It's not just the official announcement Windows Mobile smartphone owners will have to wait in order to upgrade to the latest version (6.1) of Microsoft's mobile OS — it's also the handset makers that need to get their things together and release the new firmware. Moreover, no one guarantees they'll release WinMo upgrades for all their devices.

Take the Samsung BlackJack for example. It's everything but a new device and the Korean giant has a successor in place (BlackJack II) which is already available. They may opt out of any software upgrade for their older model. I'm not saying that’ll happen, I'm just saying that's an option.

But, the community never sleeps. BlackJack hackers are as active as ever. They decided waiting is for losers and rolled out their own Windows Mobile 6.1 firmware upgrade. It's still in beta, but the core components of the OS are loaded and do work! There are quite a few active testers and we bet this will get the final mark version pretty soon. In case you: a) own a BlackJack, and b) want to know more about this - hop over to TxCaesar ROM Kitchen & Wares Forums where all the action is taking place.

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

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Related Articles at IntoMobile:

• AT&T / Cingular Blakjack might be getting Windows Mobile 6.0 and Video Share soon!
• Samsung i607 BlackJack finally gets Windows Mobile 6.0 update - WinMo6 for BlackJack users today!
• Samsung SGH-i617 is the BlackJack 2
• AT&T Samsung BlackJack slated for Windows Mobile 6.0 upgrade on September 17?
• Cingular / AT&T delays Blackjack's Windows Mobile 6 upgrade until Q3

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The Nokia 6300i was just announced, with a Q2 ship date and a low price of 175 Euros before taxes or subsidies you can get what is essentially a Nokia 6300 this day, but with the additional feature of WiFi which enabled VoIP calls. 2 megapixel camera, 2 inch QVGA screen, 12 mm thin, the 6300 is one of Nokia's strongest sellers and people looking to hop onto the net with their access point at home/work will most definitely enjoy the new 6300i.

One thing to note, according to Mobile Burn this will be the first device to feature the S40 version of Nokia Maps. Doesn't make much sense to me since there isn't a GPS receiver in this device, but I'll wait and see.

[Via: Mobile Burn]

[Press photo gallery here]

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Related Articles at IntoMobile:

• Nokia 6300 now available in all black
• Nokia 6300 gold edition
• Nokia 6301: The popular 6300 gets WiFi
• CECT N6300 - Nokia 6300 ripoff
• Nokia 6300 vs LG candybar Shine

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THHIS IS A VIDEO OOF HOW TO GET A FREE LAPTOP ON THE INTERNET, JUST SIGN UP TO THIS(AT THIS POINT i WILL E - MAIL YOU DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS), AND DO THE FREE LOVEFILM TRAIL RECIVE A DVD SEND IT BACK, AND INVITE FRIENDS TO DO THE SAME AD YOU’VE GOT YOURSELF A LAPTOP http://Laptops.real-incentives.com/8383 http://Laptops.real-incentives.com/8383 http://Laptops.real-incentives.com/8383 http…

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AMD announced Wednesday that it is shipping triple-core processors, a first for the Personal computer market. AMD also updated the quad-core Phenom lineup and reaffirmed that quad-core Opteron chips for servers will be available later in the second quarter.

AMD Phenom models

(Credit: AMD)

The AMD Phenom X3 8400 (2.1GHz) …

source Tech news blog

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Adobe Systems will open up Photoshop Express on Thursday, its long-anticipated Web-based image editor aimed at the millions of consumers that want a easy way to touch up, share, and store pics.

Photoshop Express, available for free with 2 gigabytes of storage at www.photoshop.com/express, is a significant …

source Tech news blog

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We’re all familiar with the notion that Silicon Valley’s roots lie in the Bay Area’s adventure-seeking gold rush history and the mind-expanding experiments and hippie culture of the 60s.

Drue Kataoka of ValleyZen.com wields her family's 400-year-old samurai sword in a video.

(Credit: ValleyZen.

…

source Tech news blog

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Hey, remember that casual game for the Wii? The one with all the sports in it that was being published by Hudson Entertainment, of Bomberman Live fame? You know, the one whose name you helped pick? Well, the game was officially announced as Deca Sports at the outset of 2008, but mum’s been the word since then.

Now, we’ve finally got some game footage in the form of a two-minute trailer, which you can view above. Deca Sports will have quite the array of games from around the world: beach volleyball, “snowboard cross”, badminton, basketball, curling, figure skating, archery, “super cross” (motocross), soccer, and kart racing. It will probably also have you wildly flailing your arms like a fool in the comfort of your living room. And while we’re here, I’d like to quote one of our dedicated tipsters, Jonathan Ross: “I want to stab whoever wrote the song.” I agree, buddy…I agree.

While the trailer evokes those happy-go-lucky images of a Wii game being played by children and grownups alike — images we’re all familiar with from Nintendo’s own ad campaigns — the variety of sports is obviously a trump card for Hudson. However, there’s a considerable danger that the developers will overextend themselves. It’s hard enough to make a game based on one sport; if Hudson can pull off a ten-sport video game, they’ll certainly have my respect — and possibly a good amount of sales as well.

Deca Sports will hit store shelves on Might 20th.

source Destructoid

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We talked about the announcement of Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon: Tokiwasure no Meikyuu way back in September 2007, where I performed the accurate amount of screaming in joyful anticipation and then went back to the daily grind of non-chocobo inhabited life. Since then the game has been released on the Japanese market, but there’s been no more word about a US version. Ahem, Square? What’s up with that? Some people need their fix, you know.

The website Cubed3 was also curious, apparently, as they recently posted an interview with developer h.a.n.d., the team behind the game (they also worked on Chocobo Tales for the DS. )Sadly, they still couldn’t comment on whether or not the game would see a US release, but they did share some other interesting tidbits about the title. From the interview:

AR: Is this Chocobo Dungeon game fundamentally different from the two PSone versions, or are there main elements that fans of the old games will be familiar with?

Yuji Yano; Director: While some main elements of the game have been carried over to Wii, we wanted the game to be accessible to a wider audience, for example small kids and female gamers, so some difficult elements of the game were removed. But to keep the game entertaining we added new elements such as the job system.

I’d like to be grumpy about having games I like “dumbed down” so more people can play them, but Chocobo games don’t exactly rank high on the challenge curve anyway. Here’s a more telling part of the interview though (and a slightly distressing one):

AR: The game had a strong first week in Japan before Christmas, but swiftly disappeared from the charts. Has the game still met sales expectations, though?

Yuji Yano; Director: I am not fully satisfied, unfortunately. I want the world of Chocobo and the genre of ‘Mystery Dungeon’ to be loved and played by as many users as possible. I was extremely pleased with the launch sales. However, I believe there are still many people yet to have experienced the world of Chocobo, so with the next Chocobo project (if there’s one…) I hope to create a game that more people can love and a game that fully expresses the beauty of the world of Chocobo.

By far the worst sign of a game not being imported over is so-so performance (or the appearance of naked men, of course.) Maybe they’re adding more features or streamlining the original concept, or maybe the game is simply not going to make it US shores. I’m still hopeful, but I’ve to be honest and say that if it’s announced that the US won’t get any more chocobo games, I’m going to be one sad panda.

[Thanks Justin]

source Destructoid

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