Recently i bought an Android handset, coming from a Windows Mobile device, I am extremely happy with it, as I find it way faster and complete than the other. Once I get spoiled by the care of details, and easiness of software, I decided that I won’t come back to Windows Mobile again (I’d rather use a dumbphone ).

Unfortunately, my operator requires that the device is locked on the HSDPA/UMTS band, otherwise will connect on the roaming network, making a trouble for my wallet.  On my Windows Mobile device this wasn’t a problem, there is an option to select which band use, but on Android apparently the user has only the choice to do:

1. Disable data communication while roaming
2. Disable the UMTS radio

The third option, “Disable the GSM radio” is missing? No, it’s just hidden! To find it, we need Any Cut, an application that can create on the dashboard a shortcut to almost anything. So, after installing it, let’s create a shortcut to “Phone Status”, and then open it. Scrolling down we will see an option “WCDMA preferred”, (that means “If there is UMTS signal I’ll use it, otherwise I’ll go GSM”). By switching it in “WCDMA Only”, we will completely disable the GSM radio.

Even if I tried this only with my HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1), it should work on any other Android device such as the HTC Magic, Hero, and the upcoming Motorola Milestone and Acer Liquid. Of course it won't work with CDMA-only devices as the Verizon Droid or the Droid Eris

Creative is about to launch their new Zii, a video+mp3 player, this is a preview sketch from the FCC:

Uhm... where i saw this design? It looks so similar... to a mobile on sale from some time... let's try to merge the drawings:

Creative Zii in red, Apple iPhone in blue

So cool! The Zii is almost compatible with iPhone covers! What a smart move! It's a pity that they placed the camera in the wrong place... it's a matter of millimeters, otherwise they could write on the box: "New! Compatible with Apple iPhone covers!"

Also, the logo looks similar to another logo... and the name also is similar; Zii... Zii... it resembles another name, become famous 2-3 years ago:

Wow, Creative has been so... creative!

In the end has been confirmed by the Windows team blog: you can download the Windows 7 Release Candidate 1 for free only until 15th august 2009. What are you doing? Download Windows 7 now! The interface has been rewrote from scratch, and is more functional than ever!

The free RC1 is usable until march 2010.

A reason not to buy a Sony product, is absolutely the Memory Stick. In our homes, there is certainly an SD card floating around, from cellphone, digital camera, even the Wii. Instead, the memory sticks are expensive and nothing except Sony products can use them.

A Memory Stick is ABSOLUTELY more expensive. Here is a comparison on a 16 GB card, from the same manufacturer (Sandisk):

Paying 24 euro more for essentially the same product! Who will pay a "36% Sony tax"??

So, the great idea to lock Sony users with the Memory Sticks, has proven to be not so good: it renders the product less appealing!

Recently, on new cellphones, and on expensive cameras, Sony chose to use "standard" formats. (microSD for mobiles, compact flash for D-SLRs). Now they confirmed it!

The next step? As Engadget says, they could kill the UMD. Oops, they already did it 

A few weeks ago, the Team Twiizers released the Twilight hack source code, the bug in the savegame data file in the Zelda Twilight Princess game that enabled the installation of the Homebrew Channel on every Wii out there, and, until last month, was the only way to run homebrew.

Releasing the source was a good idea?

Absolutely! Here is another bug found in Super Smash Bros. Melee, from the same team behind the BannerBomb exploit.

Here is the video:

The exploit will be released shortly, and it should be impossible to patch for Nintendo, as it is a bug in the level editor, and not in the savegame data. (The way of fighting the Twilight Hack for Nintendo is automatically delete it from the internal memory... they did not correct anything... they cannot patch a game on-the-fly as in the PS3 or the Xbox360

For who is not willing to wait, is available the good Bannerbomb, better in my opinion, as is not required to have Super Smash Bros. Melee

With a couple of days before the E3, has been leaked some official shots of the new PSP-4000! It will be retailed as PSP Go, and won't have the UMD reader anymore! The user will be forced to download the games from the Playstation Store (not for free, of course) even though, as rumored some weeks ago, there can be a "subscription model" to download "unlimited" games. (Of course, when you cancel the subscription, the license of the downloaded games will be revoked )

The new PSP has the Bluetooth (as you can see from the led on the right side, also visible in other official shots), and the keys are retroilluminated, as you can see in this video. The keys and the keypad comes out from a slide, as in the Sony Mylo

Moreover, it should not replace the current PSP model, as Nintendo is doing with the DS and the DSi.

Honestly, I don't like at all this new design, the keypad and the analog nub looks so awkard. And then... where is the emotion of keeping a new, shrinkwrapped game in your hands? Paying $34,90 for a download... are you kidding?

After just a week, here is the new BootMii beta 2, the wonderful homebrew boot2 replacement.

What's new? There are a lot of added functions, here is a resume:

BootMii beta 2 (v0.9):

• SD card performance has been improved, decreasing the boot and the NAND backup / restore time
• backupmii accepts fragmented SD cards now, reformatting is not performed anymore. Old NAND dumps are still compatible.
• Introduced the INI variable “BOOTDELAY” to set the timeout for the auto boot feature

The Homebrew Channel v1.0.3:

• SDHC cards are working again
• SD performance has been increased again (regression was introduced in v1.0.2)
• HBC works on all system menu versions now
• Fixed rare hangs when exiting HBC

DVDX:

• Switched back to IOS < 37. While the SDHC problem for apps using DVDX has been fixed in libogc, there were also problems with USB keyboards under higher IOS versions

Installer v0.2:

• Installer now works on newer Wiis with boot2v4 (instead of rebooting at “Press 1″)
• Fixed reading of boot1/2 on Wiis with bad ECC data in that area
• BootMii as boot2 and IOS can now be uninstalled

You can install it using the same way of the beta 1

According to a recent interview to Dell, Windows 7 Ultimate will be more expensive than Windows Vista Ultimate. Well, Vista Ultimate in Europe was sold for 599 EURO, that was about $900(while in the USA, it was sold for "just" $399, what a ripoff!) how much will cost Windows 7 Ultimate? It is a bit strange, because Microsoft ad strategy is all about saying that Macs are more expensive than PCs, but, Mac OS X ($149), is SIX times more expensive than the european price of Windows Vista Ultimate ($900)!!

How much will be? We must sell our house to buy it? They will sell it in a jeweller's? What will be better, a diamond ring for girlfriend, or a shiny new dvd for our PC??

However, I know how to get it.

Reading RKP's blog, I discovered that the Coldplay has made available for download on their website the new LeftRightLeftRightLeft live recording, that was given for free at their Viva la Vida Tour, now also on legal digital download! This for say a big THANK YOU for their fan!

What a great artists!!!!

List of tracks:

1. Glass of Water
2. 42
3. Clocks
4. Strawberry Swing
5. The Hardest Part/Postcards from Far Away
6. Viva la Vida
7. Death Will Never Conquer
8. Fix You
9. Death and All His Friends

Download now!

  After cube-shaped and pyramid-shaped watermelons, are coming from Japan heart-shaped watermelons!

  Just in time for the Mother's Day, it could be a great gift!But, the price is 15750 yen ($160), that can be steep for almost everyone. This expensive fruit is the result of 3 years of experiments to reach the perfect shape, and the Kumamoto farmers that have created that, have produced just 20 of them this year. 

  For mom, everything is worthy, right? But, maybe is better to give also the receipt, otherwise your mom will certainly underestimate your gift.  

  In the picture, (click to enlarge) is represented the clerk in a Fukuoka department store (south Japan).

  If you ware wondering where you can buy it, is also available for international orders  How they will ship a watermelon?

  So lovely, right?