmart made by listing "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" among its the Kinect titles available for pre-order with its $199 bundle deal this week. The game no longer appears in the Kinect category on Walmart.com, but EA isn't denying that Kinect controls could be a possibility. "We have not made any announcements or comments on this at this time," an EA representative told G4. Keep in mind that Microsoft has still not confirmed the popular $149.99 retail price being used by Amazon.com and the official Microsoft Store for Kinect pre-orders, so it's not inconceivable that Walmart could be off base with both their price and the "Deathly Hallows"/Kinect association. I might believe that Walmart is wrong on one of

Rumored specifications for the so-called HTC Desire HD, formerly tipped as the HTC Ace, have emerged, with one UK retailer suggesting the handset will arrive in October 2010. According to SuperEtrader, the Desire HD will have a 4.3-inch WVGA touchscreen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor and 8-megapixel camera; in other words, it’s a European version (and presumably 3G-only) of the HTC EVO 4G . The HTC Ace had previously shown up on a leaked UK retailer roadmap devoid of any specifications; the list of abilities we now have are all pieced together from rumor, rather than anything official from HTC, but they do sound reasonably legitimate. The HTC Desire HD is supposed to run Android 2.2 and support 720p HD video recording, Xvid playback, SRS surround sound and Flash 10, and have automatic face tracking in the camera and 4GB of internal storage. It’s also tipped to have a “unibody aluminium design” which sounds a whole lot like both the HTC Legend and, indeed, the HTC 1 fan concept we saw ear

It’s a tough world for a consumer desktop PC. Laptops have stolen all the glamour; you need to offer something special if you’re going to stand out among the rank and file of stationary computing. Acer’s Aspire X3400-U2012 may not be a true portable PC but, with a small-form-factor (SFF) chassis paired with desktop components does the grunt-for-the-footprint balance make it a sensible buy? Check out the SlashGear review after the cut. There’s a little of the Lenovo in the Aspire X3400’s design, a solid black mini-tower (standing 10.5-inches high) with a minor splash of blue the only attempt to brighten things. Up front there’s a DVD burner, five USB 2.0 ports, a multi-format memory card reader and audio in/out; at the back there are a further four USB 2.0 ports, both HDMI and VGA, gigabit ethernet, audio in/out (with 5.1-channel support), an eSATA port, PS/2 ports for legacy keyboard and mouse (Acer’s supplied peripherals are both USB, and of reasonable quality if not anything outstan

It’s been ten years since Harmon Kardon unveiled their iSub 2000 jellyfish-like subwoofer and Soundsticks speakers, and so any update to the venerable line has to be of interest. After a minor upgrade – the Soundsticks II – in 2008, Harmon Kardon has tweaked them again in the shape of the Soundsticks III , freshly announced in Japan. It’s another relatively minor tweak, however, with the Soundsticks III getting the same 20W subwoofer amplifier (driving a 150mm cone) and 10W per satellite speaker (each with four 25mm cones). Harmon Kardon has changed the rear ports, though; rather than flush-fitting inputs, the Soundsticks III get more flexible cables leading to a 3.5mm input. There are also a couple of aesthetic changes, with new black speaker stands, and the touch-sensitive volume controls are still in place. To be honest we’d prefer to see a more significant update on Harmon Kardon’s part, but maybe they don’t want to mess with what’s arguably by now a design classic. The Harmon

Getac has updated its ruggedized convertible tablet PC, the Getac V100 , with a 1.2GHz Intel Core i7 processor. That, the company claims, is good enough for a 47-percent performance boost over the last-gen model – in no small part thanks to Turbo Boost – making it the fastest dual-core ruggedized convertible on the market (a pretty small ecosystem, they must admit). The new CPU slots in alongside the Getac QuadraClear display, a 1,200 NIT panel designed for easy use while outdoors. It also has glove-friendly multitouch, and the whole thing is clad in magnesium alloy, rubber and stainless steel. Otherwise the same specs as before make an appearance, so there’s a shock-mounted 320GB hard-drive, waterproof keyboard, rotating 2-megapixel webcam, Bluetooth and WiFi, along with optional GPS and 3G. No word on pricing for the updated model; we’re checking in with the company now.

