It features 5-megapixel camera, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a compass, pedometer, tide charts, a thermometer, sun/moon schedules, and a star gazer application. The devices is hitting the Verizon Wireless stores on April 28th. As for the pricing, it would cost you $199.99 with a new, two-year contract.

VERIZON WIRELESS AND CASIO INTRODUCE THE CASIO G’ZONE COMMANDO

First Ruggedized Android Smartphone for Verizon Wireless

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless and Casio today announced a new addition to the rugged wireless category and a new Android-powered smartphone in the marketplace, the CASIO G’zOne Commando™. Deployment ready, the Commando is a mobile office with high security features for secure corporate email; Wi-Fi for high-speed Web access; XT9 and T9 trace input for efficient typing; and snap-out menu for customized access to high-use applications.

Designed to withstand the most extreme conditions, the CASIO G’zOne Commando easily transitions from work to play with advanced G’zGEAR software. As the ultimate outdoor tool in a mobile device, G’zGEAR operates in eight modes to enhance the active, adventure-driven lifestyle. With the help of its Triple Sensor technology utilizing direction, acceleration and temperature, G’zGEAR enables adventurers to perform at their peak.

The Casio Commando is ideal for the business environment, especially for fields such as construction, transportation, manufacturing, utilities and healthcare. Workers in hazardous environments, such as construction sites, warehouses and factory floors, need a smartphone that has the capability to download blueprints, files and pictures; update project plans; access field force management, inventory access and corporate applications; and capture signatures.

Key features:
· Android™ 2.2
· Meets Military Standards 810G for Immersion, Rain, Shock and Dust Resistant, Vibration, Salt Fog, Humidity, Solar Radiation, Altitude, Low and High Temperature Storage
· 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus, still photo, video capture, LED light
· High-security encryption for corporate email
· Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity
· Stereo Bluetooth™
· VZ Navigator® for GPS and audible turn-by-turn directions
· Mobile Hotspot capable-share 3G connection with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices

Lifestyle features:
· G’zGear operates in eight modes
o Earth Compass – Functions as a standard compass, the GPS shows the distance and direction to several domestic and international landmarks, including Yosemite National Park and Mt. Everest.
o Walking Counter – Measures steps, distance and energy consumption, and total steps for the day, week or month. It also provides virtual treks for famous North American trails and roads including Mt. Kilimanjaro, Annapurna Circuit, Torres Del Paine Circuit, John Muir Trail and Transcontinental
o Adventure Training – Takes training to a new level by allowing users to run with virtual opponents, like world-record holders, wild animals, or their own best personal performance stored in the training history.
o Trip Memory – Plots and records outdoor activities along with location information to share with friends and family on Twitter™ and Facebook®.
o Tides – Showcases the tidal graph for the day; time of tide ebb and flow; and current, past and future sea tide levels. GPS displays the nearest location map.
o Thermometer – Displays current temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit with numeric and graphic thermometer readings and compares the current temperature across multiple locations.
o Sun / Moon – Checks the time of the next sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset, and tracks the moon phases for your current location.
o Star Gazer – Utilizes GPS to display the stars and constellation names based on the current season and time.

Pricing and availability:
· The CASIO G’zOne Commando will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com on April 28 for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement. CASIO G’zOne Commando customers will need to subscribe to a data plan. Unlimited data plans are available to customers starting at $29.99 monthly access.
· Business customers who want to purchase the device can contact their Business Sales Representatives at 1-800-VZW-4BIZ.

For more information on the CASIO G’zOne Commando or for other Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com. Customers can visit www.CasioGzOne.com to experience the CASIO G’zOne Commando.

[via BGR]

To be able fix your own device, click here. You will have to remove the several screws and gently bending one of the contacts up to touch the GPS antenna. KWKSLVR mention to used a flathead screwdriver from a glasses repair kit. Afterward, you would need to make sure the GPS data is cleared using the A-GPS app which can be found in the Android market. Another alternative is by using one of the apps/methods that recommended by the XDA Post.

