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Press Release: Nokia and Yahoo! add Flickr Support in Nokia Nseries Multimedia Computers
Easy Mobile Photo Sharing Directly From Your Device
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Press Release: Meet the Nokia N72: the Multimedia Computer that Looks as Good as It Performs
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Press Release: Nokia Announces Three New Bluetooth Headsets
Trio Complements Nokia Devices Handsomely With Convenience and Simple to Use Design
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Motorola Patents Shocking New Silent Alert System
The new system, designed to overcome the shortcomings of the common vibrating alert, notifies the user of new calls and messages using mild electric shock.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Moto says Q coming in April
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Waiting in vain for Motorola to release the Q? Your wait may finally be over, at least if a promotional page on a Motorola web site is accurate. The glossy Q promo, which apparently isn’t entirely new, has been updated to state that the long-awaited smartphone will be "Available April 2006." Which, of course, sounds about right to us. Of course, it doesn’t say when in April. Or which carriers are onboard (other than Verizon, of course). One thing’s certain, though: unless this turns out to be an early April Fools prank, we can bet both this site and Verizon’s online store are going to get a lot of extra traffic next month. Start exercising those F5 fingers, and we’ll see you in a week![Via QUsers.com]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: cellphones.engadget.com
Nokia 6111
The Nokia 6111 is an attractive, small phone that boasts plenty of functionality under the hood. Pity the onboard memory wasn’t larger, though.
Source: www.zdnet.com.au
Nokia 7370
The Nokia 7370 is a trendy-looking phone designed to appeal to fashion-conscious users looking for a decent selection of multimedia features.
Source: www.zdnet.com.au
Press Release: Boost Mobile Signs Multi-Year Title Sponsorship With Major League Gaming
Original MLG Programming will be Offered Exclusively to Boost Customers
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
BlackBerry 7130e
The BlackBerry 7130e is an expensive undertaking, but if you’re a mobile professional the cost is undoubtedly justified.
Source: www.zdnet.com.au
Review: Gennum ZEN Z-470 Bluetooth Headset
When first unpacking the ZEN Z-470, one could be forgiven for thinking ‘how am I ever going to fit that on my ear?’ After reading the manual though, we were left with a well-featured headset that is quite comfortable, despite its size.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Press Release: fastmobile and BT in messaging partnership
UK’s premier convergence operator trialling fastmobile’s ‘fmX’ technology for next generation of mobile messaging services
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
New BlogStar Treo Application Powering Celebrity Blogs
New BlogStar Treo Application Powering Celebrity Blogs (http://www.everythingtreo.com/news/software/new-blogstar-treo-application-powering-celebrity-blogs-20060405256/) April 5, 2006 Palm and BlogStar have announced a new Treo application that will be used by these celebrity bloggers to power their blogs.
Source: www.everythingtreo.com
Motorola C261/C257 – Budget with Style
Sharing much of its design with the SLVR, the Motorola C261/C257 (dependent on region) is a budget handset that looks much more expensive than it is. With a VGA camera and speakerphone functionality, the C261/C257 brings a solid feature set to the table.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Nokia Announces N72 Multimedia Handset from Berlin
Despite its model name, the new Nokia N72 could be seen as the little brother to the currently available N70. The two share a similar feature set, though the N72 lacks 3G support. We took live shots of the N72 at the Nseries event in Berlin, click on to see.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Homebrew Mobile Phone Club Formed
Those adventurous people looking to build their own mobile phone will now have a place to turn for help – for those in Silicon Valley at least – with the formation of the Silicon Valley Homebrew Mobile Phone Club.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Skype now available for Palm OS… via EQO
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Portable AudioWell, well, welcome to 2004 Palm OS users with the announcement that EQO’s Mobile for Skype client now supports Treo 600 and Treo 650 devices. Sorry, this isn’t a full-featured Skype client (not that we expected one, ever) loooong available for PocketPC devices. Rather, EQO is now providing a beta J2ME client for your Palm OS device which must run along-side a PC plugin (yes, your PC must be running and connected to Skype for this to work) all linking up with EQO’s service to bridge the whole shebang and provide users the ability to make and receive Skype calls, send IMs, and view their Skype buddies’ on-line status. Hey, no one said it would be easy… but judging by feedback in the EQO community forum, it seems to work.[Via Palm Infocenter]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: cellphones.engadget.com
Samsung’s SGH-T509 gets official for US T-Mobile launch
Filed under: Cellphones That 0.39-inch thick SGH-T509 phone from Samsung — the slimmest candybar phone so far announced for the US — just got confirmed today, and should be available in the states this May. The phone features EDGE data, Bluetooth 1.2 connectivity, and a camera of undetermined resolution. Samsung actually isn’t spilling much info on this phone for as hyped up about it as they are in their PR. We still know barely more than we skimmed off the FCC site in March, but it does look like this phone will be making its way to T-Mobile users. Catherine Zeta-Jones will be so proud.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: cellphones.engadget.com
Samsung’s 2GB SBH-300 Bluetooth MP3 player
Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Wireless Samsung officially announced their 2GB SBH-300 Bluetooth MP3 player. Now, hang with us here ’cause this is not your usual player. As you’d expect, it features the A2DP stereo Bluetooth profile, but ships with what appear to be wired headphones with an inline remote. Out of the box, however, you can pair the SBH-300 with your Bluetooth enabled cellphone allowing the SBH-300 to pull double-duty as a bulky wireless headset. The SBH-300 features a 262k color OLED LCD, FM Tuner, voice recorder, photo viewer, and MicroSD expansion if that 2GB ain’t enough. If this is your idea of a good time, then you’ll need about $236 to bring it home when it goes up for pre-order starting next month.[Via SamsungHQ]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
The Engadget Interview: Sky Dayton, Helio CEO
Filed under: Cellphones, Features, InterviewsOk, so CTIA, the big wireless industry trade show that Ryan and I went to earlier this month, didn’t exactly knock our socks off, but we were lucky enough to sit down with Sky Dayton, the serial entrepreneur behind EarthLink and Boingo. Dayton’s latest venture is Helio, a youth-oriented (yeah, we know…) MVNO that’s all set to launch this spring. Thanks so much for taking some time to speak with us; I’m sure it’s been a busy week for you here at CTIA. Could you tell us about Helio? I know you’re getting ready to launch soon. Helio is a new mobile brand designed for young, passionate consumers that have really been missing out on cool stuff; not just in terms of technology, but in terms of services — some of which are available elsewhere in other countries like Korea, and some of which we’re just inventing and that are totally new. We don’t have the word “wireless” or “mobile” in our name — it’s just Helio. That’s because for young, passionate consumers today, it’s just as much about fashion and lifestyle as it is technology, and saying the word “wireless” is a little bit redundant. Of course it’s wireless. We never had a concept that there was a wire. What we’re doing is starting with a technological lead with a platform from Korea, from SK Telecom, probably the most advanced wireless market in the world and bringing a basis of innovation here. Then we’re taking that and creating some interesting stuff with that. How is the launch looking? It’s good; we’re launching in the spring and everything’s on track. It’s been a very fast ramp. We weren’t even a company until about a year ago. I’ve been hiring I think one and half people every business day. We’re up to about 230 employees now, plus about 70 engineers from Korea, and we’re based in Westwood, right across from UCLA. We’ve got a great building with a big Helio logo on the top of it; I could go on, but we got this flame, a 16 foot flame made up of thousands of LEDs; really kind of cool. How is Helio going to attract customers? To be successful, at least in the long run, you’ll have to get at least a few million subscribers, so what is Helio going to do to convince people to sign up? At this point you can’t count on first-time wireless subscribers – you’re really going to have convince people to leave Verizon, or Sprint, or whatever carrier they have now. We’ve created this experience for a very specific group of people. Broadly we talk about young consumers in this country; people who are 18 to 34. We vary specifically within that. Who are the people that really care about wireless? I mean, again, not just for the technological aspect, but people for whom their lives revolve around this device in their hand; their phone is the one thing that they can’t live without. That group is a very specific sub-segment, and when we market and distribute we’re doing it in a way that’s really authentic for that group, which means that you’re going to see us in places that you’d expect to see us, but you’re also going to see us in places in terms of retail that you wouldn’t expect to see mobile; you know, fashion locations, music-type locations. You’re also going to see us do things on the web that are pretty unique, because frankly, that’s where people are today. You start with an innovative product and then figure out how to distribute it in an innovative way. But going beyond that, how do you convince someone to switch? Is it going to be aggressive pricing, is it going to be more advanced features on the handsets? Every carrier would say that they have savvy marketing, so what specifically is it going to be that attracts consumers besides marketing? Will Helio be competitively priced compared to the major carriers? You’re going to sign up for Helio not because you want to save a bunch of money, but because we offer something that’s really different. What specifically is that something different that you’re going to offer? A couple things; let’s start with the handsets. We have exclusive, unique handsets that have never been in this country before, and the services that run on those handsets are also unique to Helio. One of the best examples of that is MySpace. There’s a social phenomenon in Korea called Cyworld. 30% of Koreans use Cyworld, and 90% of Koreans in their teens and early twenties use Cyworld. And they’ve done it for years and they’ve taken it mobile; Mobile Cyworld is just a huge thing in Korea. We looked at it in this country. Well, okay, social networking is happening, MySpace, etc., but nobody’s taken that mobile. That’s really where people really want to interact with that stuff, is when they’re out in the world, right? They don’t want to be blogging about what they did last night; they want to be blogging about what they’re doing right now. They want to be taking pictures and uploading. Helio is the only place where you can get the full MySpace mobile experience on a device. Is that an exclusive contract? There’s exclusivity as part of it. For a period of time? Yes. There’s also another set of things that I can’t really talk about yet, but that are services that are just really cool. I mean it will be like, “Wow, that’s great, that’s what I want!” Those things are the main event for Helio; they’re not some kind of side-attraction, or something we’re doing on the side while we’re also targeting soccer moms and business people and grandparents and everyone else. Are you going to offer anything to users who aren’t picking a carrier because