The chaplain of Mountjoy Jail in Dublin was used unwittingly yesterday in an attempt to smuggle a mobile phone into the jail -- in a birthday cake.

Gardai have interviewed the chaplain, Sister Eithne, but are satisfied that she is innocent and had no idea that a phone was concealed in the cake.

The request for a birthday cake was made to the jail authorities by a prisoner serving a two-year sentence for an arson attack. It was granted, and a senior Mountjoy official asked Sr Eithne to collect the cake and bring it into the prison.

When the chaplain arrived back at the prison yesterday at lunchtime she handed over the cake to be scanned through the x-ray machine that is being used to combat the smuggling of contraband goods into the jail.

The machine immediately detected an object hidden in the cake and prison officers removed a mobile phone.

Prison authorities contacted the gardai, who began an investigation. Initial statements are being taken from the chaplain, the senior prison official and staff at the entrance to the complex. Detectives will also interview the prisoner, and further inquiries are being focused on the source of the cake.

A full report on the incident was being awaited last night by the director general of the Irish Prison Service, Brian Purcell.

A spokesman for the Prison Service said last night that the incident underlined the effectiveness of the recently installed security equipment.

Since the x-ray machines were introduced, the smuggling of drugs and mobile phones into Mountjoy through visitors has ceased and the price of purchasing a phone in the jail has jumped dramatically.

Officials said this incident showed prisoners were becoming desperate to find other ways to bring in the contraband.

"This is a classic case," one official said last night. "It's like a plot out of an old English film, made in Pinewood studios. But in this case, heavenly intervention was on our side."

It is a criminal offence to smuggle a mobile phone into a jail, carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison.....

via belfasttelegraph 

To coincide with the Walkman™ phone’s third birthday, Sony Ericsson has unveiled three brand new mobile phones giving music on the go to more users than ever. Best-in-class sound quality takes music on your mobile to the next level.

Building on three year’s experience and technology 30 years in the making, Sony Ericsson continues to lead the way in the mobile phone music arena with cutting edge music technology and unique accessories.

Today, Sony Ericsson unveils its latest innovative additions to the Walkman™ phone family: the W902, W595 and W302, and seven new music accessories. Sony Ericsson is unveiling phones and accessories with superior sound quality and pioneering features that take Walkman™ phones beyond music and expectations with fantastic extras such as great imaging and video capabilities.

“Since the launch of our first Walkman™ phone in 2005, Sony Ericsson has continued to pioneer a superior mobile music experience - and the 77 million Walkman™ phones sold to date are testament to this commitment,” says Ben Padley, Head of the Music Category at Sony Ericsson. “With this latest range of phones and accessories, we are offering high quality sound and a rich feature set that cements our position as a leader in the music phone category. We are pushing the boundaries of what people think is possible and are offering best-in-class sound quality and our most exciting Walkman™ phones to date.”

The list of pioneering and innovative features found on Walkman™ phones continues to be unmatched in the industry. Features like the music recognition application TrackID™, SensMe™, for matching your mood to the music and Shake control to change tracks with the flick of your hand make Walkman™ phones stand out from the rest.

Sony Ericsson can now also announce best-in-class sound quality and a clear audio experience from its W902 Walkman™. The W902 features the same superior sound quality as the W980, about to launch shortly, which was rated ”best audio experience” this month, in a trial conducted in Germany by TESTfactory*.

With the W902, users can listen to music the way it should be heard: true to original. It’s also a mobile phone for those that want it all, with a five megapixel camera and great video capturing and sharing capabilities, an 8GB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2) for storing more than 8,000 songs**, the W902 is a top-of-the-range device that will make you the envy of your friends.

The W595 Walkman™ is perfect for those who want to share sounds with their friends. Store and play more than 1,900 songs** through the built in stereo speakers. Plug in the in-box sharing jack to listen silently to your tunes with a friend or Bluetooth™ your sounds to Sony Ericsson’s range of wireless speakers.

The new W302 Walkman™ is packed with impressive features in an affordable no-compromise slim handset. Targeting all audiences, the phone comes complete with an impressive two megapixel camera, FM radio, TrackID™ and 512MB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2).

The next generation of accessories includes three new sets of speakers, the MBS-200, MBS-400 and MPS-100, to help music lovers go beyond the individual and play music directly from their mobile phone. Enhancing its music accessories collection Sony Ericsson has also introduced three new stereo headphones, HBH-IS800, HPM-88 and HPM-66 for the optimal listening experience.

