Now playing: Watch this: Samsung Convoy 2 2:03 We must have said it a million times: whenever a carrier updates a handset, we expect familiarity, yes, but also improvements. Verizon’s rugged, push-to-talk Samsung Convoy 2 scores high when it comes to refreshing the look and feel of the original Samsung Convoy; but some changes, or …

Well if this is a BlackBerry, it’s certainly a different design from previous models. We say ‘if’ because this picture has surfaced on a Chinese website, and as we all know, China isn’t shy of a fake or two. Following the dodgy translation, it appears to be the Bold 9980, though it could be a prototype of the 9900, whose …

The mobile world moves at a breakneck pace, and it’s difficult to keep up–even without the technical jargon most industry insiders throw around. And they do love to toss those terms around. This week, I explain what the difference between a computer chip and chipset is, the difference between regular and Enhanced 911, and why for companies, breaking up is …

HTC’s Evo 3D smartphone is about to drop down under, and HTC is bringing it to the masses, setting up 3D demos in Westfield shopping centres in Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. (Credit: HTC) Aussie telcos Telstra and Vodafone announced pricing for the Evo 3D today, with Telstra stating that the handset will be in store from 20 September, …

Another day, another iPhone 5 rumour. Apple’s next blower will launch before 15 October, if a leaked memo from US carrier Sprint is to be believed. While it doesn’t prove the launch date, it certainly adds fuel to the fire of those already raging rumours of an early October release. “Due to the possibility of a major phone launch in …

Motorola could well be following HTC and INQ by releasing a Facebook phone. Strange, since now Motorola is owned by Google, and Google+ is a direct competitor to Facebook, but we suppose the process of making the phone started way before the big G laid down its cash for Moto. Named the Motorola EX225, it’s a QWERTY keyboard-toting handset. And …

The HP TouchPad has briefly appeared again, available to buy from PC World. It looks like the desirable yet abandoned tablet has already sold out since popping up earlier today, but there’s no harm in heading over to the PC World website and checking. The page currently states that reservations are not possible, which makes us think it’s sold out …

Apple is expected to ship 20 million iPad 2 units in the third quarter. Apple The “Taiwan Economic Times” is reporting that Apple’s iPad 2 assembler, Hon Hai Precision Industry, has upped its initial shipment projection of 14 million iPad 2 units for the third quarter to 20 million units. If the report is accurate, that’s a 42.8 percent increase …

First it was banned, then allowed for sale, now the ban has been upheld. A German court has ruled the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 did infringe Apple’s design, and has banned the tablet from sale. These legal wranglings are never ending. The court was asked to reconsider a previous ruling that said Samsung’s tablet copied Apple’s iPad. Dusseldorf regional court …

Verizon Wireless may not be getting Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S II Android phone. But does it really matter? Word on the street is that the carrier may end up with something better. Late last month, Verizon disappointed many of its customers when it confirmed it would not get the much anticipated Samsung Galaxy S II. The carrier didn’t offer much …

The folks who bring you the specifications for Bluetooth may have just outed the next Facebook phone. Now visible on the Web site for the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), the Motorola EX225 doesn’t look like much at first. Yet, if you peer closely at the handset’s boring candy bar design, you’ll see a dedicated Facebook button like we got …

Samsung Electronics says it isn’t buying MeeGo. In fact, Samsung says it couldn’t even if it wanted to. “Meego is an open-source project which cannot be a target of acquisition,” Samsung representative James Chung told CNET today. The response dashed hopes that MeeGo might be saved through an acquisition, which was spurred this week by a Mobiledia report that Samsung …

Google Music for iOS is here. Sort of. Google’s streaming service, a rival to Apple’s forthcoming iCloud and Amazon’s existing Cloud Player, already offered limited but functional streaming to iOS devices, but only via a clunky, hard-to-navigate version of its full-size Web interface. Now, when you sign in to your Music Beta account on your iDevice, you’ll find a mobile-browser-optimized …

An invite has hit the inboxes of the US press, inviting them to an HTC event on 20 September. And rumour is it’ll be unveiling an Android phone aimed at women. Yes, companies are persisting with this. Let’s hope it’s not as patronising as some. The invite doesn’t reveal much, but “Come celebrate in style with HTC” hints at a …

Be it the nature of your job, your harsh living conditions, a love of sports, or downright klutziness, there’s a clear need for tough phones that can take a licking. We periodically round up the most notable of the bunch. This time, the crop of tough phones includes the Samsung Convoy 2, which is also a push-to-talk baddie with a …