of the services, but just want unfettered access to the internet and want a powerful handset that gives them full access to the features they’re looking for, like WiFi and Bluetooth that’s not crippled? Are you going to go after those power users? I kind of draw a line and say, “All right, there’s cool technology and we can get a device and just tackle the technology.” Okay, so that’s on one side of the line. On the other side of the line is really cool technology that enables you to actually do something. We’re not going to integrate technology just for the sake of technology, like putting a ten megapixel camera on a phone. We could do that — we know where to get ‘em, you know — but it’s a little bit of a freak show as a handset, right? I mean it’s not a very good phone, it’s huge and it’s not really a very good camera. If you want ten megapixels, go get a D50, you know; that’s a great camera. So we really – and this is important to understand Helio — we look at how people use mobile and then we use technology to enable them to do something. It just so happens that we have a technological foundation that is a strategic advantage for us, in terms of both handsets and in terms of back-end systems. The Cyworld platform, for example, is what we’re using to power MySpace on Helio. Are all Helio handsets going to have the same user interface? Yes. Are are you going to encourage people to develop applications for the phones? Totally, I mean you can develop in WIPI Java or WIPI C. WIPI Java’s just a very easy incarnation of Java and is very similar to BREW. We have a lot of Brew developers that have developed stuff in WIPI C for us. They say it’s very easy. How many handsets do you expect to have in your portfolio by the end of the year? We haven’t announced it publicly, but we will have a good selection. We are rolling out our initial two handsets, and we’ve got a number of others in the works right now. You’ll see us come out and consistently hit, not only with new handsets, but with new services — bang, bang, bang — as we go through the year and into 2007. Should we expect to see a QWERTY phone from Helio? What sort of spectrum of handsets are we looking at? Without hearing the specifics, we’re going to stay focused on the high-end; even our entry-level phone is like a BMW 3 Series. We are going to introduce interesting form factors and stuff that’s different. Will you carry any smartphones? Does having a common platform for all your phones preclude Helio from offering a device with a smartphone OS like Symbian or Windows Mobile? Nothing that we’ve really announced, I mean we’re kind of quiet about that stuff. What’s important again is, what are people actually doing with it and how do we enable that? So I think what we wanted to start with was a UI is consistent from device to device; no MVNO’s ever achieved that. Frankly, few carriers have achieved that, and we have. That’s not easy, believe me, but it’s a good start for us. How do you view Amp’d, the other new MVNO that seems to be going after the same youth demographic. How does Helio position itself with respect to Amp’d? You know, I think there are a lot of interesting things happening in the MVNO space. It’s a sign of the segmentation that’s inevitably going to happen. One brand being all things to all people — that’s okay as a generalist thing, but there are people with very specific needs and interests. In order to really be different you need a technical capability and you need a lot of capital. This is not an inexpensive business; it’s not a couple guys in a garage doing a web startup. I mean I’ve started lots of companies and this is a half a billion dollar startup to do it properly. Even though you’re not building a network, the handsets are expensive, the systems are expensive, and marketing and distribution are expensive. That’s going to naturally limit the field, and without talking about any one competitor specifically, we’re doing almost everything except building a network. So for the carriers that we work with they see us as, “Great, they’re actually going to add a lot of value,” and not just come in and compete on price. At what point does the MVNO market become oversaturated? Sprint just announced that they’re going to limit the number of MVNOs they support because there’s just too many. I’m really happy that that’s happening because I’ve been through this before, and when there’s too much capital flowing into a space with bad ideas, it just pees in the sandbox for everybody. We need healthy competitors and competitors that are legitimate. When you actually look at the number of MVNOs that are going to get off the ground, it’s actually relatively limited at this point, but there are a huge set of business plans out there that are not going to get funded, and I think that’s a positive for the industry. There should be a high hurdle. On some level as an MVNO you’re at the mercy of the carrier whose network you’re using. How does that complicate the future of the business, not just for Helio, but for MVNOs in general? A typical MVNO, unlike Helio, is really dependent on the network provider for a lot of the core stuff. Maybe they use an MVNE to do some billing and stuff like that, but when they want to roll out a new service or get a new handset they have to go to the carrier and get in line. With Helio we brought over one of the most advanced billing systems in the world from Korea. We brought over one of the advanced, if not the most advanced content-management systems. That allows us to make decisions. Of course, we still have to work with our carrier partners for the things that touch the network, but give us a lot of freedom to be creative. There hasn’t been a high-end premium MVNO with the ability to scale. Actually let me say that differently: there haven’t really been post-paid MVNOs until recently. This is a new thing. It’s really important again that the MVNO that’s utilizing a carrier’s infrastructure really do something that’s fundamentally different, and coming and competing on price, you’re totally right-on. That’s flying in the face of the carrier whose infrastructure you’re using, and that just doesn’t make sense. So you’ve got to come and you’ve got to bring something