Panasonic “Pixi” cellphone picture dock is designed for social networking, idiots
Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras We’re not certain it needs to get any easier to post compromising photos to social networking sites, but apparently Panasonic’s R&D labs think it’s a problem in need of a giant, garish solution: say hello to the Pixi, a concept cellphone dock / cameraphone companion designed to send photos directly from your mobile to mixi, a Japanese MySpace clone. Sliding your phone into the Pixi automatically brings up your photos, and then configuring your phone and sending those latest bleary-eyed bar pics to the web is as simple as smacking one of the six touch-sensitive icons on the unit. Of course, you won’t be doing this on the sly — the unit’s bright red shell with carnival-style LED chaser lights might tip off your companions, but if you can’t figure out how to email photos to a website from a modern phone, you probably deserve the scorn. Check a video of the concept Pixi in action after the jump.Continue reading Panasonic “Pixi” cellphone picture dock is designed for social networking, idiots Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Source: cellphones.engadget.com
Google still likely to bid in 700MHz spectrum auction
Filed under: Cellphones, Wirelessdigg_url = ‘http://digg.com/tech_news/Google_still_likely_to_bid_in_700MHz_spectrum_auction’;We know, the 700MHz soap opera is wearing a bit on us too, but just in case you were worried that the latest FCC shakeups would deter Google from coughing up $4.6+ billion when the time was right, fret not. Reportedly, Chief Executive Eric Schmidt “told a conference of regulatory and industry leaders in Aspen that his company would ‘probably’ move ahead with plans to bid for wireless spectrum freed up once broadcast television networks switch to digital from analog in 2009.” When asked by T-Mobile USA’s government relations chief Thomas Sugrue “whether Google planned to take part in the auctions for wireless broadband networks,” the exec simply stated that placing a bid or two would likely be “the way to answer that.” So, there you have it — until next episode… Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Source: cellphones.engadget.com
Palm says Foleo still on schedule… for Summer
Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops It seems possible that Palm took our advice when we asked the company to “stop keeping us in the dark,” because the last few days have been filled with transparency. The latest bit of see-through from the PDA-maker comes today in the form of a denial concerning the recent Barron’s news that the company’s sorta-kinda-laptop, the Foleo, would be delayed due to syncing problems. According to Palm’s director of communications, Jim Christensen, “As stated on May 30, U.S. availability for the Palm Foleo mobile companion will begin this summer. We will let you know if this changes,” which runs contrary to rumored street dates for the laptop, and to what Deutsche Bank analyst Jonanthan Goldman reported on Wednesday. The company has had its share of activity over the past two weeks, including solid news on the tiny new Centro (AKA the Gandolf), rumored delays for the Foleo, and of course our gentle prodding. We can only hope all this movement, good or bad, is working as a wake-up to Colligan and co. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Source: cellphones.engadget.com
Google’s mobile phone in two weeks? Not likely
Filed under: Cellphones According to reports out of India, Google is currently in talks with country’s first and third largest telecos, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar, concerning everyone’s favorite mobile rumor: the Google Phone. Based on information coming from Rediff’s India Abroad, an exclusive launch — happening in a highly questionable two weeks — is being discussed between the companies, and would tie into a simultaneous debut of the Gphone in both the US and Europe, coupled with announcements in India and other parts of the world. The only hurdle, they say, is approval from regulatory agencies (such as the FCC, we would assume). The report goes on to suggest that Google has plans to invest $7-8 billion in its telephony plot, though there has been practically zero confirmation from the company. When asked about the possibility of the Google mobile phone making an appearance soon, a spokesperson for the search-portal-giant said, “We don’t comment on market rumour or speculation. However, Google is committed to providing users with access to the world’s information, and mobile becomes more important to those efforts every day.” So, while you can never, truly rule out a sudden showing of the Gphone, definitely don’t go banking on it either.[Thanks, Binil] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Source: cellphones.engadget.com
UniquePhones indefinitely delays release of iPhone SIM unlock software
Filed under: Cellphonesdigg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/UniquePhones_indefinitely_delays_release_of_iPhone_SIM_unlock_software’;So, as you may have seen, earlier this morning at 3AM local time UniquePhones (the team behind iPhoneUnlocking.com, who’ve claimed to have the second proper iPhone SIM unlock software hack) got a threatening call from AT&T’s legal team urging them to not release their software — or else. Now, we can understand why any smallish business wouldn’t exactly want lawyers repping AT&T (and Apple) breathing down their necks for a potentially market-shifting discovery — which is why the company is now officially holding the release of their SIM unlock solution indefinitely while they assess their legal position. Fair enough, but we still haven’t even had a chance to verify their solution does unlock iPhones.However, the interesting (and possibly telling) bit comes up at the end of their release, where apparently UniquePhones is “evaluating what to eventually do with the software should they be legally denied the right to sell it.” Here’s to hoping that, should UniquePhones not find themselves able to actually sell their software, at very least the unlock method they’ve discovered gets opened up to the public. After all, there’s no reason why everyone shouldn’t be able benefit from this knowledge just because one company isn’t able to sell it, right? Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Source: cellphones.engadget.com
Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships draws frustrated cellphone owners from across the globe
Filed under: Cellphones Although no records were broken, this year’s Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships went off successfully, with one 38 year old engineer and former potato thrower called Tommi Huotari causing a buzz for throwing a cell only meters short of the recently attained 95 meter record setting throw: “surprisingly, a potato flies further,” he said. Tommi should know better than to compare a cellphone to a spud. For a fair comparison, he should at least try flinging a bar of Chocolate.[Via textually] Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Source: cellphones.engadget.com
Second iPhone software unlock promised tomorrow
Filed under: Cellphonesdigg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/Another_iPhone_Lock_Promised’;The iPhone is getting used and abused today with a second software-only unlocking solution making itself known. Uniquephones has now surprised with word that it will be offering a downloadable software unlock service between 12 and 2 PM EST tomorrow at iphoneunlocking.com. Pricing will be somewhere between $25 and $50 with a 25 to 50 percent discount for people who have already signed up for the service — apparently as many as 450,000 already have.Read - iPhone Unlockers Lining UpRead - iPhoneunlocking.com (not active until tomorrow) Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Source: cellphones.engadget.com
iPhone’s latest update improving WiFi and camera?
Filed under: CellphonesDespite the fact that we had a bit of trouble with the latest iPhone update, some users are reporting drastically improved WiFi reception and camera performance since installing v1.0.2. Although Apple didn’t exactly go into detail about what “bug fixes” were being addressed, a number of posters on various forums are apparently thrilled with the boost in WiFi reception and the “vast improvement in the camera’s live video update.” Of course, it’s very possible that these betterments are simply due to differing circumstances in use before and after the update, so we’ll leave it up you: have you noticed any drastic meliorations since the update, or is this stuff just all in our head?[Via MacNN]Read - Latest iPhone update boosts WiFi reception, say ownersRead - iPhone WiFi improvementsRead - iPhone camera improvements Permalink | Email this | CommentsOffice Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Source: cellphones.engadget.com
