When the Motorola Photon 4G debuts through Sprint later this month it will be Motorola's first WiMAX smartphone and Sprint's first international 4G smartphone that is capable of working on GSM networks around the world. Powered by a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor with each core running at 1GHz, 1GB of RAM and with 16GB of built-in memory the device will come with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) pre-installed.
In a first for a Motorola smartphone, the Photon 4G features a kickstand that will switch the display to landscape mode when deployed so you can enjoy some hands free viewing on the device's 4.3-inch qHD (960 x 540) touchscreen display. This is slightly larger than the 4-inch display found on the Motorola Atrix 4G available through AT&T.
There's also a front-facing VGA camera for video-chat and an 8-megapixel, dual-LED flash rear camera with dedicated camera button that can capture 720p HD video. Full HD 1080p video can be output via the mini HDMI port. The 16GB of onboard memory can be expanded to up to a total of 48GB via a 32GB SD card, while the device's 3G/4G hotspot capability supports up to eight devices.
Aimed at business customers as well as the general consumer, the Photon 4G features enterprise-quality security capabilities such as data encryption and remote device management, alongside the international GSM capabilities to keep business travelers in touch around the globe.
The device will also be compatible with a range of optional accessories, including a Vehicle Navigation Dock and Motorola's HD Station multimedia dock that includes a wireless remote and HDMI cable and combines with the Webtop application to allow users to launch a full Firefox 4.0 browser and access and create content on a larger monitor or HD TV.
The Motorola Photon 4G measures 2.6 x 5 x 0.5 inches (66.9 x 126.9 x 12.2 mm) and weighs 5.6 oz (158 g). Its 1700 mAh lithium-ion battery should be good for up to 10 hours talktime on CDMA, 9.1 hours on WDCDMA and 10.4 hours on GSM. It will be available through Sprint from July 31 and will cost US$199.99 on a two-year plan.
A Chinese Proclaimers fan got more than she bargained for when she jokingly told her boyfriend she would only marry him if he walked 1,000 miles.
Ling Hsueh (23), made the comment in reference to the Scottish duo's song 500 Miles after Liu Peiwen (29), proposed to her.
The chorus goes: "But I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more, just to be the man who walked a thousand miles, to fall down at your door."
But before Ling got around to telling Liu that she was only joking, he had bought a rucksack and set off from Henan province on the marathon hike.
He said, "The distance from here to her hometown in the Guangdong province, in southeastern China, is 1,600 kilometers which is exactly 1,000 miles.
"When I get there I hope she is waiting for me and I will ask her again and I hope she says yes."
Ling told local media, "He's such a fruitcake. I would have married him anyway and was only joking when I said he had to walk a 1,000 miles."
She added, "He was already on the way when I realised." The trip is expected to take six weeks and Liu added, "I love walking and always wanted to see more of the country but my love was the final push I needed to set off.