that’s really different. What do you think that the traditional carriers aren’t doing to address the needs of the customer base? Is it just that they’re not offering services like the kind Helio is promising? You just walk into a typical company-owned cellular store and look at the posters on the wall. You know: soccer moms, grandparents, kids, business people, everybody, with one brand appealing to everyone. With something that is this personal, that is this close to you, that is the one thing you can’t leave home without, you don’t want a generalist brand, and when I say ‘you’ I’m talking about this young consumer segment. They want something for them, and that’s what we designed Helio for. That manifests in lots of different ways, from the handsets, to the services, to the way it’s marketed and the language we use. How is music going to fit into what you’re doing; that seems to be the one thing that the carriers have seriously bungled over the past year, with the disastrous launch of the ROKR and its 100-song cap and Sprint and Verizon offering two or three dollar downloads. What is Helio going to do differently? There are some endemic problems with music that you’re all too familiar with, and when we do something we will only do it if it’s better than the alternatives. We will not do something that’s a marginal experience. The iPod is a great experience and what I focus on is “What’s really different here?” We’re organized around a central theme, which is communication and connection. And the thing that our customer wants to connect to is their friends and to their world. Everything we do is organized around that concept, and even when it comes to media. So for example, with video it’s not just about consumption, it’s about discovery and sharing. Sitting and watching reruns of Desperate Housewives in a doctor’s office — that’s all interesting, but that’s not the main point of this device. This device is about communication — two-way communication — so we see content, whether it’s ultimately video or music or a game or a ringtone or anything, as particles of communication to be discovered and shared between people. And that will play out, as you will see, in a number of things that we’re doing.Thanks very much for your time!Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Palm Treo 700w Updater for AKU2 / MSFP on the web
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds We hit you guys up a couple weeks ago with the news that Palm was going to be releasing the AKU2 update for Windows Mobile 5.0 for the Treo 700w in short time. Well, hope you got all your biz backed up, because it’s time to get it on! The 35MB Palm Treo 700w Updater 1.10 is up over on their site, but caveat emptor: Palm advises you absolutely do not restore from Sprite Backup backups if you’ve backed up your registry. We can imagine why, so we suggest you heed their advice if you’re the WinMo registry hacking type.[Thanks, Andrew]Update: Looks like Palm pulled the update already! We don’t know why, but it’ll supposedly “be available at a later date.” Anyone want to leave some links to hosts? We’ll be happy to put ‘em up on here. Thanks, Alexander. Astute reader Curt points out that you can still go through the download rigmarole by following the Google-cached download link. Reader beware, though, we can only imagine what bugs in the update(r) caused Palm to pull it.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Geoff Goodfellow, early inventor of wireless email, profiled
Filed under: CellphonesBack in the early 80s a man by the name of Geoff Goodfellow had an idea: to relay electronic mail from Arpanet to his alphanumeric pager. He published his concept on an Arpanet mailing list in 1982 (he called his piece “Electronic Mail for People on the Move”), and went on to found RadioMail in the early 1990s — a wireless email service (surprise, surprise). After working with such small clients and partners as Ericsson, Motorola, and RIM, Goodfellow left the biz in 1996 and moved to Europe. But he was contacted in early 2002 by James H. Wallace Jr., a lawyer of patent-holding firm NTP, who thoroughly researched Goodfellow’s contributions to wireless communications as they were gearing up to take on Research In Motion. In fact, Wallace once introduced Goodfellow thusly: “Geoff’s the inventor of wireless e-mail. My client patented some of its implementation workings.” The New York Times seems to think Goodfellow’s prior art should have been disclosed during the RIM / NTP dispute, but wasn’t; that Goodfellow should have been available as a fact witness, but wasn’t. So why has no one ever heard of the talented Mr. Goodfellow? Because NTP paid him close to $20,000 for “consulting” in 2002, which included several sessions with NTP’s lawyers in noteless meetings, as well as a contract and NDA that essentially barred him from discussing the case while it proceeded. You’ll have to read the Times profile for the full story, but whether or not NTP acted ethically (or illegally), or preyed on Goodfellow’s disdain for patents or his free-market attitude isn’t exactly making the bad taste in our mouths from the settlement taste any better.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Leaked shots of the Blackberry 7130c
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds Is it just us, or are RIM’s Blackberry devices getting svelter by the minute? The latest pictures to surface are of their unannounced 7130c phone for Cingular. The device shares the keypad ethics of the rest of the 7100 series, though it does seem to have its very own sense of style, a definite departure from the 7130e which was launched last year. The good news is that the phone seems to be trimming the bulk, with its front dominated by the screen and keypad. The bad news is that’s all we know so far. We’ll keep you posted.[Via MobileWhack; thanks Jon]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Nokia 6280
Nokia brings ease-of-use to 3G with the introduction of the 6280. Boasting a 2-megapixel camera, an MP3 player, video camera, and an updated interface, Nokia paves the way for those cautious of third-generation phones.
Source: www.zdnet.com.au
It’s Earth Day — so don’t just toss your old computer!