[via AndroidCommunity]

“I am very pleased to be providing HTC customers with TomTom’s accurate location and navigation content on their phones wherever they are. The beauty of it is that the maps are preloaded and instantly available at users’ fingertips. For the first time, this makes the power of TomTom navigation content available ‘in-pocket’ for HTC smartphone users”, says Maarten van Gool, Managing Director of TomTom Licensing.

The Terrestar Genus features Windows Mobile 6.5.3, iFi, touchscreen, QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth, camera, and GPS. The device will stay locked with your GPS/HSPA when you are in civilization area. It cost $799.99 with contract. Although, most of us will not love the way AT&T putting their pricing on the handset, satellite handset always expensive.

TerreStar GENUS™ Dual-Mode Cellular/Satellite Smartphone Now Available From AT&T

AT&T’s Satellite Augmented Mobile Service Provides Satellite Wireless Voice and Data Communications for Business and Government Customers
DALLAS, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ — For many people it’s crucial to stay connected wherever life takes them. Thanks to a new offer from AT&T*, it’s now easier and more convenient than ever before to have mobile coverage in remote locations or when the cellular network is unavailable.

AT&T’s new Satellite Augmented Mobile Service with the TerreStar™ GENUS™ dual-mode cellular/satellite smartphone is now available for enterprise, government and small business customers. Intended to be used primarily as an everyday mobile device, the TerreStar GENUS smartphone is an innovative dual-mode device with cellular wireless capability as the primary default mode and satellite access capability as a secondary option for voice, data and messaging.

The access to the TerreStar™ satellite network enables wireless communications coverage in remote areas for government, energy, utility, transportation and maritime users, as well as backup satellite communications capabilities for public safety agencies, first responders and disaster recovery groups.

With just one phone number and one smartphone device, users with a line of sight to the satellite will have access to expanded voice and data roaming coverage in the United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and in territorial waters. The TerreStar GENUS runs on the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system to provide rich features and functionality, including a touch screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, camera and GPS.
According to an AT&T Business Continuity Study(1) conducted earlier this year, businesses are stepping up their technology investment and efforts in disaster planning and business continuity programs despite the economy; and mobile devices are increasingly part of business continuity plans.

“We understand the importance to stay connected in remote locations and especially in emergency situations, and today’s announcement is the latest example of AT&T’s commitment to delivering the highest levels of service, quality and reliability for customers,” said Michael Antieri, President, Advanced Enterprise Mobility Solutions, AT&T Business Solutions. “With this expansion of AT&T’s innovative mobility portfolio, AT&T is helping businesses and government agencies stay connected with a single device, single support contact and single bill.”
“With advancements in satellite technology, satellite-based communications is poised to be the next standard in everyday mobile devices,” said Jeffrey Epstein, President and Chief Executive Officer of TerreStar. “We are pleased to work with AT&T to bring powerful integrated satellite-cellular solutions to market, providing customers with critical communication capabilities and a great mobile experience.”

Availability
The AT&T Satellite Augmented Mobile Service and the TerreStar GENUS is available today to enterprise, government and small business Corporate Responsibility Users. The service requires standard AT&T cellular voice and smartphone data rate plans, as well as a monthly satellite subscription feature. Usage of the satellite network for voice, data and messaging is not included in the monthly feature charge and is billed as per-minute, per-message or per-megabyte roaming charges on a customer’s AT&T Mobility service invoice.
Enterprise, government and small business users should contact their AT&T sales representative for information on availability and ordering.

[via MobileMagazine]

[via msmobiles]

See below for the detail changelog

Symbian S60 devices

Major

• Auto-restart location updates: If you turn off your phone or it ran out of battery with Google Latitude automatic location updates enabled either in the background or with Maps open, Latitude will respect this choice and automatically restart location updates in the background when you next turn on your phone.
• Backlight timeout: The backlight will remain on when the driving directions list is open, routes are being viewed on the map, or the device is moving quickly with an active GPS connection.
• Force location updates: If you manually refresh your Latitude friends list, you’ll also force the update of your own location if automatic detection is enabled.
• When changing your photo icon picture in Latitude, you now have the option to take a new picture using your phone’s built-in camera.

