Mobile Phone
BlueAnt V1 voice controlled Bluetooth headset
BlueAnt Wireless has launched the V1 Headset, a totally hands-free unit billed as the "world’s first fully voice controlled Bluetooth 2.1 headset". The new headset allows users to dial and control other call functions on their phone without even looking at it. Read More
Universal mobile phone jammer with 32 foot radius
The Hand-held Portable Universal Cell Phones Jammer allows users to block a range of mobile phone frequencies to provide a 32 foot (9 meter) radius cone of silence... but before whipping out that credit card be warned that these devices are illegal in many parts of the world, including the US. Read More
New ROKR range from Motorola
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Motorola has expanded its ROKR range with the introduction of three new units in a range of styles. The lineup includes the candybar MOTOROKR EM30, clamshell ROKR EM28 and the slider ROKR EM25, plus there's two new portable speaker systems to complement the new phone’s music focus. Read More
Motorola’s “Napolean” Q9 world phone
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July 8, 2008 The folks at Boy Genius Report have got their hands on a new Motorola smartphone codenamed the “Napolean”. It’s a CDMA EV-DO Rev. A Q9 with full GSM world roaming capabilities, including the U.S. 850MHz/1900MHz bands. Features of the phone revealed so far include a fingerprint scanner, Windows Mobile 6.1, quad-band EDGE, 2 megapixel camera with flash, stereo speakers, 320×240 resolution screen, Wi-Fi, and a 1500mAh battery. BGR report the full QWERTY keyboard isn’t as good as the first Q9 or Q9m, and the d-pad is a little on the stiff side and difficult to use but the sound was good, and the screen seems to be the same as the original Q9s. The leaked phone is Verizon branded and will launch on Verizon, but BGR confirmed the phone also worked fine with an AT&T SIM. Read More
Samsung OMNIA brings a PC environment to your mobile
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Samsung has unveiled its new all-in-one maxi-phone, complete with multimedia enhanced smartphone features. The OMNIA (Latin for “everything”) brings together your work and personal life by coupling high performance business content with style and a fun. Read More
RIM to release FlipBerry?
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July 7, 2008 Rumors of a low cost BlackBerry clamshell phone have been doing the rounds for a while now and appear to have reached critical mass. According to reports the new BlackBerry KickStart, will sell on US wireless provider T-Mobile for US$49.99 after subsidy with September the expected release date. RIM’s entry into the lower end of the market could well be in anticipation of the effect the imminent release of the iPhone will have on their traditionally higher-end market. Read More
The Neo FreeRunner open source mobile phone
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While Android, the open mobile platform developed by an alliance of some of the mobile phone and computing world’s biggest names, has attracted a lot of interest and support since it was announced late last year, it wasn’t actually the first open mobile computing platform. That title goes to Openmoko – a project founded by Taiwanese computer and components manufacturer First International Computer, Inc. (FIC), with the combined aims of developing an open source Linux based operating system designed for mobile phones and hardware devices on which the operating system, called Openmoko Linux, runs. The first smartphone released that supported the Openmoko Linux platform was the Neo 1973, which was released in July, 2007 but suffered from supplier shortages. Now Openmoko has announced their follow up – the Openmoko Neo FreeRunner – a mobile device that the company says will help to enable ubiquitous computing in the 21st century. Read More
Motorola Blaze to enter the touchscreen phone arena
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June 6, 2008 Motorola’s yet-to-be-released iPhone competitor is the Motorola Blaze, which boasts a haptic-feedback touchscreen with a protective flip top transparent plastic cover which also allows for the unit to be used with the cover closed. The phone also sports a 2 megapixel camera, EV-DO, GPS, Bluetooth and MobileTV. Read More
AwareSpot location based alert system for mobile phones
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Developed by the makers of the Trapster, AwareSpot is a new location based service for mobile phone users with a variety of applications. The free service is designed so that police, public safety and community service organizations, media, clubs, businesses, and more can quickly and easily set up community alert broadcast channels that deliver location based, relevant, timely information to their audiences. Read More
Global PC Installed base passes 1 Billion
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For all the talk of convergence centered on the computer, it is lagging far behind the mobile phone as the world’s go-to information machine for the masses. We reported a few months ago that half the world’s humans now carry a mobile phone and soon the number of active mobile services in the world will touch 4 billion. Gartner’s latest figures put the number of installed PCs worldwide as just having surpassed 1 billion units and at a growth rate of just under 12 percent annually, will surpass 2 billion units by early 2014.