The Walkman™ phone through history
Walkman™ phone continues to chart high

• August 2005 – Sony Ericsson launches its very first Walkman™ phone – the W800
• December 2005 - Three million Walkman™ phones sold to date
• April 2006 – Sony Ericsson launches its first Walkman™ phone music accessories; MPS-60 portable speakers, which goes on to sell millions of units worldwide
• October 2006 – Sony Ericsson launches its first slider Walkman™ phone – the W850 which also introduces the unique TrackID™ music recognition application
• November 2006 –Sony Ericsson launches the W950 Walkman™ with the biggest storage yet - 4GB
• December 2006 – 20 million Walkman™ phones sold to date
• February 2007 – Sony Ericsson launches its slimmest Walkman™ - the W880
• November 2007 – W910 Walkman™ phone with Turbo 3G/HSDPA launches as a complete entertainment device
• December 2007 – Walkman™ phone sales hit 57 million
• February 2008 – Sony Ericsson launches the W350, with Walkman™ on top and W380 with gesture control
• July 2008 – W980 Walkman™ phone with clear audio experience launches

With Sony Ericsson today music is reborn. What are you waiting for? Join the Walkman™ phone family and experience music how it was meant to be heard.

For more information visit www.sonyericsson.com/reveals

The W302 Walkman™ is an EDGE/GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Midnight Black and Sparkling White in Q4 of 2008.

The W902 Walkman™ is a UMTS/HSDPA 2100 and EDGE/GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Volcanic Black, Wine Red and Earth Green in Q4 of 2008.

The W595 Walkman™ is a UMTS/HSDPA 2100 and EDGE/GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Active Blue, Cosmopolitan White, Jungle Grey and Lava Black in Q4 of 2008.

The W595c Walkman™ is a GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Active Blue, Cosmopolitan White and Jungle Grey in Q4 of 2008.

The W595a Walkman™ is a GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Active Blue, Cosmopolitan White, Jungle Grey and Lava Black in Q4 of 2008.

The Wireless Portable Speaker MBS-200 will be available in selected markets from Q4 2008.

The Wireless Portable Speaker MBS-400 will be available in selected markets from Q4 2008.

The Portable Speakers MPS-100 will be available in selected markets from Q4 2008

The Wireless Stereo Headphones HBH-IS800 will be available in selected markets from Q4 2008

The Noise Cancelling Headphones HPM-88 will be available in selected markets from Q4 2008

The Active Headphones HPM-66 will be available in selected markets from Q4 2008

Legal
1) Facts and features may vary depending on local variant.
2) Talk and standby times are affected by network preferences, type of SIM card, connected accessories and various activities e.g. games. Kit contents and colour options may differ from market to market. The full range of accessories may not be available in every market.
* The TESTfactory is an independent testing laboratory of Motor Presse Stuttgart, which is certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001 and is accredited in accordance with ISO / IEC 17025.
** Assumes eAAC+ encoded files

© Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB, 2008.

The liquid identity, SensMe, TrackID, PlayNow and BestPic™ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. Sony, Walkman and the Walkman logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Corporation.
Ericsson is the trademark or registered trademark of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson.
TrackID is powered by Gracenote Mobile MusicID. Gracenote and Gracenote Mobile MusicID are trademarks of Gracenote, Inc.
Bluetooth is a trademark or registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG Inc.
Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved. Subject to change without prior notice.

Sony Ericsson is a top global industry player with sales of over 100 million phones in 2007. Diversity is one of the core strengths of the company, with operations in over 80 countries including manufacturing in China and R&D sites in China, Europe, India, Japan and North America. Sony Ericsson was established as a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London.

via sonyericsson 

UPDATE: It's off again. I just received an email on behalf of AT&T telling me that the information below was posted by mistake, although from the second paragraph it seems it will be coming. Someday.

We have not made any announcement regarding free Wi-Fi and iPhone. The webpage that you saw was posted in error and has been removed.

Wi-Fi is a real differentiator for AT&T and it is our intention to make it available to as many customers as possible, but we have no announcement at this time.

AT&T's promise of free access to its hotspot network has been sporadic to say the least. The on-again-off-again announcements have left many, including us, confused. But now, unless the announcement disappears again, all 17,000 AT&T hotspots are available free to iPhone users, including those in Starbucks coffee shops. From the AT&T page:

AT&T knows Wi-Fi is hot, and free Wi-Fi even hotter, which is why we are proud to offer iPhone customers free access to the nation's largest Wi-Fi hotspot network with more than 17,000 hotspots, including Starbucks*. Now users can relax and access music, e-mail and web browsing services with their favorite blend in hand from the comfort of their favorite location.