According to the latest rumors leaking out to BGR, AT&T are planning to launch the US-spec version of the Dell Streak on Monday July 19th. The 5-inch Android tablet has been on sale in the UK since early June, with no official word on a US launch at the time aside from the promise that it would drop “later this summer”. The Streak has 3G/UMTS, WiFi b/g, Bluetooth and GPS, together with a rear 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and a front-facing camera for video calls. At present it runs Android 1.6 with various Dell customizations, but the company has promised an update to Android 2.x later in 2010. Tempted by the Dell Streak? Check out http://roots.slashgear.com/dell-streak for all the details, including video and links to our hands-on coverage and full review.

Jedi Mind has been making thought control software for a while now that promises to let you control things like your mouse using only your thoughts. The company has announced its latest software offering called Master Mind. The software promises to let the user play their favorite video games using their thoughts to control the character on screen. Jedi Mind specifically says you can use the software with popular titles like World of Warcraft and Call of Duty. The Master Mind system has software and uses a wireless headset that reads your brainwaves like an EEG would. The brainwaves are turned into signals that are sent to a USB receiver plugged into the computer. The software costs $99 for download.

We all know with the success of the iPad that hoards of other tablet computers are coming to market. HP is working on several tablets that run different operating systems including Windows 7 and with the purchase of Palm a webOS tablet is coming. One of the tablets was expected to run Android. AllThingsD reports that HP has now delayed those Android tablet plans. The HP Android tablet had been expected to land on the market in Q4 2010. AllThingsD cites sources that tablet has been pushed from that expected Q4 launch date. I don’t think many would be surprised to hear that the Android version will never come to market. With the purchase of Palm HP is keen to use its new WebOS in all the products it can. I won’t be surprised if HP opts to not compete with its own webOS tablet dreams by putting an Android tablet on the market. Windows 7 and WebOS aren’t seen as direct competitors.

I’m not one to go for mood lighting. In my house, lights are usually on or off. I can understand that some folks like the light to reflect the mood for parties or other reasons. If you are the type that likes to play with the lighting in a room GE has a new app for your iPhone that makes getting the lighting just right a snap. The application is called the GE Mood Cam app. Basically you take a picture of your room and then you slide the “Moodometer” to apply different filters to the image you took to simulate lighting effects in the room. Once you find the light effect you want, you can put together a shopping list of the GE bulbs you need to achieve the effect. There are six different moods to choose from and you can even tell the app what sockets your light fixtures use so you get the exact bulb part numbers you need. The app is free and on the App Store right now.

We have talked about netTalk before when the company unveiled its TK6000 VoIP device back in February. The company has a new VoIP device that has just been unveiled called the netTalk Duo. The Duo is up for pre-order right now at 10% off the normal $69.95 price tag. The price includes the first year of service and after the first year additional year of service is $29.95. The Duo provides nationwide calls to any landline or mobile phone in the US or Canada from anywhere in the world. Low international rates are also available. The Duo connects directly to the web via a modem or router rather than through a computer. The Duo can be connected though a computer as well if needed. The device ships with all the setup cables and adapters. Users can also get a free local number, enhanced 911, and 411 along with voice mail and call waiting.

It has been a bit quiet on the Apple rumor front of late with all the talk of recalls and reception issues with the iPhone 4 filling the news. A new Apple rumor has surfaced for those needing a steady diet of rumors. This rumor comes by way of DigiTimes and has Apple set to throw a couple new products onto the market soon. DigiTimes reports that Apple is set to throw a new version of the MacBook Air onto the market with an 11.6-inch display and Intel Core ULV CPU. The machine will reportedly land in the second half of this year and be built by Quanta computer. DigiTimes also reports that a new version of the iPod touch is coming in August or September. We have already heard grumblings about an iPod touch with a camera coming to market. DigiTimes reports that the camera will be a 3MP unit and will do video and still shots. The new touch is also said to use the A4 processor.

