Gearfuse

If you’re reading this on anything other than a mobile phone, chances are you’ve missed out on the launch of the iPhone 3G S. Stores like Apple and Best Buy opened early to handle pre-order demand whilst anyone who didn’t pre-order is probably crying at the checkout counter. PC World got some unboxing pics. Nothing really exciting, especially if you’ve ever owned a 3G. But hey, with faster hardware and better software, the iPhone 3G S is the premiere piece of hardware to own.

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Over the weekend, Palm launched its comeback kid, the Pre. Equipped with a WebOS, multi-touch gestures and the Spring network, it seems as if someone is finally ready to take on Apple and the iPhone. So what went down? Generally, response was positive. Reviews around the ‘net indicate the Pre is a solid phone and that Sprint’s network works like a charm. Most stores have sold out around the country as Palm has supplied limited inventory, probably on purpose.

But unfortunately, I have a feeling the Pre will be overshadowed by today’s WWDC announcements regarding the iPhone 3GS. And the fact that most people will not switch from their current carrier to Sprint is going to hurt Palm big time. The solution? Palm needs to make a huge push next year with Verizon and AT&T to get the Pre into the spotlight. Maybe then it’ll be able to give Apple a real scare.

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Ovi. What sounds like a menstruation period for a woman is actually Nokia’s attempt at an application store. According to TechCrunch and several other blogs, the service has launched but it’s hardly working. Search results yield nothing of value and the categories are all screwed up. Looking for a top ten apps list? No one’s been able to accomplish that yet. It’s not looking good for Nokia with a fucked up launch like this. Let’s hope that by Friday, Nokia has everything it needs to in place.

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While I don’t see Wolfram Alpha becoming a total Google-killer, I can see it gaining a lot of ground in the coming weeks. The “computational search engine” launches tonight at 7pm PDT and will finally be available to the public after a brief webcast. Wolfram Alpha looks badass though, as you could totally use it to solve complex mathematical problems in one click. Who says you need to study for that Calculus I test? Just plug it all into Wolfram and go!

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After all that hype! 9.7-inches of fury with a $489 price tag. Get ready to witness Amazon’s blitzkrieg on the newspaper and textbook industries. Sporting 4GB of storage and native PDF support doesn’t hurt either. Did we mention EVDO? Oh yeah. Very nice. Look for the Kindle DX to drop this summer.

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Another Monday, another rumor.

This time around, “sources” are saying that the upcoming Palm Pre, complete with WebOS and all, is going to be available June 7th at Best Buy. However, this will be a limited rollout, with only 4500 units being available. The carrier? Sprint. And if that wasn’t bad enough, look at these pricing numbers being thrown around:

Pricing is supposedly still being discussed but the probable points are as follows: New customers with a 2-year contract, $199.99. Existing customer upgrades, $299.99. Outright, $999.99.

Hah! Good luck, Palm! You’re going to need it as you undoubtedly fail against Apple through poor planning, mismanagement and fucking around with the worst cellphone provider out there.

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This is no April Fool’s prank, my friends. In the wee hours of this morning, RIM switched on its competitor to Apple’s App Store, the Blackberry App World (how creative). You’ll be able to browse top apps, find new ones and hope someone was able to make a half-decent program in such little time. RIM is saying that by the end of the week, about 1000 apps will be available. Much better than the Google G1’s Android Marketplace launch, but jack shit compared to Jobs & Co.’s powerhouse.

Do you have a Blackberry? Let us know what apps come out this week and whether or not they are useful.

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Google today announced Google Voice, an improved version of the GrandCentral service it’s been offering since acquiring the company back in 2006. Before you jump for joy, realize that yes, there is a wait list for invitations and people who signed up for GrandCentral will get first dibs. Among some of the new features Google will be rolling out with Voice include voicemail transcripts, Goog-411 integration and of course, the ability to use one number to ring all your phones.

I like where this is going. It shows a new-found commitment from Google to its GrandCentral purchase. Now if only my damn invite would come!

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Playstation 3 owners, your time has come.

After waiting over 4 years for this amazing technical feat of a game, you can finally walk into a store and purchase Killzone 2. Of course, if you didn’t pre-order at Gamestop, you might as well run to a Target or Toys R Us for a copy. We’ll be picking up our copy this weekend and I’m personally psyched to try out the multiplayer.

Anyway, this has been a public service announcement. As you were.

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Sony has finally gone on the record to say that the long-awaited Playstation Home service will launch tomorrow in open beta form. This means anyone with a Playstation 3 and a broadband Internet connection will be able to sign up for the service, flinging themselves into Sony’s online virtual world. Sony suggests using a Bluetooth headset to add to the experience so you can speak with other people. You’ll be given an apartment and can do all kinds of activities from bowling to movies to billiards to social networking and more.

I’m really excited about installing Home and giving it a try. I’ll be sure to write up a small review once I’ve had enough time to play with it. Hit the link below for the official Sony Playstation blog; it has all the info you’ll need.

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