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Misc. Gadgets, Laptops It’s Earth Day today, and the consumer electronics industry isn’t above a little shameless self-promotion to show off their green cred. And, we have to admit, recycling your old gear is a lot better than just tossing it into the basement — or worse, a landfill. So follow the examples of these companies, and make your gear green! Apple Computer will pay for shipping and environmentally friendly disposal of any old computer with the purchase of a new Mac from the company’s retail or online stores. So, if you’re a switcher, you can now let Apple deal with getting rid of that old Windows box, and if you’re upgrading, Apple will give that old Quadra a proper send-off. Sprint Nextel will spring for shipping and recycling or disposal of any brand of cellphone — and you don’t even need to buy anything. Just grab a prepaid mailing label from Sprint’s web site, stuff your phone in an envelope and send it off. So forget about the sentimental value already and send off that MicroTAC. Verizon Wireless will also accept any old cellphone for recycling — but you have to bring it into one of their stores. But, hey, at least they’re trying. CTIA has more info about cellphone recycling programs nationwide. Dell offers something called the Asset Recovery Program. It’s similar to Apple’s plan, but it’s only good for corporate customers. So, if you’re an IT manager and you’re about to upgrade, get Dell to clear out your old stuff, dude. Staples will give you $30 worth of coupons if you drop off an old computer for recycling — at least at certain Chicago-area stores. We hope the coupons are good on items like recycled printer paper, so you can double your greenie points. 100 Percent Day is a project sponsored by Microsoft, Intel, the US Chamber of Commerce and others with the goal of collecting 100,000 computers for recycling — today. The project’s web site has a list of dropoff locations where you can bring your gear. For more ideas, visit the official Earth Day web site. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Novatel EV-DO ExpressCard next month?
Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Peripherals, WirelessWe’ve still yet to hear of any solid 3G ExpressCard device releases as yet (we were kind of hoping CTIA would have yielded at least one or two), but Om seems to have the scoop on a Novatel EV-DO ExpressCard 34 launch for May — whose most obvious application right now is, of course in Apple MacBook Pros. Granted, we wouldn’t be in this predicament if Apple had just followed through with internal integrated 3G like so many other laptop manufacturers, but hey, you’ve got what we’ve got, and we’ll takes what we can gets. There’s no way of knowing, however, when the cards will hit the market with Sprint or Verizon even if Novatel launches their card in May, so stay tuned.[Via TUAW, image via EVDOinfo]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Nokia N72 launched
Filed under: Cellphones Along with the N93 and N73, Nokia just launched their new N72 multimedia tri-band GSM / EDGE cellphone. This Symbian S60 handset features a 2.1-inch, 176 x 208, 262k color display, Bluetooth 2.0, and 20MB internal memory expandable via RS-MMC. Media support includes a digital music player with dedicated music keys supporting MP3 and AAC playback, an FM Radio with Visual Radio support, and throws in a 2 megapixel shooter with integrated flash capable of CIF video capture at 15fps. Nokia is positioning this pup as a “multimedia computer” which is a bit of a stretch, but we’ll play along for now. Expected in Pearl Pink or Gloss Black sometime in June 2006. More pics on the flip.[Via PhoneScoop]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Keepin’ it real fake, part XXV: You gotta have TechFaith
Filed under: CellphonesThe Motorola Q isn’t even out yet, but that isn’t stopping TechFaith Wireless, our new favorite renegade Chinese handset manufacturer, from showing off an eerily similar knock-off here at CTIA (or at least a mock-up of a knock-off). We weren’t able to get any specs or a name, but we did learn that this fakester will differ from (or improve on, depending on your perspective) the original by running the Pocket PC version of Windows Mobile 5.0 rather than Smartphone. Not sure when this thing will ship, but if TechFaith hurries up they might even beat the Q to market.Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Future flying in Hamburg, Germany
We like, totally forgot to register for the event of the year: the Airline Interior Expo Hamburg. Thankfully CNET’s got some pictorial highlights of what it’ll be like flying in the future; expect to see some serious tech on the 300 passenger superliner Airbus a350, like LED mood lighting, skyscape projectors, and an “infinity dome”; OnAir, an Airbus subsidiary, showed off their on-board GSM mini-cell (which will be rolled out on Air France in 2007); Digecor had their DigeplayerXT PMP with WiFi, 8-inch screen, 60GB drive, and credit card reader (of course); and our fav was the Contour “Solar” bed / seat / mobile office (pictured) with full entertainment system, power for your bag of devices, and massage feature. Suddenly killing hours in a highly pressurized frigid cabin miles above the Earth’s surface seems kind of enticing.
Source: www.engadget.com
Cingular 8125
Although we weren’t terribly impressed by the call quality or the form factor, the Cingular 8100 series provides powerful tools to the mobile professional for getting work done on the go.