"Music, e-mail and web browsing". That sounds like everything on your iPhone that accesses the web, including the iTunes Store. Go grab it while you (still) can.

via blog.wired 

Apple has introduced a new iPhone 3G dock to the Apple Store. Like the previous version, it features a scooped-out front section so you can reach the home button, and it has a couple of grill-covered audio conduits to route the sound from the speakers and enable speakerphone calls. Also, like the original model, there is no remote control support, so the $30 accessory is strictly for charging and syncing (and, of course, for holding the iPhone at a jaunty angle). The new dock will not work with your old first generation iPhone.

But, we ask, why bother? It's likely that, when the next iPhone is released, this dock will be as useless as its predecessor is now. Better, then, to just spring for the new $9 iPhone 3G insert for the Universal Dock, of which you probably have one or two lying around. Sure, you lose the speaker conduits, but you gain an infrared eye.

Interestingly, right now the Universal Dock is not listed as compatible with the iPhone 3G. That will surely be remedied soon enough. Worse is the fact that there is no plastic dock adapter in the box with the iPhone 3G. That really smacks of nickel and diming.

If you do opt to buy these model-specific docks, we suggest you keep the old and useless ones, along with your old iPhones, in the back of the closet. When you have kids, you'll be able to save money on those fit-the-plastic-shape-in-the-hole toys and just let the kids try to do the same thing with the iPhones.

via blog.wired 

Sprint has begun to sell the new Palm Treo 800w at its online store for $250 after rebates and new agreement. The 800w carries 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and GPS, supporting turn-by-turn directions, and can also access Sprint's higher speed EVDO Rev A. data network. It includes Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and stereo Bluetooth. The 800w supports microSDHC cards up to 8GB, and carries a 2 megapixel camera that can also capture video. It runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional with Microsoft Mobile software, including Mobile Office, and the ability to edit Word and Excel documents. The Treo 800w will support Direct Push email, tethering, and Sprint TV...

via phonescoop 

Well today on the Arabic SE4M forums, kataloony leaked 10 shots of the W902, the official name of Patty. Looks thin in these pics compared to the first close up and we see it sporting a 5MP Autofocus camera module along with a PhotoFlash LED. Finally, SE has put together a Walkman feature phone with a nice camera which we have not seen since the days of the W810i. On to the pics...

via myse1 

Robot developer tmsuk has unveiled a remote-control robot that promises a new way to shop from the comfort of home. A prototype of the telerobotic shopper — a modified TMSUK-4 humanoid robot that incorporates a variety of cellphone communications technology — was demonstrated on July 10 at the Izutsuya department store in the city of Kitakyushu, Japan.

In the demonstration, an unwell grandmother unable to go shopping with her granddaughter sent the robot in her place. Using an NTT DoCoMo video-capable cellphone, the grandmother was able to control the robot and enjoy the shopping experience through the robot’s camera eyes. As curious shoppers looked on, the woman maneuvered the robot to the hat section, eyed what was available on the shelf, and had her granddaughter model a few for her before deciding which one to purchase.

According to tmsuk, this innovative type of “3D communications” technology brings us a step closer to a future in which telerobotic shoppers roam the fashionable areas of cities like New York or London.

via pinktentacle 

Palm in tandem with AT&T today sought to draw some attention from the iPhone 3G launch with a promotional price drop on the Centro, bringing the cost of the already budget smartphone down to $70 with a two-year plan from its original $100. The cut accompanies the launch of the promised Electric Blue version of the device and is officially targeted at back-to-school buyers looking for their first smartphones. The phone itself continues to shrink the Treo design without sacrificing most features, and includes a 320x320 touchscreen, a 1.3-megapixel camera, microSD for storage, and EDGE data. AT&T applies the discount to the Centro in all three colors and plans to end the discount on September 20th. Palm hasn't indicated whether the cut may become more permanent for AT&T or whether it will spread to Sprint or Verizon, both of whom are still charging the full $100 price.

via electronista 

Wow, that was fast! We just reported yesterday that folks had found out that they could order the Treo 800w.

A reader who wished to remain anonymous wrote in around 6:43pm and told me that he already had a Treo 800w in hand and that he'd had it for at least an hour already. He got the device early as a favor. Way to go!

Another reader named Gary wrote in last night and said:

I just ordered mine (Thursday, July 10th, 7pm). Not only did I get the $249 price, but when I casually mentioned that I was considering getting the iPhone instead, they also threw in a $50 credit to my account to match the price of the iPhone and waived the $18 activation fee. So I just bought the new 800W for $181. Sweet indeed!

LOL, Congrats Gary! I love the way you were able to get that extra $68 off by mentioning the iPhone interest!

I don't know if Gary got his 800w yet, but some of our forum members have already received theirs. Now that was fast!

Forum member Darth Pooh got his new toy and has started a thread entitled, "What do you want to know about the 800w?".