How green are you? PEIR system measures personal environmental impact
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A key starting point to helping the environment is determining what impact we personally have on the planet. To assist in this challenge researchers at UCLA have developed a way to generate online Personal Environmental Impact Reports (PEIR) using location data from cell phones. Read More
BlueAnt releases portable Text-to-Speech speakerphone
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Anticipating the changing of handsfree driving laws in the US, BlueAnt Wireless’ has released a new portable speakerphone device called the Supertooth 3 Bluetooth Handsfree, which incorporates advanced ‘Text-to-Speech’ technology with voice prompts providing guidance to help users pair the device and upload their mobile phone’s address book. The unit supports a selection of six different languages including American English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and British English, so that when a call is received, the Supertooth 3 announces the incoming caller’s name or Caller ID and the user can then verbally accept or reject the call. Read More
Nuance demonstrates open voice search prototype
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June 12, 2008 Nuance Communications has shown a prototype "open voice search" application on the Apple iPhone that promises simple “say anything” mobile web search capabilities. Read More
3G iPhone revealed
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June 10, 2008 After months of speculation the odds were pretty safe - Apple has announced the roll-out of the new iPhone™ 3G.
Gresso White Diamonds luxury mobile phone collection
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Not satisfied with the innocuous grey or black of standard mobiles? Perhaps these unique diamond encrusted phones from Gresso are what you’ve been looking for. But such exclusivity comes at a price - 9,000 and 33,000 euros (around US$14,000 and $52,000) depending on the model. Read More
SanDisk's new line of premium mobile phone memory cards
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May 23, 2008 Using mobile phones for multimedia activities has increased as phones have crammed more and more multimedia capabilities into their ever shrinking housings. SanDisk’s new Mobile Ultra microSD/microSDHC and Memory Stick Micro (M2) flash mobile memory cards, aim to meet the storage and speed requirements of digital photography, music downloads, videos, and GPS functionality that have become standard on such devices. Read More
QPC Lasers demonstrates ultra-compact portable projector technology
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May 19, 2008 The miniaturization of technology has brought unprecedented portability to increasingly powerful mobile devices such as PDAs and mobile phones, but the trade off has been the corresponding reduction in screen sizes to an often impractical level. One solution is miniature projectors which let users carry the equivalent of a big screen TV in their pocket. High power semiconductor laser designer and manufacturer QPC Lasers, Inc. is hosting private demonstrations of their high power miniature prototype BrightLase Red-Green-Blue “RGB” laser, which is designed for high resolution miniature projectors in the 100 lumens output region for portable handheld consumer electronics. Read More
HTC launches Touch Diamond mobile phone
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May 9, 2008 Drawing immediate comparisons with Apple's iPhone, Taiwanese handset manufacturer HTC has unveiled its new flagship product, the HTC Touch Diamond. The new handset is the latest addition to the company's product platform which began with the launch of the HTC Touch in June 2007 and boasts an array of innovative features led by a 3D touch interface called TouchFLO 3D and enhanced web-browsing capabilities that enable one-handed zoom and panning navigation plus automatic rotation from a portrait to landscape view when the device is turned on its side. Housed in an eye-catching brushed steel casing with faceted edges, the handset also sports a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera, 4 GB internal memory, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi 802.11b/g and integrated GPS. Read More
Timetranslator delivers world times to your mobile phone
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May 8, 2008 With mobile phone calls become more and more affordable, many people use them to dial internationally. This then begs the question: what time is it there? The Timetranslator is a software solution converts numbers in your phone into the local time at the destination being called. Read More
Nokia's sleek new handset offerings
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May 8, 2008 Nokia has unveiled three new mobile handsets - one folding and two sliding units - ahead of a planned release in the third quarter of 2008. With an emphasis on compact, minimalist design, the Nokia 6600 fold, the Nokia 6600 slide and the Nokia 3600 slide also boast some clever (if not completely ground-breaking) functionality aimed at making the phones easier to use. Putting the 6600 to "sleep" to reject incoming phone calls, for example, is achieved by tapping the cover of the twice and the same convenient process is used to "wake" the handset up again. The more distinctive charcoal and wine colored 3600 slide is also the first Nokia product to feature background noise cancellation. Read More
Phone charger incorporates automatic data back-up
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Losing or having you mobile phone stolen without having the contacts and other important information it contains securely backed-up is a sure-fire way to give yourself one very big headache. Given the fact that some of us are a little lazy when it comes to this task, but all of us have to charge our phones, this innovation makes perfect sense. The aptly named "Data-backup mobile phone charger" automatically performs the task of backing-up your contacts whilst your phone is charging, and not only that, the multi-talented device also acts as a portable power supply in case you run out of juice away from mains power, as well as a SD/MMC card reader. Read More
Samsung's G800 high end photography camera phone
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May 7, 2008 Some six months after its introduction in Europe, Samsung has launched the G800 mobile phone in Australia. An addition to its high end Photography Camera Phone range, the 5-megapixel G800 brings features common in most digital cameras into a mobile phone" target="_blank">mobile phone including Optical Inner Zoom, Xenon Flash, Power LED, Image Stabiliser, Red Eye Reduction, Panorama Shot as well as Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) and Face Detection. Read More
Tag Heuer's US$6200 Meridiist mobile phone handset