Source: reviews-zdnet.com.com
Nokia’s N73 and N93 launched
Filed under: Cellphones Well hello there N73 (bottom) and N93, how nice to see you in the for realz at last. Other than finally making these phones official we don’t really have too much new information to offer. Both models run Series 60 3rd Edition and feature large 2.4-inch 262k color QVGA displays, Bluetooth 2.0, a MiniSD slot, MP3 / ACC media players, FM radio with Visual Radio, and a chubby 3.2 megapixel shooter with Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, mechanical shutter, and integrated flash. Want to share those snaps? Coolio daddy-o, ’cause a new partnership with Flickr gives you the ability to upload and add comments to your photos directly from your new N-series cellphone without the need to download any additional software (don’t forget to ZoneTag!). The N73 will launch as both a quad-band GSM / EDGE model and another which includes 3G (2100MHz UMTS). It features 42MB of on-board memory and 3D stereo speakers at the top and bottom of the unit to kick out some tinny jams. Meanwhile the N92-lookin’ N93 turns out 900 / 1800 / 1900 GSM / EDGE and 3G (2100MHz UMTS), 50MB built-in memory, 802.11b/g, UPnP, TV-out, and adds a 3x optical zoom to the camera, which can record MPEG-4 VGA video at 30fps. If you’re looking for mobile TV, you’ll have to stick with the N92 though, since the N93 does not feature a DVB-H tuner. Both will drop in July; welcome to the show, boys. More product images after the break.[Via PhoneScoop]Read N73Read N93Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Sony Ericsson W900i
Source: reviews-zdnet.com.com
Motorola Pebl U6
Undeniably attractive, the Motorola Pebl offers great performance and an acceptable–if not high-end–range of features. Just make sure you give the controls a test-drive.
Source: reviews-zdnet.com.com
Engadget Podcast 075 – 04.12.06
Filed under: Cellphones, Podcasts, Portable Audio, Portable Video, Tablet PCsWe’re a day late, but definitely not a dollar short this week. Just when we thought last week’s trip out to Vegas for CTIA was going to be a bit of a bust, Apple goes and drops a bombshell on the industry in the form of the dual-bootin’ Windows-enablin’ Boot Camp beta software. In the mean time while we weren’t pontificating what Apple’s big scene-stealing news meant for the industry, we were poking around various handset makers’ booths in search of such devices as Samsung’s new T719, those Intel-based UMPCs, and the slew of sweet knockoffs TechFaithWireless had to showcase. We’ll let you know how all that went (and more) on this week’s show, so let’s get to it! Get the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [RSS] Add the Engadget Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically (MP3). [MP3] Download the show (MP3). [AAC] Download the show (enhanced AAC). [OGG] Download the show (OGG). [Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley! Hosts Peter Rojas and Ryan Block Producer Randall Bennett Music J J J – ‘Suits’ in Japan Format 41:51, 24.1 MB, MP3 Program 01:30 – Boot Camp lets Macs run Windows … officially 14:09 – Hands on with some UMPCs 11:54 – A look at TechFaith’s Moto Q knockoff18:44 – Hands on with the RAZR V3m 22:01 – Samsung’s T71929:34 – Listener voicemail36:15 – Engadget’s involuntary entry into retail, and the week ahead LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast: 1-888-ENGADGET, Engadget (Gizmo Project) or podcast at engadget dawt comPermalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Naomi Campbell’s back in court for throwing another phone at the help
Filed under: CellphonesNaomi Campbell is back in US court for allegedly chucking her (unspecified, dambit) cellphone at her housekeeper. Now this isn’t the first time she’s been accused of such nastiness, mind you. One year ago to the day, in a case which is apparently still pending, Ms. Campbell was accused of smacking her PA around with a Blackberry in LA even after pleading guilty to bashing another assistant with a telephone in Toronto back in 2001. Tsk tsk. Naomi claims that the housekeepers’ 4-staple wound on the back of her head was self-inflicted (right honey, we’ve heard that before) in retaliation for being fired earlier in the morning for suspected theft. The maid, on the other hand, claims the super-duper-model was in a tail-spin over not being able to find her favorite jeans to wear on Oprah. Whatever the truth is, it’s hard to feel any sympathy for a woman who argues that her $3,500 bail was an “insult” due to her extraordinary wealth. Anyone taking bets on how long it will take before the purported weapon finds its way to eBay?Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Motorola combines DVR with cellphone for place-shifting service
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment Motorola appears ready to take on the Slingbox and Sony’s LocationFree TV with a new service that allows customers to stream television from a DVR to a cellphone. However, there are some caveats that may make the service little more than a novelty for the time being. The biggest limitation for the moment is that the service will require both a Motorola DVR and a next-gen RAZR phone. Since Moto’s DVRs are built into set-top boxes provided by cable companies, and not sold directly to consumers, this means the potential user base is defined not by customer choice, but by the vagaries of the cable market. And, of course, you need a specific phone model — one that doesn’t currently exist on the market — to make the service work as well. However, given that the service is just in demo mode at this point, a lot can change before it goes public. And Moto may well learn from Sony’s experience with LocationFree that it’s better to open up, rather than trying to force customers to stick with a closed system.Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Spy-Labs’ AGS-01 GSM spy surge protector
Filed under: Cellphones, PeripheralsWe’ve seen a lot of cellphone spy gear in our day, but we do love a good non-sequitur. We’re wondering whether Spy-Labs actually paid APC to license their name for the AGS-01 (and if APC would really lend their name to such a device), but somehow we have the faint feeling they didn’t. Basically for €950 (about $1,150 US) you get a surge protector with an embedded GSM spy phone you can call and listen in on at any time — simple enough, yeah? Of course, it’s especially useful if that happens to be the model surge protector your target’s already using (and it goes without saying they have to be European from the looks of those plugs), but hey, we’ll you’ve probably got a score to settle, so we’re sure you’ll be able to handle a little power-strip swapping espionage.[Via The Red Ferret]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Palm Celebrates 10th Anniversary
Palm Celebrates 10th Anniversary (http://www.everythingtreo.com/news/palm/palm-celebrates-10th-anniversary-20060327247/) March 28, 2006 From the Palm Pilot to the Treo smartphone, Palm celebrates their 10th anniversary.