Forum member skfny also got his Treo 800w, and has posted some juicy photos in the forums. Here are a few, plus the one above. Very nice skfny, and thanks so much for sharing!

I love the color! A warm slate blue. Mmmmmm. Nice. The 800w sure does look like the Centro, especially the Verizon Cobalt Blue Centro.

And skfny has put up some pics today of some programs running. Sweet! Check out these great pics. You can see StyleTap running in the middle pic and that program is said to work great on the 800w. There are plenty more drool inducing pics by skfny in the thread so be sure to go check them out!

Let's take a look at some of the questions that were asked of Darth Pooh so we can get a feel of the Sprint Treo 800w.

Forum member makrotonik asked how the web browsing experience compared to the 700wx, and Darth Pooh said that it was much quicker with REV A, and WiFi is even quicker.

Forum member PWC Realtor asked:

Have you Tried Skype on the 800w yet. This would be a very important thing for me since I would be using skype to supplement getting less minutes by switching to Sprint.

Darth Pooh replied:

Just installed it... sorry, resolution doesn't fit 320 x 320 screens (well not full screen, its offset, but still readable). And then I get a nice old "We're Sorry... cannot start Skype" and promptly crashes on me.

Hmmm, hopefully, there will be an update that will fix that problem.

On a more positive note....

Forum member opacityzero asked if you can browse the internet over WiFi and talk at the same time. Darth Pooh replied:

Yes I called my girlfriend while she asked me to look up cookies... so that is a check.

But back to another sour note, forum member FuManChuu asked about Opera on the 800w.

Darth Pooh said:

Opera is a bust... it stops responding to hard keyboard input in fields.

BUT, it loads and looks good... so it might be the fact that it is a specific build for a device that isn't even released here yet.

I am sure the commercial release of 9.5 is going to be just fine!

A couple of good things we learn in the thread is that you can talk on a bluetooth headset and browse the web via WiFi simultaneously, and you can receive a phone call while using WiFi.

With all the iPhone 3G news taking over the web the last couple of days, I got a kick out of the following post by forum member Ehsan:

... Not sure why but I am more excited than my wife who is watching 24 hours of TwitLive with Leo Laporte online (waiting for news about Iphone 3G). And I am here on treocentral reloading this thread. We both are psycho in our own worlds.

Also, the 800w is said to be lighter than the 700wx and there is NO LAG! That's great news!

Head over to the forums and read the entire thread as there is much, much more information and the thread is growing fast...

via treocentral 

Yesterday, we published a link to what appeared to be the release version of the iPhone 2.0 Firmware. This version of the firmware was successfully installed on a number of original iPhones and readers were able to start using Apps from the iTunes App Store.

Today, Apple released the official 2.0 Firmware. While it carries the same build number, the file sizes are different and the iPhone model designation is different. One unconfirmed poster explains that the "iPhone1,2" firmware that was leaked yesterday was only intended for use on the iPhone 3G.

The details of the post are up for debate, as the current iPhone 3G will download and use the "leaked" 5a347 firmware upon restore. Still, due to this possibility, we recommend all readers who upgraded to the pre-release firmware to take the time to upgrade to the official firmware. The process is exactly the same. Remember, with any firmware upgrade, there is the possibility that you may lose your data, and we can't take any responsibility.

Before you begin, remember that the phone will have to be reactivated after firmware installation. This normally takes a few seconds when connecting to iTunes, but with the high number of activations today, Apple's iTunes servers have been unresponsive, leaving many waiting to activate. It appears activations have just now started to run smoothly, but you may want to wait even longer before "upgrading" just to be safe.

1. Sync your iPhone with iTunes 7.7 to make sure all data is backed up.
2. Download iPhone1,1_2.0_5A347_Restore.ipsw (Official firmware). You should get a single ".ipsw" file. If your browser renames it to a .zip file, you should rename it to ".ipsw"
3. In iTunes click on the "Check for Updates" while holding the Option key on the Mac (Shift key on Windows)
4. Select the firmware you downloaded in step #2
5. Wait for your iPhone to update and restore.

All your App Store applications and data should be moved over, and all applications should run.

Unrelated to this procedure, there have been sporadic reports of people having Applications quitting immediately after launch. This has happened both with original iPhone and iPhone 3G versions. The solution is to simply delete the application and redownload it from the App Store. Apple allows you to re-download any application for free.

Note: This is not for the iPod Touch. Touch owners need to wait until Apple releases the official Touch 2.0 firmware.

Note 2:: If you never installed the pre-release firmware, you can upgrade to the latest firmware just by clicking on "Check for Updates" in iTunes 7.7. iTunes will take care of the rest...

via macrumors