The touchscreen Samsung YP-R0 has now made it to Korean retail stores. As we noticed before, this PMP doesn’t really stand out. Samsung has had some nice Yepp PMPs, and for a time we have even put them side by side with the iPod Touch for comparison. Not anymore. I’m sure the UI is pretty solid on this one, too–this is Samsung. The construction can be trusted as well, but  compared to advances made by rivals Archos and COWON, Samsung has allowed itself to stagnate, as far as their PMPs are concerned. It’s $120 in Korea for the 4GB and $155 for the 8GB.

[via engadget]

OK, let me undesrtand Techcrunch. Google may not be making a Google GPhone phone, because that will compete with all the Android phones already in existence. Just as Google’s Andy Rubin said, Google is not making hardware but they’re enabling other manufacturers to build them. Google will not compete with the supporters of Android. That sounds logical enough, but then Techcrunch goes on to say that perhaps it’s a data-only device with VoIP. The site recalls Google’s purchase of the 700Mhz spectrum some ways back. Techcrunch also mentioned Google Voice. How do all these things fit into a Google Phone or a GPhone? Answer: Data + VoIP. Apparently, Google thinks that a standalone data-only (Internet, email, instant messaging) device with VoIP (that’s Skype calling and alternatives) will be on the wish list of a lot of folks. Put in a lot of fancy multimedia support (1080p videos even) and this device could give iPod Touch a run for its money, or make the Apple PMP, right out obsolete–until Apple decides to make an Ipod Touch 3G. I say, add a real phone on it.

[source]

Following its release in the US, the BlackBerry Storm 9550 aka BlackBerry Storm 2 has just crossed the Northern border and is now also available in Canada via Telus.

Given that the BlackBerry Strom 2 hands-on experience of Engadget wasn’t as positive as we hoped it to would be, don’t set your expectations too high with RIM’s latest touchscreen offering. Nonetheless, it’s hard to dispute that its still better than their first release. Sans any contract, its retailing for $599.99, but the good thing here is that if you get it bundled with a 3-year contract, it drops down to a more reasonable $199.99. Current BlackBerry Storm owners probably won’t be in a hurry to upgrade to this new phone as it’s basically just a minor upgrade to the original Storm, but for you first time Canadian RIM switchers out there, is the Storm 2 and its price good enough to meet your expectations?

Incidentally, the iPhone 3G S is now also being offered by Telus in Canada so it would be interesting to see which one is a better sell for the Canadian carrier.

[telus via bgr]

The mini-PMP itself from COWON, continuing the highly-rated iAudio line, is basic but look at how they packaged the iAudio 9. It’s a nifty box and I’m sure the player settles safely in there before you open it up and push the power button. Dominic of Dapreview has already managed to open up the package; perhaps a full review of the iAudio 9 is upcoming. I wonder though if he’ll keep the package handy, just in case he doesn’t want to use his COWON iAudio 9 anymore. This would look good on a bookshelf in a gap not filled by a book, which seems a better place to keep unused gadgets than a messy drawer.

For a limited time, Konami is selling games for iPhone and iPod Touch users for 99 cents each. This offer will be effective through November 30th. The lineup of available 99 cents Konami titles at the App store includes Field Prowlers POLICE RUSH! 9 (car chase), Metal Gear Solid Touch, DanceDanceRevolution S and S+, Power Pros Touch and others. Full press release below. (more…)

Yet another 1080p HD PMP from China. Teclast isn’t exactly an unknown quantity for us. The C510HD is the first 1080p from the company we’ve heard about. It has a 5-inch touchscreen with a 800 × 480-pixels resolution. The chassis is metal as well and Ownta says you can squeeze 6 hours of video on this one. On board memory is 8GB and users can slot in microSD cards of up to 16GB in capacity. We’d love to get a hands-on video. The $148 price tag already includes free worldwide shipping. Click on the read more button to view the features list.

[via ownta] (more…)

The Finnish giant is sais to be abandoning the S60 over Maemo for its smartphone. The Nokia N900, which runs Maemo, is now available in Nokia stores in the U.S. Distribution of the N900 will be a little limited but the device will go unlocked. Yes, there aren’t a lot of GSM carriers out there and there will be a problem finding a compatible 3G network. The Nokia N900 will also be available in several retailers and online stores. Amazon has it at $560, or $510 after rebate.

The Nokia N900 has a 3.5-inch touchscreen, the famed Maeomo browser, 32GB of internal storage, WiFi. GPS and a slideout QWERTY.

[via engadget, phoyo from amazon]

Many have thought that after the announcement of Google Android, it would be the last we’ve heard of the Google Gphone. Apparently, the GPhone is not only software but also hardware. More precisely, Google is actually making a phone.

Techcrunch is saying that the Google Phone will be more exciting than the Motorola Droid and even the following super Android phones that will come–Droid and the HTC Dragon will serve as a warm up to–how do we say, The One?

Google will not instantly go to manufacturing–the phone will be made by a big mobile company, perhaps Motorola again? Google is said to be in total control, though, as far as design and specs, and the phone will not carry any other brand but Google’s. The manufacturer could be Taiwanese or Korean, but the safe bet goes to either LG or Samsung. The Google Phone will be backed up by a major advertising drive. It’s going to be Apple vs Google after today and in the foreseeable future, and Google will have another solid source of revenue, besides their Adwords.

[source]

Steve Jobs’ baby is set to make another conquest. South Korea is one of the two most advanced countries in the world when it comes to mobility and connectivity. Will the iPhone make an impact there? The iPhone will be distributed by KT, though SK Telecoms will be following suit. SK serves 50% of Korean mobile users.

“There are some pessimistic views over the marketability and profitability of the devices. Except for some ‘Apple maniacs,’ chances are low that the handsets will penetrate into the minds of general customers,” an official at SK Telecom said, Monday. (more…)

Back in October, the Kindle was launched for international customers in 100 countries, but ironically, one of their closest neighbors, Canada, was left out.

Well, today that’s finally changed. The Amazon Kindle is now also available for Canadians and will feature some local content such as The Globe and Mail and The National Post apart from their wide selection of international newspapers. Amazon was a little bit late in offering up the Kindle to those residing in Canada, but as they say, it’s better late than never. The Kindle is retailing for $259 or $275 in Canadian Dollars. Of course, feature-wise, it’s no match for the newer Barnes & Noble Nook e-ink reader, but with the Nook still on a pre-order status, the Kindle has the edge especially for customers who just can’t wait to get their hands on one.

[via bgr]