Minor

• Many minor interface and layout issues have been fixed or changed.
• Cell ID (cell tower) location detection near two cell towers has been improved so that your location bounces less if you’re between two towers.
• Map centering when GPS is active has been fixed on some phones. Previously Maps may have defaulted to your location instead of a friend’s after you choose ‘Show on map’ for the friend in Latitude.
• Latitude friend photo icons have been fixed to properly indicate if a friend’s location is recent (blue outline) or old (gray outline).
• Previously, some friend photo icons remained blue even if the location was old. N82 and N95 devices: Installation file changes to reduce potential hangs during installation that have been reported for a small subset of these devices.
• N73 and N75: Maps for mobile will properly call a number when phone numbers are selected in search results. Previously, hangs may have occurred on these devices.
• E61, E61i, and E62 devices: Shortcut keys work properly using the standard numeric shortcuts. Previously, shortcut keys were not working as intended on these devices.

Known Issues

• Errors may occur if you are verifying a phone number in Latitude that has already been registered with another Google Account.
• N82 and N95 devices: we strongly encourage that you back up your device and consider upgrading to the latest device firmware version (see http://nokia.com/softwareupdate). A very small number of users report experiencing a device hang during installation, and we haven’t yet been able to reproduce this in the lab or determine the exact cause.
• For some S60 3rd ed. FP2 phones (Nokia 5320 XpressMusic, 6210 Navigator, 6220 Classic, 6650, N78, N79, N85, N96, N96-3), you may need to set a default destination using the following steps:
  1. Go to Settings > Connection > Destinations > Options > Default connection.
  2. Select “Internet” (if you have it) or whichever APN group you want it to use.

Windows Mobile devices

Major

• Background location updates: Google Latitude background location updating has been fixed and allows you to continue updating your location automatically in the background even when Maps for mobile is closed.
  • To enable this, choose to exit Maps from its main menu and when prompted, select ‘Yes’ to continue background location updates.
  • When in background location update mode, Latitude will default to cell ID (cell tower) location detection to preserve battery life. WiFi or GPS detection will not be available in background mode.
• Auto-restart location updates: If you turn off your phone or it ran out of battery with automatic Latitude location updates enabled either in the background (see above) or with Maps left open, Latitude will respect this choice and automatically restart location updates in background mode when you next turn on your phone.
• Force location updates: Manually refreshing your Latitude friends list also forces the update of your own location if automatic detection is enabled.
• Login errors: Several fixes completed to address multiple causes of login errors for Latitude, such as invalid certificates.
• Backlight behavior: Your device backlight should turn off according to your system settings when Maps or Latitude is left open in the background. Previously, Latitude may have kept your backlight on when in the background.
• Internal error: Selecting a friend in Latitude to see more info and options will no longer cause internal errors on some devices.

Minor

• Many minor interface and layout issues have been fixed or changed.
• Cell ID (cell tower) location detection near two cell towers has been improved so that your location bounces less if you’re between two towers.
• Map centering when GPS is active has been fixed on some phones. Previously Maps may have defaulted to your location instead of a friend’s after you choose ‘Show on map’ for the friend in Latitude.
• Friend photo icons have been fixed to properly indicate if a friend’s location is recent (blue outline) or old (gray outline). Previously, some friend photo icons remained blue even if the location was old.
• Photo uploading for your Latitude picture is enabled for .png files.

Known Issues

• Errors may occur if you are verifying a phone number that has already been registered with another Google Account.
• Username or password fields may be off screen or covered by the software keyboard. Login errors will occur if you proceed without entering a password.
• Cannot paste text into fields in Maps for mobile. On some devices, you may be able to use the software keyboard’s CTRL+V command to paste text into Maps as needed.

TeleNav GPS Navigator will be available for a free 30-day trial on TeleNav’s Web site. After the free period, customers can continue the service for $9.99 per month for unlimited use. TeleNav GPS Navigator is also expected to be available in the Android Market later this year.

TeleNav GPS Navigator includes full-color 3D moving maps along with voice and on-screen turn-by-turn driving directions. Navigation is available in both landscape and portrait mode. If drivers miss a turn, they will automatically be rerouted. TeleNav GPS Navigator also includes speech recognition for both address entry and business search. On the T-Mobile G1, customers simply press one button and say the name of a business or the address and TeleNav GPS Navigator will provide directions. TeleNav GPS Navigator includes listings of more than 10 million businesses and services, including restaurants, hotels, shopping malls and banks – providing users access to restaurant ratings and reviews as well as phone numbers for business listings.

