Sony Ericsson now gives you directions on how to unlock the bootloader on their Android phones. In the past, Sony has been known to unfriendly to developers and modifiers. However, now the Sony Ericsson Developer Blog has announced that the Xperia Arc, Neo, Play, and Pro will have a feature that enables an easy bootloader unlock method. Of course along with the directions, they warn you that you could majorly screw up your phone and not be able to recover from the screw-up.

Unlock the Bootloader on Your Sony Droid Phone

Bootloader? What’s that? A bootloader is part of the Android operating system that enables users to get into recovery mode. This is required in order to load custom ROM’s on Android phones. According to Andrew Kameka, Androinica, “Motorola originally had an anti-hack policy that the company has since begun to backtrack on, and HTC, which has traditionally been hands-off with hacking community, has begun shipping some phones with locked bootloaders. Android developers eventually discover workarounds for these roadblocks, but Sony Ericsson is surprisingly reversing its course on appealing to advanced consumers.”

Sony’s blogger site gives dire warnings about unlocking the bootloader. On the Sony Ericsson Developer Blog they state, “If you unlock the boot loader and then flash a custom unsigned ROM to your phone, the custom unsigned ROM will not have gone through the thorough tests that we run for each phone and software version that we release. Because of that, the custom unsigned ROM might not work properly on your phone. Certain functions may cease to work, and the performance of the device might not be ideal. You might damage your phone permanently. In worst case, it will cause physical injuries or material damage, for example, due to the phone overheating. Therefore, you should only unlock the boot loader of your phone if you are an advanced developer with good knowledge of the technology and risks involved. We strongly recommend that standard users NOT unlock the boot loader, as it is not needed. We are proud to deliver great phone experiences through our rigorously tested and official software releases.”

The bottom line? Just don’t do it unless you are a very experienced developer. This is not something you should experiment with unless you really know what you are doing.

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Your Smartphone isn’t just a cell phone any more. Starting next month you can start using HBO for streaming videos to your iOS and Android devices. Following Netflix and Time Warner Cable, HBO will start the new HBO Go for mobile devices next month. Available with subscription will be all your favorite HBO shows, including all the past seasons, as well as feature films. The new service will no doubt be especially popular with tablet users.

HBO Go has been available since 2009. It wasn’t really catching on all that well. Now with the new mobile app available for Android and iOS platforms, HBO is hoping it will gain some ground on Netflix. HBO snubbed Netflix by not allowing any of its content to be available on Netflix. Netflix already has free Android and IOS apps available. HBO is now taking on the mighty Netflix giant with 1400 choices, and more promised. According to an article posted by Don Reisinger, The Digital Home, In January, HBO senior vice president of corporate affairs, Jeff Cusson, told The Hollywood Reporter that his company “believes in content exclusivity, especially for high-value content.” He said that HBO “has no intention of making its content available for streaming on Netflix.”

An HBO video was posted last week on YouTube. According to the video, HBO Go is scheduled to be released May 2nd to Android and iOS devices. “Get every episode of every season of your favorite HBO shows, plus hit movies and much more,” the video’s voiceover states. “All free to HBO subscribers and all streaming on your iPad, laptop, or Smartphone wherever you are.” They aren’t specific about whether it will work on 3G, but since they are touting “Wherever you are,” I am assuming it will also work on 3G.

DirectTV won’t be streaming HBO Go through mobile apps. According to Richard Lawler, Engadget, a “mis-tweet” by the DirectTV Twitter account originally stated it would be including the HBO Go mobile apps. Corrected, it now stands that DirectTV won’t be adding HBO Go access through their own apps and DirecTV customers will have to use the native HBO Go app just like everyone else.

Are you anxious to watch HBO shows on your Smartphone? I think even with my Droid X’s 4.3 inch screen, I would rather watch shops on a tablet. Of course until I get a tablet (hint for Mother’s Day), I will probably try it out on the Droid X. What about you?