Opera has announced that the first beta for Opera Mobile 10.1 is ready for testing and feedback. The new beta is for Symbian S60 devices and has new features to make the browser more usable for S60 fans. Among the new features are better speed and geolocation capability. The beta offering has a powerful Presto rendering engine, Vega graphics library, and Carakan JavaScript engine. The geolocation capability allows the user to use location aware services like maps and travel apps. Other features include tabbed browsing, a virtual keyboard, kinetic scrolling, auto-rotation capability, and Speed Dial. The browser also has a password manager and more. The beta can be downloaded by point your browser to m.opera.com/next.

It’s not just the DROID X bringing some big-screen Android action to store shelves today. T-Mobile USA haspushed the Samsung Vibrant – their version of the Samsung Galaxy S – out the door, with the 4-inch Super AMOLED smartphone priced at $199.99 after various online and mail-in rebates and presuming a new, two-year agreement. As with the Galaxy S, you get the bright, vivid display technology that Samsung are currently keeping all to themselves, paired with their 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 16GB of storage, a 5-megapixel camera and 3G. There’s also WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0, all in an impressively slimline – if a little plasticky – chassis. We’ve got the Vibrant in for review at the moment, but until that goes live check out our full Galaxy S review. The two devices are basically identical, bar some button changes and T-Mobile branding.

Sony’s 3D HDTV ranges have begun shipping, with panels ranging in size from 46- to 60-inches. The Sony HX909 is the smallest, at 46-inches, supporting 1080p Full HD with local backlight dimming, optional USB wireless and of course 3D capabilities, though you’ll need to spend a little more on the glasses and transmitter to use them since Sony don’t include either in the box. It’s $3,149.98. As for the larger sets, they’re from Sony’s LX900 series, including the 60-inch XBR60LX900 priced at $4,997. That also supports Full HD 1080p at 240Hz, together with internet connectivity, but unlike with the HX909 includes the necessary shutter glasses in the box for you to start viewing 3D straight away. We’re guessing more models from the company’s ranges will filter through as the weeks go on, including the entry-level 40-inch HDTVs for those wanting 3D but without the lounge space to accommodate a huge display.

We’ve been waiting for SanDisk’s capacious 32GB microSDHD card for some time, and the company has decided to launch it alongside the Motorola DROID X. While the new Verizon smartphone will come with an 8GB microSD preloaded, the 32GB card will be available to buyers at a reduced price of $99.99; everyone else will be expected to shell out $149.99. Of course, to save that fifty bucks you’ll also need to pick up a $200 smartphone and commit to a two-year voice and data agreement, so it’s not exactly the cheapest of ways to get frugal on your flash. Still, 40GB – with the DROID X’s integrated 8GB – in a smartphone isn’t bad, especially when you consider the Android handset’s HDMI out port and 720p HD video capabilities.

Apple has pushed out their latest iOS beta to its developer community, iOS4.1 , and the question everybody is asking is whether it includes the promised patch to “fix” the signal issue. Unfortunately, while the modem firmware has been updated (going from 01.59.00 to 02.07.01) and the signal bars are larger than before, early feedback in the MacRumors forum suggests that there’s no actual difference in performance – if you touch the antenna during a call, that can be enough to kill your connection. Gizmodo’s photo above shows the difference in the new, chubbier bars (iOS4.1 is running on the lower iPhone); meanwhile MobileCrunch shot some video of the “death grip” in action, and as you can see it’s just as precarious as before. Still, many users will welcome more accurate display of what signal there is, even if they have to remember to hold the iPhone 4 in a special way in order to make the most of it. What may be less welcome is speculation that Apple has added digital watermarking