Source: www.everythingtreo.com
Sony Ericsson’s W700i: just the W800i Walkman phone done-up in gold
Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio That Sony Ericsson Walkman line-up just keeps growing and growing. Today, SE announces their 8th Walkman phone, the W700. Said to appeal to “lovers of classic and discreet design,” the W700i throws-down tri-band GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900, Bluetooth 2.0, FM radio, a 2 megapixel cam, and ships with 256MB of Memory Stick Pro Duo’in storage. Expect these to ship in Q2 nought-six in both “titanium gold” and “smooth white.” Hey, wait a second, other than being gold and shipping with a 256MB (not 512) MS Pro Duo card, there’s nothing to distinguish this Walkman from the W800i released last year. Hell, it even sports the exact dimensions. A bit trivial for a full model number change especially when the addition of EDGE, an extra GSM band, and new controls only warranted a 10-point bump.[Via GadgetCandy]Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: www.engadget.com
Sony Ericsson Z520i
Sony Ericsson’s mid-range Z520i is a highly customisable clamshell phone with light effects, a VGA camera, MP3 support and in-phone media editing features.
Source: www.zdnet.com.au
Treo 700w Software Update Released
Treo 700w Software Update Released (http://www.everythingtreo.com/news/software/treo-700w-software-update-released-20060419296/) April 19, 2006 Verizon Wireless and Palm have made a software update available for the Treo 700w smartphone.
Source: www.everythingtreo.com
How Digg.com is democratizing the news
CNN International - Mar 27, 2006… If Hilton’s cell-phone hack was a hit among hard-core geeks, it’s not hard to imagine a more mass-market homepage turning into all Brangelina, all the time. …
Source: edition.cnn.com
Nokia’s 3G-enabled N80 gets Home Media Server App/
SimpleDevices announced a home media server PC application that will enable the wireless transfer of digital media with the Nokia N80 multimedia device. Nokia, the world s leader in mobile communications, is using SimpleCenter, by SimpleDevices, to power the Home Media Server PC application, which will be used by consumers to easily transfer and stream digital music, photos, and videos to and from the Nokia N80.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
TANDBERG 3G Mobile Video Applications Drive Revenues/
TANDBERG today introduced unique 3G video capabilities that enable service providers, including mobile operators and content providers, to differentiate their offerings and maximize their revenues…
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Samsung SCH-i730
Small, light, and powerful, the Samsung SCH-i730′s high-speed data support and built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi make it an excellent choice for those who have to stay connected at all times, though the crippled Bluetooth support may spoil the party for laptop road warriors.
Source: reviews.cnet.com
USA: 3G today – Broadband on every corner/
Although 3G services still cant be considered cheap, prices have moved into range, averaging $60 per month for unlimited data using a notebook and PC Card, with enterprise volume discounts, discounts for bundled voice and Wi-Fi, special pricing for shared buckets of megabytes, and lower monthly pricing if you use a phone or BlackBerry device as a modem. If you compare this with the average charge of $8 to $12 per day for Wi-Fi in hotels and airports, youre in right the ballpark for frequent business travelers.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Getting Nokia phones to work as 3G/EDGE/GPRS modem in Linux/
This tutorial will cover steps that needs to be done to enabled your shiny new Nokia 6630 or Nokia 6680 or Nokia N70 to work as modem under Linux..
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Samsung MM-A940
The well-performing Samsung MM-A940 does a good job of executing its broad range of multimedia features.
Source: reviews.cnet.com
China official says no specific timetable for 3G license issuance/
A Ministry of Information Industry (MII) official said the government has no specific timetable to issue third generation (3G) mobile technology …
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Samsung SGH-Z548 Ultra Slim 3G Flip phone/
Samsung present us its Ultra Slim 3G slider, Z548 is only 14.9 mm thick. The Z548 is probably the same as the V804SS selling in Japan now. In the slim body, the Z548 has a 2.3-inch 240 x 320 pixels 260k color TFT, a 1.07-inch 128 x 128 pixels65k colors TFT sub-screen. The phone features an [...] …
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
RIM BlackBerry 8700c
Armed with an Intel processor and EDGE support, the RIM BlackBerry 8700c offers mobile professionals a winning package of performance, productivity, and design.
Source: reviews.cnet.com
Audiovox CDM-8940
Though it’s missing some connectivity features, the EV-DO-equipped Audiovox CDM-8940 packs a solid multimedia punch.