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With the popularity of tablets rising, mobile television is fast becoming a favorite pastime. Last week’s trade show in Las Vegas for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) shows that the technology is making progress. According to an article written by Maisie Ramsay, WirelessWeek, “The Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), the main proponent of mobile broadcast television in the United States, announced that 76 television stations in 32 markets are now doing mobile television broadcasts.” Using a WiFi hotspot or at home, you can download TV episodes and store them to watch later. If you are using a Smartphone, it gets stored on the MicroSD card, so make sure you have at least 2 GB free per show.

Mobile Television is Gaining Ground

Streaming TV and Movies over 3G or Wi-Fi to your phone is so cool. There are a slew of apps available to enable you to watch shows. I have downloaded and used both Android TV and TV.com apps for my Droid X. I wasn’t sure I would like watching a show on the tiny screen, but it really is good quality. See my blog TV Apps for your Smartphone on technewscorner.com for a list of apps for both the Droid phones and the iPhone/iPad.

Droid TV is a good free app. The paid version of Droid TV is really just a subscription so you have more shows on the menu. All in all, I like the app. The only real downside to the app is that the shows are older. Still if you have missed an episode of one of your favorite shows, it’s a good app. Streaming live TV would be better, but being able to watch favorite shows is great.

Mobile TV apps will become more prevalent soon. With all the attention mobile television is getting at the trade shows, you can see the trend. As more stations become available, app developers will focus more on providing apps. It is the law of supply and demand. With iTunes and Pandora apps for music, and YouTube for short videos, mobile TV apps will fill in the gap.

Have you tried watching mobile TV on your phone or tablet yet? I think with the tablets getting more popular, it will be the device of choice for mobile TV. Which are your favorite apps for mobile TV? Had any trouble with the functionality of the apps? Let us know.

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Do you hate fighting traffic? There’s an app for that, especially if you are a BlackBerry user. Just released this week, BlackBerry Traffic version 2.0.0.1749 adds new features and a completely revised UI. It has new icons, a new color scheme, the ability to select from multiple routes, and the addition of pre-set destinations directly from BlackBerry’s native contacts app. It is compatible with any GPS enabled BlackBerry Smartphone operating on OS 4.6 and up in North America.

New BlackBerry Traffic App with Route Choices

BlackBerry Traffic predicts the future traffic. It can be accessed by selecting an ETA on the route selection screen or by flipping through the different views when a route is selected. One of the best feature is that it gives you the best time to leave for a destination based upon real time traffic data. Considering that traffic data is constantly being updated, this is a huge deal for commuters. The app has turn by turn directions in LARGE font size. There’s nothing worse than not being able to see your directions. But best of all is that it’s FREE.

In a nutshell, here are the improvements listed on the BlackBerry App site:
•A new route selection screen displays two route choices to a destination.
•A new future traffic view can be accessed by selecting an ETA on the route selection screen.
•A revised simple drive view displays the next maneuver with corresponding icon in a large font.
•Frequent search terms are now available on the search screen.
•Updated keyboard shortcuts are listed under the help menu.

Are you running a bit behind schedule? BlackBerry Traffic 2.0 gives users the option to share estimated arrival times via SMS, email, or PIN (BBM). Now you can be considerate and let people know when you’re running late. (Of course you can’t text and drive…. Very dangerous!)

Are you a BlackBerry user? Do you spend a lot of time on the road? This BlackBerry Traffic App may be just the thing for you then. It sounds like the improvements really are improvements. So many times the upgrades are just blasé. This new version seems to be pretty neat. If I were a BlackBerry user I would definitely download it and use it. As it is, being a Droid X user, my Google Navigation is pretty cool as well.

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Today it’s official! Twitter for BlackBerry v1.1 is finally released. A select few were using the beta version, but the real McCoy was released today. According to a post by Kristy C., Inside BlackBerry, they have “made several changes to enhance the Twitter for BlackBerry Smartphone experience, like updated graphics that reflect the new look of the Twitter brand and a streamlined layout of the Add Photo and Add Location icons on the Home screen. The next time you Retweet something, it will appear in your Home timeline as ‘Retweeted by You’, to quickly alert you that your Retweet was sent successfully.”