CDMA Android lovers, prepare your credit cards. Motorola’s marvellous DROID X smartphone – which wereviewed last week and gave a pretty much glowing report – has gone up for sale on Verizon Wireless’ site. $199.99 gets you a 4.3-inch touchscreen, slender body, 8-megapixel camera and Android 2.1 with the latest iteration of MOTOBLUR. It also gets you a two-year agreement, of course, complete with voice and data plans. Still, the DROID X is probably worth it; it’s one of the fastest Android devices we’ve seen, and when it gets the promised Android 2.2 Froyo update later in the year it should be even faster. If you’re looking for all the details on the Motorola DROID X, check out its Roots page:http://roots.slashgear.com/droid-x complete with links to our hands-on, videos and full review.

While we may not have the final packaging to showcase for Microsoft’s variation of their motion-based peripheral, we do know that Walmart’s already bundling up the next piece of Redmond-based technology. Of course, we should have realized it wouldn’t take much longer for the Sony version, better known as Move, to make some kind of appearance on the Internet, too. And sure enough, here we are with the final packaging images. We’ve got three different variations here: for those who’ve been waiting to buy their PS3 until Move released, those who already have a PS3, and still one that tailors to those who already own the PlayStation Eye, too. For the first, the bundle includes the PlayStation Move wand, a PlayStation 3 , a DualShock 3 controller, an Eye Toy, and one Move game, called Sports Champions . That bundle will cost you a cool $399. As for the other two bundles, you’ll get everything else but the PlayStation 3 and DualShock controller — so obviously you’ll already want to own the c

While we may not have the final packaging to showcase for Microsoft’s variation of their motion-based peripheral, we do know that Walmart’s already bundling up the next piece of Redmond-based technology. Of course, we should have realized it wouldn’t take much longer for the Sony version, better known as Move, to make some kind of appearance on the Internet, too. And sure enough, here we are with the final packaging images. We’ve got three different variations here: for those who’ve been waiting to buy their PS3 until Move released, those who already have a PS3, and still one that tailors to those who already own the PlayStation Eye, too. For the first, the bundle includes the PlayStation Move wand, a PlayStation 3 , a DualShock 3 controller, an Eye Toy, and one Move game, called Sports Champions . That bundle will cost you a cool $399. As for the other two bundles, you’ll get everything else but the PlayStation 3 and DualShock controller — so obviously you’ll already want to own the c

SmartDevices has unveiled a pair of new Android 2.1 tablets, with the SmartQ T7 and its T7-3G cellular-wireless enabled sibling each packing WiFi and a 720MHz ARM11 processor that the company reckons is good enough to handle 1080p HD video. The two new slates each have a 4,700MHz battery – SmartDevices aren’t saying how long that’s expected to last – and a 7-inch touchscreen. No pricing for the SmartQ T7 right now, but SmartDevices has confirmed that the CDMA EVDO version of the SmartQ T7-3G will be 1,880 Yuan ($278) while the WCDMA SmartQ T7-3G will be 1,980 Yuan ($292). We don’t yet know if there’ll be a launch outside of China, nor indeed when the Chinese release itself will take place.

Apple has quietly acquired a Canadian mapping company, Poly9 , in a move that some are suggesting marks the next step in the Cupertino firms plans to replace Google Maps in products like the iPhone and iPad. Poly9’sofficial site has been taken down and there’s no official announcement from Apple or the company; their most notable product is a “cross-browser, cross-platform 3D globe” that can be manipulated without any installation and with minimal data downloads. Apple’s previous acquisition, Placebase, was a more straightforward Google Maps alternative. The company was bought in the summer of 2009, and followed by recruitment for software developers who would work at Apple to take the iPhone’s Maps app “to the next level”. Relations between Google and Apple have been cooling since the search giant launched their own smartphone platform in the shape of Android, and began to withhold its more advanced functionality – such as free turn-by-turn directions – for devices that run that OS.

