While most of the All-in-one messengers are free, IM+ is priced at $9.99 (Click here to get a redeem code). As far as I can tell there are two reasons for this, 1) Other all-in-one Messenger services offer VOIP services and their goal is to drive you to use their VOIP services, thus their apps are free and 2) IM+ offers quite a few additional features which are missing on other apps. Let’s take a closer look.

Users of IM+ can add up 10 different accounts that include, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Yahoo, GTalk, MSN, etc… once added you can enable or disable these accounts without deleting them.

New users find the interface very easy to use, so the learning time is minimal. I have started using IM+ lately and found the application to be one of the most powerful messengers out there.

Note: Click here to get a redeem code to download IM+ All in One Messenger.

Few of the features that stood out for me are…

1. Group Chats: You can invite your contacts from MSN and SKYPE for group chats. Just select the users you’d like to chat with and all of them can chat from one single window. I haven’t seen this feature on iPhone app sofar.
2. Individual Push Notification: You can setup push notification to be alerted whenever a particular contact comes online. So, even if you are not logged into the IM+ application on iPhone, it will notify you whenever that “Someone” comes online. This is another feature I have not seen on any other iPhone messenger.
3. AutoReply: This feature is attached to the push notification options. If you enable AutoReply feature, it lest you setup a custom message that will be sent to anyone who messages you when you are not online.For example if I message you and you are currently offline (Not on IM+) it will immediately send me the default or the custom message which tells me that the users is currently offline and will get back as soon as he/she reads the message.
4. Browser: IM+ has a built in browser which lest you browse the links that are shared on IM without having to quite messenger. This comes in handy when you are chatting with someone and also want to browse at the same time.
5. Delivered to Email: Instead of receiving push notifications you can configure IM+ to send you emails. When you reply to those e-mails they will be delivered to sender’s messenger as an instant message instead of an e-mail.
6. Emoticons: IM+ probably has the largest collection of emoticons. I might be wrong here because I’ve never used emoticons before but IM+ truly has a HUGE collection of emoticons.

Awesome features right? I’ve never seen such features on other applications before.

Take a look at few of the screenshots from IM+

If you like what you saw/read so far, click here to download the app from iTunes or join TNerd’s Facebook Fanpage and leave a comment to receive the redeem code.

Follow the steps to receive the redeem code for IM+ (Giveaway for iPhone users in US Only!)

1) Join TNerds Fanpage on Facebook (Click here to join)

2) Leave a message on the fanpage asking for the”IM+” reedem code specifically.

3) Make sure your message on the fanpage includes your e-mail address as the redeem codes will be sent to your e-mail address.

Redeem codes are very limited in number, be the first to leave a message and get the code.

Update: Thanks for the quick response, we have given away all the codes we had. Join TNerd’s Facebook Fanpage to make good on the up coming giveaways!

The new application lets you click pictures and upload them to Orkut in seconds. Scrap notification, the application would be called an Orkut app without this feature, would it?

Scrap notification appears on the Android notification bar as soon as you have a new scrap on your profile.

The most interesting part is the use of Live folders with the Orkut friends list. By adding friends as live folders you can communicate via Scrap, SMS or simply call them. Live folders also enable you to browse through your friends list even when your data network is out of coverage.

You can either go to Android Marketplace on your phone to download the application or simply scan the image below to download the application.

These karaoke iPhone apps are so much fun that one just cannot care about the torture part of the whole thing

StarMaker (download) is one of the recently released free applications that let you download the latest songs listed in the application and start recording to make it your own.

It is an easy to use with an intuitive design to go with it. Don’t worry about the lyrics or the tune, this app helps you get it right just like the Karaoke setup at your favorite bar.

Recording and sharing songs is a simple process, it involves selecting a free song or buy one, record your voice by reading the lyrics and listening to the voice on the original sound track, create a rockstar-like poster (optional) and share it with your friends on Facebook or simply email it to them.

The following screenshots will give you a good idea of how the application works.

Once you share the recording it goes on the StarMaker site where people can vote and play the recorded Karaoke. Click here to listen to one of the users recording, I did record a song and shared it but I won’t dare to share it with you guys and I hope you won’t ever find it

StarMaker is a free application unless you want to download paid songs at $.99. Click here to download StarMaker.