New Twitter for BlackBerry v1.1 Debuts Today

The official BlackBerry App Store had this to say about the new Twitter:

“Doing the things you love on Twitter® are made quick and easy using your BlackBerry® Smartphone. With Twitter for BlackBerry Smartphones, you receive a notification as soon as a Message or @Mention arrives – no matter which application you’re using. And because you’re using a BlackBerry Smartphone, you not only receive a notification, the message itself is delivered directly to your inbox making it even easier to stay on top of what’s important to you. It even works with your BlackBerry Browser and BlackBerry Smartphone camera, so it only takes a moment to post a link or upload a picture directly to Twitter. Plus, you can follow friends, search for a topic of interest, edit re-tweets, and find users quickly by typing @usernames. Easily stay connected to the information and news you care about—all from your BlackBerry Smartphone.”

Key New Features in Twitter for BlackBerry Smartphones v1.1.0.21

•Add locations to your Tweets (adds your geographical location to Tweets and allows others to see where you were when you tweeted)
•Receive immediate notifications of @Mentions (when you’re mentioned on Twitter, you get a notification)
•View your Messages in a chat-style layout
•Select previously used hash tagged words with #Topic Autocomplete (pops up a suggested word list)

Are you a BlackBerry user? Will you try this new Twitter? Seems like a win-win situation to me. You get to have that cool BlackBerry and use Twitter as well.

Support for CellPlaza.org is provided by batteries4less.com, the leading online retailer of camera replacement batteries, cell phone batteries, chargers, mobile accessories and cordless phone batteries. Buy a HTC Evo Battery online at batteries4less.

So, you have an electric car? Do you ever worry about finding your next charging station before running out of juice? There’s an app for that. PlugShare for the iPhone allows electric car drivers to locate the closest charging stations. Now you can rest easy that you will be able to travel the highways without worrying about being stranded with no power.

New iPhone App for Electric Cars Shows Charging Station Network

The new app also lists homeowners who are willing to share their power. The California-based Xatori announced their new app, PlugShare, earlier this month. According to ConsumerReports.org’s Car Blog, “To see a map of shared outlets in a given area, drivers enter a destination. If someone is using the app to share home electricity, an address, type of outlet, phone, and preferred time of contact is needed. For many people outlets are in the garage or house, and therefore may want to be home to let an electric car driver charge up.” How cool is that? People are actually willing to share their power with other electric car owners. Perhaps there is hope for the world. Of course, the app also includes a complete database of public charging stations across the US if you’d prefer just using public charging stations when you’re out on the road.

One concern is that homeowners offering to share may see a rise in their power bill. Xatori says the cost of charging a vehicle isn’t that much and that there shouldn’t be that much of an increase in the homeowners’ power bill. Homeowners who wish to share don’t need to worry about having a special outlet to signup, because EV owners will have their own vehicle plug-in adaptors. And the sense of being part of a group that furthers “greening” America may just offset the cost.

“Many people won’t have EVs right away, but everyone has an electrical outlet,” Xatori CEO Forrest North said in a statement. “Sharing electricity from a standard outlet only costs about $0.15 an hour, a small price to lessen our dependence on oil.” In addition, it is thought that most drivers will only be “topping off” their EVs rather than fully charging their vehicles.

Will this change the dependency on oil in the US? It is a step in the right direction. With the price of gas now over $4 in most states and still rising, the need for alternative transportation is becoming more critical. Proponents of electric cars are hoping with more awareness and availability of charging stations, more people will be purchasing electric vehicles soon. There is a movement called 4 Years. Go that was started in 2010 and intends to “green” the world by 2014. Their plan is to create awareness and assist people in making small, everyday changes that will result in a greener planet. Electric cars are just one part of the steps necessary to help.

The PlugShare app is only available for iPhone users at this time. Xatori plans to roll out the Android app “soon.” This is probably the first of many EV apps that we will see. It is exciting to think that app developers are working along the same thoughts and goals as environmentalists. What do you think? Let’s shout a rousing “Go Green!”