The service also includes frequently updated gas price listings so drivers can look for the cheapest gas in their area or along their route. Additionally, TeleNav GPS Navigator includes location-based weather information. Customers can see current weather conditions as well as a five-day forecast for their present location or for a destination of their choice in the U.S.

Subscribers can preplan trips online by accessing their account through My TeleNav at www.telenav.com. Additionally, the My TeleNav Internet browser plug-in for Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google toolbars provides subscribers an easy way to send addresses to their phone from any Web page. Users can simply highlight an address and click the TeleNav button on their toolbar. The address will be automatically added to My TeleNav for later use. All TeleNav users can download the free plug-in at http://www.telenav.com/support/plugins/.

The home screen features three primary icons – “Call,” “Search,” and “View Map.” Secondary icons appear on the side of the home screen and can be organized by the user’s preference. Customers can easily scroll through the icons by swiping their finger across the large touchscreen display, and a built-in accelerometer allows every screen to be viewed in either portrait or landscape orientation. Similar to nuvifone M20, the G60 will comes with pre-loaded maps of North America or Eastern and Western Europe, and has millions of points of interest (POIs) including hotels, restaurants and street addresses. There is also pre-installed Ciao! application to share your location with your friends.

Garmin-Asus expects to announce the nüvifone G60′s pricing and availability in the first half of 2009.

The nüvifone M20 supports download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps and offers a desktop-style web browsing experience. Users can zoom and pan web pages with their finger as they view the information in either portrait or landscape orientation. In addition, they can easily navigate to an address on a web page with only a few taps of the screen. When available, the M20 will comes with preloaded maps and points of interest (POIs) – hotels, restaurants, stores, fuel stations and more – for North America, Eastern and Western Europe, or other regions. You can also make use of the connected service for real-time traffic information, White Pages, weather, flight status, local events, and movie times.

The nüvifone product line also includes Ciao!, a LBS application that helps users stay up to date on their friends’ whereabouts and status by linking numerous location-centric social networks. Through Ciao!, nüvifone users will see their friends’ location on a map and then be able to navigate to that location with ease.

The nüvifone M20 has exceptional entertainment capabilities with the combination of a 2.8″ TFT touch display with VGA resolution, built-in microphone and speakers, built-in 4Gb/8Gb My Storage, and ActiveSync for Outlook, Microsoft Office, and multi-media synchronization. The three megapixel camera automatically geotags images with the exact latitude and longitudinal coordinates. Users can then save the image on their phone, email it to a friend, or navigate to where the image was taken.

Garmin-Asus expects to announce the nüvifone M20′s pricing and availability information in the first half of 2009. There will be four color options, blue, red, black or yellow.

[via gizmodo]

The Google Maps with Latitude is currently available in 27 countries. It can be installed on Blackberry, S60, and Windows Mobile, and will be available on Android in the next few days with the new firmware RC33. You can download it from the http://google.com/latitude with your mobile browser. The team is also working an iPhone version and it should be released very soon.

Check out the video demonstration below: 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

List of languages and countries supported below (as of today):

Languages:
Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Filipino, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish, Ukranian, and Vietnamese.

Countries:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States.

[via Android Community]

The original Garmin nüvifone that was announced in 2008 will be re-branded as the Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60. The Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60 is expected to be delivered in the first half of 2009, and additional information about the Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60 will be released at the Mobile World Congress trade show.

Garmin-Asus nüvifone series will offer the same turn-by-turn, voice-prompted navigation features found on high-end Garmin portable navigation devices (PND). It has preloaded maps and millions of points of interest that allow drivers to quickly find a specific street address, establishment’s name or search for a destination by category. In addition, the nüvifone includes quick access to online points of interest through internet enabled local search. The nüvifone also features Ciao!, a social networking application that bridges the gap between multiple location based social networks and integrates them seamlessly into one device.

More Garmin Asus Nuvifone G60 live photos available here