The new unlocked version is selling for $529. Users are required to buy it from Google’s webstore directly; it is not available through carriers on subsidized rates/contracts.

Though users could use the Nexus One with most 3G networks around the world, however, some users where restricted to using EDGE and 2G as their networks operated on 3G frequencies that were not compatible with Nexus One. The new version aims to change that.

Google or HTC do not offer a handset change for users who want to switch from T-mobile to AT&T, not even for a fee.

Making a new version available might seem like a good move to boost sales, I doubt if it offers enough incentives for carriers to advertise/market or encourage its subscribers to get the new phone. Advertising and Marketing is quoted to be the biggest factor of Nexus One’s poor sales performance.

Besides AT&T already has its hands full with iPhone and now, iPad.

Click here to buy Nexus One!

Another update for iPhone went live minutes ago and as expected the latest version lets you make VOIP calls over 3G.

As Nimbuzz lets you login to several IM’s, you can call all your friends on those services even when you are on 3G. This is one application you can use to make calls to your Skype contacts over 3G until Skype pushes their updated App that’s taking unusually long!

So, launch your Appstore app on iPhone right away to download the updated version. If you are not a Numbuzz user yet, this might be a good time to start using.

Click here to download.

With the recent ‘rumors’ that came to light, it is believed that Google Phone aka Nexus One will be available on Verizon’s CDMA network starting March 23, the same day which marks the commencement of the International CTIA wireless show.

Verizon Wireless Nexus One will feature a 3.7 inch AMOLED touchscreen, Android OS and a 5 mega pixel camera, just like its T-Mobile counterpart, but it’ll be Verizon’s first Android phone that’s powered by a 1 GHz snapdragon processor, which is one of the reasons to be excited about the launch.

Even otherwise, the plethora of features it packs and the seamless potential of the Android OS will be available to Verizon Nexus One customers, just as these available for the GSM version of the Nexus One.

Similarly, we should be witnessing a Vodafone Nexus One launch by April this year, if things work out as expected. We’ll keep you informed as more details surface. Stay tuned.

Tags: CDMA Nexus One, Nexus One CDMA, Verizon Nexus One, Verizon Wireless Nexus One, Vodafone Nexus One
]]> http://tnerd.com/2010/02/27/verizon-wireless-nexus-one-slated-for-march-23-launch-vodafone-to-follow-up-in-april/feed/ 0 http://tnerd.com/2010/02/27/nokias-symbian-4-os-teased-in-a-video-heading-for-q4-announcement/ http://tnerd.com/2010/02/27/nokias-symbian-4-os-teased-in-a-video-heading-for-q4-announcement/#comments Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:23:36 +0000 Shahbaaz http://tnerd.com/?p=10026 Nokia’s latest Symbian OS is on the foot of development, it’s the Symbain^4 (pronounced as Symbian four), a successor release to Nokia Symbian^3.

Symbian 4 is the third open version of the Symbain platform and should be the first Symbian OS being developed after the Symbian foundation stepped into the open source league, unless Nokia makes any unpredictable announcement.

It  will  feature a Direct UI with a new Touch UI experience, and allows you to use widgets of any size and shapes on its customizable home screen.  But to beat the competition, it must feature an exceptional UI design and interface, which can keep the users interested and wanting to have more.

There are not much details on the treasure of features that the OS will chest, but there is a calendar with email integration, internet radio support, and Bluetooth low energy feature that uses only a fraction of the power used by classic Bluetooth devices.

Featured : Symbian 4 UI Photo Grid

There is also a touch-to-connect Bluetooth feature which allows two NFC devices to automatically pair together without having to search and exercise the traditional Bluetooth pairing process, and this is as touching a button on the screen.

The most vital part of Symbian^4 is that it uses Qt 4.6.1 application framework as a standard environment for writing and running all the natives apps, unlike in Symbian^3 where it was first selectively made available.

Besides this, Symbian^4 OS allows the use of a set of UI widgets which can be use to easily create an attractive application for the latest Symbian operating platform.

Nokia should cut the ribbon of Symbian 4 release sometime in the second half on 2010 while it is reportedly planning to roll out Symbian 4 –based devices in 2011.

The Symbian 4 OS is allegedly perceived as Nokia’s answer to Apple iPhone  OS, but can it really stand concrete and take the iPhone OS head on? Only time will tell.