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Are you a Catholic needing to go to confession? There’s an app for that. Seriously though, it’s not actually an app to substitute for confession. (The Catholic Church is very clear on this issue.) It is an app for the iPhone that helps you figure out how you’ve sinned (as if you didn’t know) and formulate a confession. It’s called Confession: A Roman Catholic App, and was created by Little iApps with the help of two Catholic priests ($1.99). And it has been given the blessing of Bishop Kevin C. Rhodes of the Diocese of Fort Wayne - South Bend, Indiana.

Forgiveness is Just an App Away

“Very cool; very useful,” wrote Thomas Peters of catholicvote.org, an online community for Catholics. Peters praised the app as being “not like those other programs that claim to ‘wash away sin’ and are essentially mockeries of confession, not preparations for the sacrament.”

This Confession App does not promise to forgive you of your sins. The app was developed as a tool to assist you with your confession, and offers a “personal examination of conscience,” plus a step-by-step guide to confessing. According to an article by Megan O’Neil, Appolicious, as you go through the app, you are guided through the 10 Commandments, with self-examination through a series of questions. For example: “Tap on the fourth commandment – honor thy father and mother – and you are asked several questions such as “Do I try not to bring peace into my home life?” and “Do I not care for my aged and infirmed relatives?” Check all that apply. Then, move into the confession feature. The app guides you through exactly how the sacrament should proceed, including your opening lines “In the name of the Father, Son… Bless me Father for I have sinned…” And when it is time to state your sins, the items that you had check-marked are listed for you, so you don’t find yourself scrambling or forgetting anything. Included in the app are no less than seven versions of the Act of Contrition, including one in Latin (for those who remember the pre-Vatican II days). Many of other important prayers are also there, including the Hail Mary, Our Father, Apostles’ Creed, etc.”

The app is not a substitute for meeting with a priest and receiving absolution. The Catholic Church looks at this app as a tool, a way to do a little soul searching. I find it interesting that it is only available to iPhone users. I guess those of us who own Droid or BlackBerry phones are without sin and need no confession. (Yeah, right.) With the age of smart technology, will there come a time when you can program your Smartphone to monitor your activities and log your most recent sins in preparation for your next confession? Interesting concept, don’t you think? What’s your take on the Confession app? Are you Catholic? Would you use it if you could?

Ever had to dig in your bag to silence your ringing cell phone? Now you can just tap your wristwatch twice and it will silence your phone. According to Martyn Williams, IDG News, Casio has developed a prototype system that can mute a phone with a couple of taps to a wristwatch. The wristwatch works with Bluetooth Low Power technology (BLE-technology) and an app that enables it to link with your cell phone. The watch is scheduled to be out to consumers by the end of the year.

New Casio Wristwatch Links to Your Cell Phone

Casio debuted its new wristwatch at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The watch does all kinds of cool things. In addition to being able to link with your cell phone or Smartphone to silence the ringing, it informs you of new email and incoming calls with caller ID, and can even show GPS information from the phone or GPS device. Sports enthusiasts can also use it as a sports heart beat monitor. The watch can also help you locate a misplaced cell phone by sounding an alarm on the phone. Of course the phone must be within a certain range or it can’t find the phone. For watches that are connected to a phone for 12 hours per day, the watch battery will last about 2 years before needing a replacement battery.

The watch-cell phone two way communication. According to the article by Martyn Williams, “information flows both ways. With the push of a button, the watch can request the current time from the cell phone and update itself. This could be especially useful when traveling, because cell phones generally take local time from the mobile network, and automatically adjust to time zone changes.”

What is the new Bluetooth Low Power technology? Bluetooth Low Power (BLP) is a new version of the wireless technology that uses much less power than current Bluetooth. Expect to see quite a few new devices running this new technology by the end of the year or the beginning of next year.

Casio’s biggest challenge? Getting people to wear wristwatches again. Apparently a recent poll in the UK found that 1 in 7 people feel no need for a watch and a cell phone. This new Casio wristwatch may change their attitudes. Of course, the next thing will be a cell phone that you wear on your wrist. It could be Bluetooth connected to a pad and keyboard for larger viewing when needed. Otherwise it could just connect to your Bluetooth wireless headset for calls. What do you think? Good idea? Inquiring minds want to know…

None of us will ever forget the tragedy of September 11, 2001. We are coming up on 10 years since it devastated New York, and really the whole world. A new app, Broadcastr, seeks to make audio clips available as an oral history of the terrible event. Debuting this month, this app will make those stories available on both the Internet and Smartphones.