Lenovo apparently plans to kill off their ThinkPad X300 and X301 ultraportables , in the Chinese market at least, in favor of 14-inch models like the T410s. That’s according to Think Account Marketing Director Wang Liping at Lenovo, who cites underwhelming CPU and GPU performance in comparison to the similarly slender T400s and T410s as the main reason for the notebooks’ demise. As for the timescale, Liping says Chinese customers should expect to see the X300/X301 range phased out around the end of 2010. No word on whether the same timescale is being planned for the US or other countries, or indeed whether the premium X30x models will be refreshed outside of China.

Skype has updated its new SkypeKit SDK beta to support Windows and OS X systems, meaning developers for those platforms can now add background VoIP and video call functionality using the service. Launched last month but only compatible with Linux apps, the SkypeKit SDK allows for so-called “headless” Skype integration where the app itself needn’t be separately installed by the user. The SkypeKit SDK lives alongside, rather than replacing, the existing Skype API, which is primarily intended for those producing apps and hardware that works in tandem with the official Skype app. Developers will initially be charged a “nominal” membership fee of around $20 for access to the SDK, which will be given out on an invitation basis. You can sign up for an invitation here.

XStreamHD is one step closer to launching – and offering Full HD digital content distribution – thanks to an agreement with Lionsgate that will see around 12,000 titles available to buy or rent. Having secured satellite coverage with EchoStar late last month, XStreamHD now have the content to distribute using it. What remains to be seen, of course, is whether the company can find sufficient subscribers given their pricing. Two packages are currently available for preorder, the XStreamHD FAST Start package ($399) with one 1TB HD Media Server, an HD Media Receiver, RF One Remote Control, and the necessary cabling, and the PRO Start package ($499) which gets an upgraded HD PRO Media Receiver. If 1TB isn’t enough, 2TB and 4TB storage configurations are also available. On top of that there’s a monthly subscription fee and then per-title pricing for rentals or purchases. We still don’t even know when the system is due to arrive, which may be a little too much uncertainty for some.

Microsoft’s plans for the Xbox 360 Arcade bundle have been tipped, thanks to a prematurely posted Amazon Germany listing. The product page seemingly confirms a 4GB bundle, together with a €148.99 ($190) price tag, though has since been updated to remove any mention of cost or release date. Still, thanks to VG247’s speedy fingers, we know the retailer expects the new bundle to ship on August 20th 2010. Unfortunately, there’s no other detail on what exactly the bundle will include. It’s assumed that this is the new, slimline Xbox 360 recently announced, and the 4GB of storage – in contrast to the 250GB hard-drive of the current model – is more than likely flash storage in some form (either internally mounted or supplied as a 4GB memory key pre-formated to suit the Xbox 360’s storage requirements). Joystiq point out that an August 20th release would put the new Arcade bundle’s release right in the midst of Gamescon 2010, though of course there’s no confirmation from Microsoft themselv

Buffalo Japan has outed its latest networked media player, the Buffalo LinkTheater LT-V100 , now capable of 1080p Full HD playback. The LT-V100 has HMDI and composite video outputs, together with analog and optical-digital audio outputs, and a 10/100 ethernet port for network streaming. There are also two USB 2.0 ports, one up front and one on the back, which can be used to hook up external storage for local playback. As well as MPEG-1/2/4, Xvid, WMV9, RealVideo and FLV files, the LT-V100 can handle various audio and image files (including Ogg Vorbis and FLAC), though not copy-protected content. No word on whether the Buffalo LinkTheater LT-V100 will make it outside of Japan, nor if there’ll be a wireless version, but considering the company has a WiFi-equipped version of their previous LinkTheater model that seems probable. It’ll hit Japan at the end of this month, priced at 12,075 yen ($136).