Source: reviews.cnet.com
Nokia 6682
With its 1.3-megapixel camera, full Bluetooth capabilities, and a sweet music player, the Nokia 6682 will have phone fanatics and on-the-go shutterbugs green-eyed with envy.
Source: reviews.cnet.com
Sony Ericsson W800i
Its design may not be particularly flashy, but the Sony Ericsson W800i Walkman phone elegantly combines its calling and multimedia features into a powerful device.
Source: reviews.cnet.com
Asian 3G/WCDMA operators form a second alliance/
Seven Asian operators today announced the formation of an alliance to enhance competitiveness in the international roaming market and deliver corporate services across the Asia-Pacific region. The alliance will promote voice, video and data roaming via members GSM/GPRS/WCDMA networks, with an intention to launch roaming via HSDPA once the market is ready.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Nokia 7380
The Nokia 7380 would not make for a very useful primary phone, but it’s satisfactory as a fashion accessory or as a secondary mobile. Even though we appreciate the impressive multimedia upgrades over its predecessor, it’s a shame that the phone’s screen and memory size does not make full use of them.
Source: reviews.cnet.com
Nokia launches N93, N73 and N72 handsets/
As a phone/communicator, it’s WiFi and 3G and EDGE compatable. Internal memory is 50MB but this can be expanded via miniSD. Nokian73 The 3G N73 is an all-round multimedia machine. Again it features a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss …
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Fujitsu-Siemens’ 3G-enabled Lifebook E8210 reviewed/
Whatever you wanna call it, the E8210 impresses on many fronts, says Trusted Reviews, who give the 2.16GHz, Core Duo T2600-powered model nine out of ten stars, highlighting its connectivity (802.11/a/b/g, Bluetooth, HSDPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS, PCMCIA/ExpressCard slot, four USB, and even serial, parallel, and D-SUB ports), security (fingerprint reader and Smartcard), and benchmark performance.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Samsung MM-A900 (SPH-A900)
Though the Samsung MM-A900 is unlikely to win over the most hard-core Razr fans, it’s still a compelling and promising alternative to the popular Motorola phone.
Source: reviews.cnet.com
Nigeria: Operators Fail to Agree on Modalities for 3G Adoption/
Telecom companies in Nigeria yesterday fail to agree on the mode of issuing 3G licences. The operators, who were mainly in two categories based on the kind of technology they use in deploying their services, GSM or CDMA, refused to agree on how the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), should allocate the available 40 MHz frequency in slots of 10 MHz each among four out of about 20 operators.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Sony Ericsson W810i
Sony Ericsson succeeds again with its third Walkman phone for the U.S. market, but the W810i brings only minor improvements over earlier models.
Source: reviews.cnet.com
Nigeria: NCC to license 3G service providers/
Nigerians may soon witness another mega auction in the telecom sector as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) prepares to license 3G service providers.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
China Mobile Planning To Launch Mobile Music Platform/
They have to keep increasing their ARPU, they are looking at billions of dollars in investment for 3G, and so they should be harvesting as much money out of WVAS a…
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Hiwire joins crowded mobile TV market/
Aloha Partners announced a new subsidiary called Hiwire that will join several other US firms looking to provide live broadcast TV to mobile phones. Hiwire will use 700MHz spectrum (TV channels 54 and 59) and use the DVB-H standard.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
LG CU320
Despite some minor performance and design glitches and a couple missing features, the LG CU320 is Cingular’s strongest 3G cell phone to date.
Source: reviews.cnet.com
M1 users can watch MediaCorp shows on 3G phones/
Catching your favourite Singapore TV programmes while on the go? Phone users who subscribe to M1 were the first to do so on their 3G phones.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
For 3G’s future, look to PCs’ past/
The article points out that “while current 3G phones download information faster than PC dial-up modems, they are not as speedy as PC broadband connections. An HSDPA-compatible phone would, in theory, be five times as fast as a regular …
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Macau government to grant three 3G licenses/
Macau newspaper Tribuna de Macau said in Tuesday s edition that China Unicom and Smart Tone had already stated their interest in obtaining a 3G license in …
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Vodafone / NEC 804N/
Vodafone KK announced it will commence sales of the Vodafone 804N, a new 3G handset by NEC, in the Kanto-Koshin region. The Vodafone 804N will be rolled out in other regions when preparations are in place.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Special report on 3G/
3G today: Broadband on every corner / Compared with Wi-Fi hotspots, 3G provides a hassle-free wireless broadband experience. But is it worth the price? Plus 3G vs. Wi-Fi hotspots and The long, winding road to today’s 3G broadband
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
Vodafone adds DVH-B to 3G TV portfolio/
Vodafone Group already has a uniform global offering of mobile TV services which it operates over its 3G networks. Vodafone Italia has partnered with Italian broadcast network, Mediaset, for the commercial deployment of mobile digital TV over Digital Video Broadcast – Handheld (DVB-H).
Source: feeds.feedburner.com
S’pore company sets up digital ‘stock exchange’ via 3G/
Hosting platform aims to help traditional media companies expand their global presence through new delivery modes, including 3G and HDTV.
Source: feeds.feedburner.com