New App Gives Us Oral Histories for 911

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum has collected over 2,000 audio clips. These will make up the oral history of witnesses, first responders and others who shared their experiences of 9/11 that Broadcastr will bring to the people. According to Karen Matthews, AP, “Broadcastr is the brainchild of Scott Lindenbaum and Andy Hunter, who met in a creative writing graduate program and founded a literary journal called Electric Literature. Broadcastr seeks to make the human voice as ubiquitous as videos on YouTube or photos on Flickr.”

“It’s the oldest form of communication, the oral tradition,” Lindenbaum said in an interview. “Every person in the world participates in oral storytelling all day long. And yet social media is missing an oral storytelling component.”

Broadcastr became available to the public on February 8th. It will be packaged as a free app for the iPhone and Android later this month. Matthews reported that a user can upload audio and “pin” it to a geographical location. When you visit a location either physically or with your web browser, you will be able to listen to stories pinned to that spot. You can then filter stories to your preferences by location.

“If you go the West Village and you’re going to have brunch and you just want to hear love stories you can filter for love stories and just hear love stories the whole way,” Lindenbaum said. “You’ll be walking by a restaurant and suddenly someone will be telling the story of how they proposed to their fiancée at that restaurant.”

Broadcastr is operating with seed money from investors. According to Matthews’ article, “In addition to the Sept. 11 Memorial, its partners include UNICEF and the Shoah Foundation, which has collected testimony from tens of thousands of Holocaust survivors.” For now their target is New York City, but when this takes off (and I’m sure it will), all the big cities worldwide will want to have their own Broadcastr service.

Kudos to these innovative entrepreneurs, Scott Lindenbaum and Andy Hunter. Oral traditions and storytelling should always be a part of our culture. First hand stories are always more poignant and touching, and we seem to remember them better as well. How many of us remember stories our grandparents told us about the Depression, World War II, or for the younger set, the Viet Nam War?

photo credit: Cloud Print from Cell Phones

Google launched Google Cloud Print for mobile phones on January 31st. It is a service that allows you to use your Gmail account on your cell phone to print to a cloud print enabled printer. Imagine how convenient that will be for commuters or business travelers.

“Let’s say you need to print an important email attachment on your way to work so that it’s waiting for you when you walk in the door. With Gmail for mobile and Google Cloud Print—a service that allows printing from any app on any device, OS or browser without the need to install drivers—you can,” Google wrote in its Official Gmail Blog.

Print from Your Cell phone with Google Cloud Print

Google Cloud Print was officially launched in December 2010, but the new mobile phone feature is new. This service allows you to install a cloud printer without installing drivers. Apparently you need to install Google Chrome on your Windows-based PC (sorry no Mac or Linux support yet). Once you have Chrome installed you can log into Gmail through your phone’s browser, not the email program. Once there you can print emails or attachments through the drop down menu.

What if you don’t have a Google Print enabled printer? For most of the printers on the market, you will have to do a work-around. It’s still a little rough around the edges, according to an article posted by Michael Muchmore, PCMagazine.com. He reports that the Google Print Page has the following message: “by connecting your printer with the Google Cloud you will be able to print to your printer from any computer or Smartphone, regardless of where you are. Just activate the Google Cloud Print connector in Google Chrome and your printer will automatically be available to you from Google Cloud Print enabled Web and mobile apps.” Sounds like magic to me. I’m sure that with the new Chrome OS systems coming out, this Google Cloud Print service will be much easier to use. And with printers now coming with ePrinting and Wi-Fi features, it looks like this may be the wave of the future.

Does this technology appeal to you? Will you utilize cloud printing? I think the whole concept is amazing. I love using Google Docs, and of course have Gmail so I can pick up all my email via the cloud. I will have to see how this cloud printing thing works. I don’t have much need for it right now, but the future is always uncertain.