You may have heard chatter recently that Dell's Streak is destined for AT&T as soon as July 19 -- and now, with a little dot-connecting, we're pretty much on board with that theory. We've just been tipped with some images of a corporate-owned AT&T store where contractors are in the process of installing new kiosks in the "Smartphones" area of the floor under tight security; they've apparently been made to sign NDAs and a number of employees "are already on the chopping block" for trying to figure out what it is. We suppose it could be something Captivate-related, but considering the level of security here, we think it's something much bigger. Like 5 inches or so, if you catch our drift

a We've been assuming that the next iPod touch will get in on Apple's FaceTime video-calling action, but the open question has been how calls will actually be initiated without phone numbers, and BGR's saying it has the scoop: it's going to be based on email addresses. Registering an email address with the touch and FaceTime will let people videocall you using that address, but apparently calling an iPhone user will still involve knowing their phone number, which is a little odd -- but BGR believes the email-based system will extended to the phone eventually as well. It all sounds plausible enough, but we'll wait and see -- we've been burned waiting for Apple toadd a camera to the touch before, after all.

As if we needed any more drama in this situation, Bloomberg has someone "familiar with the matter" that claims Apple's own antenna expert, Ruben Caballero, told Apple management that the iPhone 4 antenna design could cause reception problems, dropped calls, and a serious engineering challenge. Caballero is a senior engineer for Apple with a large quantity of antenna patents under his belt, and while we certainly don't know the whole story -- perhaps his claims were somehow quelled by Apple's own testing -- it certainly adds a twist to this story if Steve Jobs and co. had been alerted to this very real problem during the design phase. The Bloomberg article also claims, from a different source, no less, that a carrier partner also raised antenna concerns before the release. Apple and Caballero naturally did not comment on this report. We're not really sure about the real-world implications of all this behind-the-scenes drama, but we suppose we'll see what

A tiny bit of uncertainty has been cleared away thanks to good old Twitter, where T-Mobile has made July 15(aka, today!) the official launch date for its Galaxy S derivative, the Vibrant. The original Tweet seems to have disappeared into the ether apart from that screenshot above, but T-Mo has reiterated the statement in subsequent missives, telling its followers that the Vibrant will be on sale today . We imagine the typical $199.99 price point will remain unaltered, so all you'll really need to do now is decide whether this is the Super AMOLED handset for you, or whether you can wait the extra few days until Sprint et al intro their offerings. Decisions, decisions.

Yes, the Droid X has joined the Kin... in being available to buy on Verizon's online Wireless store. No shock or awe here, it's a cent under two Benjamins with a two-year deal and you can give it the shopping basket treatment right now. Either that or wait in line overnight like a lovesick puppy, it's up to you.

Headline says it all folks. Obviously the company is going to be getting out in front of this antenna drama (finally). We've been invited and we'll be there, reporting live! It all happens at 10AM PT, Friday the 16th. If you haven't caught up on the story (and if that's the case, where have you been?), here's a little background on the issue in reverse chronological order: Yes, the iPhone 4 is broken / No, the iPhone 4 is not broken Consumer Reports confirms iPhone 4 antenna problems -- and so do we Apple: iPhone 4 reception problem is a software issue, fix coming in 'a few weeks' iPhone 4's antenna problem looks worse than it is, but it's still bad Apple hiring iPhone antenna engineers for some reason Apple telling reps to smooth over iPhone 4 reception complaints, not to offer free bumpers? iPhone 4 antenna woes contextualized by dude in the know The Jimmy Fallon Test: is the iPhone 4 dropping fewer calls? Hey Apple, you're holding it wrong A

The first update to iOS 4.0 is jumping all the way up a full tenth of a point to 4.1, and it's now available for those of you signed up for Apple's iPhone Developers Program. It looks like there are major changes to Game Center(which has yet to launch) in this build, but otherwise, we're not sure what's up just yet -- and no, as far as we can tell, there's no iPad support here. Stay tuned! Update: So we're definitely noticing some differences. The signal bars are, in fact, larger in the new OS, and we're seeing fewer bars on our 4.1 device when compared to a standard 4.0 iPhone 4 (see the image after the break)... which is pretty much exactly what Apple said would happen. We're testing now and will report back what we find!