The Symbian 4 UI has made a video appearance and you may want to excuse it’s contemporary and naïve looking interface and feel.

It’s okay to fire up your opinions now, but before you head on, you may want to witness the video featuring a Symbian 4 demo just underneath or click here to know more on Symbian 4 features.

Featured : Symbian 4 First Look

Palm Web OS 1.4 Update was rolled out yesterday and it brings along a host of important features that the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi seriously lacked. Let’s take a look.

The most important thing about the Palm Pre Update 1.4 and Palm Pixi update is that it brings video recording and Adobe Flash 10support to both Palm Pre and Palm Pixi. Plus, the video recording feature lets you perform a few basic editing functions, which you may appreciate while uploading the videos to your favorite social networking sites or Youtube.

Palm Web OS 1.4 lets you share the recorded videos over MMS and even allows phonebook transfer with both import and export. It also includes calendar, messanging, email and notification enhancements that redefine your joy of using the device.

Bug fixes include the Time Zone bug, No EV, Random browser formatting bugs, network and time sync bug which now displays the network time accurately besides fixing the ‘digital roaming’ bug that displayed sprint even when the customer was on roaming.

The Web OS 1.4 Update also brings with it a refurbished Bluetooth car-kit transition to device, fixes random browser formatting bugs and patches the missing contact issue specifically with swap down to 1.2.9.1 or less.

To update Palm Web Os, you should be a Palm Pre or Palm Pixi owner over the Sprint carrier and those juicing up on Verizon wireless will have to hold back for some time, until Palm or Verizon make an announcement in this regard.

Links just went live on Palm’s site. Click here to read more about the latest update.

iPhone is not popular because it’s cheap or cost of ownership is less when compared to other phones and services available in the market, in fact it is the other way round. It is popular because of whats inside the phone, its OS, Apps and the fact that users know that they can achieve a lot more with an iPhone than compared to other phones.

Despite the competition from so called “iPhone Killers” iPhone claimed the “Best seller” tag more than once and sold to millions of users over the years. iPhone will probably become the most sold phone ever but that will not stand in the way of Android becoming the most used mobile OS.

Android will have more users than iPhone, I mean iPhone OS. Not because Android is superior to iPhone OS but because it’s being widely adapted by phone manufacturers as the next best thing to iPhone OS. Android will be on SO many handsets around the world that users will buy an Android  phone even without knowing they are buying an Android phone unlike iPhone users who know weeks or months before buying that they will buy an iPhone.

By embracing the the Open source and Open handset alliance strategy Google is getting the service providers and handset manufacturers while it focuses on the development of the OS. For example Skype in UK is giving away HTC hero on 18 months contract at no cost. I know people who have opted in for HTC hero until Apple releases its next version of iPhone.

Such behavior will also have an effect on the Android market place as there will be a group of users who are only interested in phone related activities and not in the apps part of the whole Android eco system.

It’s a true number game, iPhone and iPhone OS come as one package however Android will be paired with 100’s of phones that will be sold anywhere and everywhere, with or without contracts, expensive and cheap, in the remotest part of South Africa and to the technology hungry consumers in Japan.

Now you know, iPhone might still be one of the better phones but Android will have more users than iPhone.

What do you think?

Image credit: thinkdigit.com

As these phones and services they run on get cheaper we will see more and more people making the switch from a regular phone to a smart phone.

This article discusses how to play music in car using Android phones. There are 3 ways of doing this, 1st method can be used by almost any car stereo but the latter two require Bluetooth and/or USB support.

Alright let’s jump right into it.

1. Analog Audio Input: This method requires a patch cable which connects your phone with the car stereo and start playing music. Patch cable is easy to find and pretty cheap too. You can find a good patch cable with regular cable size for under $3. Thought this is an easy way of playing music from Phone to stereo you might have to adjust with reduced sound quality.Click here to order a patch cable from Amazon.
2. Bluetooth Paring: Enable Bluetooth on the phone and initiate paring from the car stereo. Once your phone is paired with the stereo you can start playing music using from you phone to car stereo. I personally find this the easiest way to play music from the phone to car stereo as its wireless.
3. USB Cable: Use the USB cable to connect your phone to the car stereo and start playing all the music you want to play. This method is only supported by stereo systems can play music from external storage devices.

Watch the following video to see the above mentioned methods of playing music on the car stereo from the phone.