Ironically, we doubt payLo's presumed namesake -- J-Lo -- is going to be taking advantage of this service with her zillions upon zillions of entrepreneurial profits, but Virgin Mobile 's new line of plans should find a happy home with plenty of customers. The service actually consists of two pay-as-you-go plans from which you can choose, both running $20: 400 voice minutes good for a month, or three months at 20 cents a minute. If voice isn't your thing, you'll be paying 15 cents per text, 25 cents per MMS, and $1.50 per megabyte of data per day -- so needless to say, this setup is for light users looking for an ultra-cheap way to carry around an ultra-cheap phone. There's a market for that, we're pretty sure.

It's ugly. It's buggy. It requires a Windows PC. But PlayOn for iPhone actually works, slinging Netflix, Hulu, CBS and more to your waiting Apple device over WiFi and (occasionally) 3G. Using the same PlayOn desktop client that presently redirects video-on-demand to your game console or a media streamer attached to your TV,subscribers can download an app on July 15th that transcodes content for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad as well, and is today the only way to get Netflix on your phone. We spent some quality couch time with the program over the last couple of days, and with a powerful PC, fast internet and WiFi connection, we found video quite watchable on our iPhone 4, and there's no knocking PlayOn's breadth of content available, with loads of TV, a good deal of anime and your entire Netflix streaming queue available on the phone. The interface is barely there, though, just a series of poorly-spaced nesting menus, and it can take quite a few touchscreen presses and a

Microsoft director Todd Brix has apparently revealed what's been known from a series of non-denied rumors for a while now: they're making it rain on mobile developers with good ideas. According to a BusinessWeek report, it seems they're pursuing a number of angles to entice software shops to help build out Windows Phone 7 's launch catalog, ranging from offering free test hardware to simply paying cash, sometimes in the form of revenue guarantees that Microsoft will meet if apps don't meet sales goals in the Marketplace. Of course, there's not really anything wrong with Microsoft inorganically pursuing support for its ecosystem like this -- they've certainly got the pocketbook for it, and considering their come-from-behind position, they ought to be using any tool available to 'em right now to get this thing as ready as it can possibly be for app-hungry customers later this year.

It's been a long, ugly road, but HD2 owners and hackers alike can finally bask in the glory of an open device with top-notch hardware and specs that still give mid 2010's best phones a run for their money. We'd already seen astock Android 2.1-based ROM, but now we've got your choice of stock Android 2.2 or Android 2.1 with Sense, too -- seriously, pick your poison. Though HTC clearly never intended to get this kind of Sense on the HD2, there's something that just feels right about it, isn't there?

While not technically a CEO, Microsoft chief operating officer Kevin Turner is not immune to a certain amount ofexecutive level foot-in-mouth. Speaking at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference in DC and chatting up his company's upcoming slate of Windows Phones, he couldn't help a little iPhone bashing: "It looks like the iPhone 4 Vista might be their Vista, and I'm okay with that." Should we point out to Kevin that attempting to criticize your competition by comparing it to your own flagship products is usually counterproductive, or leave him to figure it out on his own during some early morning magnificent moustache contemplation session?

They prompted some public outcry from competitors and a preliminary antitrust investigation from the US government, but it looks like Apple isn't even enforcing those new rules on outside ad networks -- at least not yet. That's according to none other than AdMob CEO Omar Hamoui himself, who said at the MobileBeatconference this week that "they haven't been enforcing" the new regulations yet, and that he's "very appreciative of that." If enforced, those regulations would prevent companies like AdMob from collecting some analytic data on ads placed in iOS applications -- data that Apple itself could collect with its iAd platform. Of course, it's not clear when or if Apple will start enforcing the rules, but Hamoui seems to be content with the current situation, and even went out of his way to praise Apple's own advertising efforts, saying that "anybody getting advertisers interested in mobile is a good thing. It's not at all a zero-su