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April 23, 2008 If your Swiss watch has been complaining that it doesn't want to be seen in public with your mobile phone any more, you could do worse than check out Tag Heuer's first foray into the handset market. The Meridiist will feature high-grade steel casings, unscratchable dual crystal displays and nearly a month of standby time. Naturally it looks very classy too, but at up to US$6200, without any mention of 3G connectivity, it could be more a piece of palm jewelery than a serious telephone. Read More
The Scroll: left-of-center hand-held electronics design
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April 18, 2008 The last decade has seen a meteoric explosion in the shape, size and functionality of hand-held electronic devices with all sorts of innovations from sliding keyboards to touch screen interfaces thrown at the feet of the consumer. Proof that we haven't yet seen it all, The Scroll is a blue-sky design concept that takes a format used by medieval town criers, turns it sideways and shoe-horns it into the 21st century by incorporating a mobile phone, hand-held computer, camcorder and sliding LCD screen. Read More
AuthenTec launches new protective packaging for mobile fingerprint sensors
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April 16, 2008 AuthenTec has announced a thin, durable, waterproof, and surface-mountable covering for its TruePrint biometric fingerprint sensors. Known as TouchStone, the thin casing triples the protective coating over the sensitive technology, shielding it from accidental scratching by coins, keys, pens and anything else you may find in your pocket. Read More
35th Anniversary of the first public cell phone call
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April 4, 2008 With around half the world's population expected to be carrying a mobile phone by the end of this year, it's hard to believe that its just 35 years since the first ever public cell phone call was made. Yesterday marked the anniversary of the historical call made on the streets of New York by portable cell phone inventor Martin Cooper, then general manager of Motorola’s Communications Systems Division. Read More
Bluelounge introduces convenient portable electronics charging solution
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April 3, 2008 Most of us have a convenient nook where keys, wallets and other everyday essentials can be stored and located when coming and going from the home or office. These days, mobile phones and portable electronics devices are an important part of this equation, and that's where this simple solution from design studio Bluelounge comes in. The Sanctuary combines a place to throw your loose change with a multi-point charging station for a large range consumer electronics devices so that not only can you find you mobile phone, but it's also on charge. Read More
MOBIVOX’s hands-free texting service
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April 3, 2008 Another notable announcement from CTIA Wireless 2008 in Las Vegas is MOBIVOX’s "Send Message", a mobile phone service that automatically converts voice to e-mail and short messages (SMS). Read More
Samsung’s MyShot and Spex phones - the first MetroPCS AWS handsets to hit the market
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April 1, 2008 Samsung has announced the availability of the Samsung MyShot (SCH-r430) and Samsung Spex (SCH-r210) through MetroPCS - a wireless broadband personal communication service provider of no long-term contract, flat rate, unlimited usage basis phone plans in selected major metropolitan areas in the US. The MyShot and Spex are MetroPCS’s first phones to operate on the 1.7/2.1GHz CDMA Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum, which promises current and future service providers the opportunity to provide wireless broadband services to millions of Americans, resulting in increased productivity, efficiency, mobility and security through larger bandwidth allocation. Read More
SlideIt and ThumbKey models offer accelerated typing on PDAs and smartphones
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Dasur’s line of keyboards for touch screen PDAs and smartphones yields potential typing speeds of up to 50 words per minute – matching the average speed of a professional typist. The SlideIt keyboard for stylus users and the ThumbKey model for hand typing both support all versions of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile. Read More
CSR's MusiCore1 combines audio processor and Bluetooth on a single chip
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CSR has announced MusiCore1, the first fully featured single-chip for mobile phones that includes both a stereo audio processor and Bluetooth capabilities – saving 75% of the cost of an audio processor, and 36mm squared of space. MusiCore1 allows 100 hours of music playback, and can decode MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA and SBC files.
Gresso injects steel into luxury mobile phone collection
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March 27, 2008 High-end mobile phone manufacturer Gresso has added to its Avantgarde Collection with the release of the Steel series - two new luxury handsets that integrate aircraft steel into the slim-line design. Read More
modu: World’s lightest phone underpins new multimedia platform
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March 26, 2008 The diminutive modu has taken the title of "World's lightest mobile phone" with the 40.1 g (1.41 oz) handset's claim made official by the Guinness World Records. Although it's a great talking point, the record is secondary to the innovation offered by the multi-tasking phone that will launch in Q4 this year. As the name suggests, modu is designed as a modular device that will be complemented by a range of "ecosystem partners" - interchangeable add-on enclosures that transform the appearance and user interface of the phone, as well as dedicated consumer electronics devices such as MP4 players, digital photo frames, car stereos and cameras that directly integrate the modu. In other words, modu is a mobile phone that also acts bit like a SIM card with a brain to form the basic building block in a potentially wide ranging personal communications and entertainment system. Read More
Merging home and mobile phone: XLink Bluetooth Gateway
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March 12, 2008 Nowadays many people use their mobile phone number as their primary contact number, which makes sense with most people carrying their mobile phones with them wherever they go. Once back at the home though, a lot of people prefer to use a regular telephone. The Xlink Bluetooth Gateway from Intellitouch is a phone convergence solution that by lets users combine their landline service and SOHO telephone system with up to three Bluetooth mobile phones and receive or make calls to and from their mobile phone using a standard home/office telephone. Read More
Sony Ericsson T303 slider phone
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March 5, 2008 Sony Ericsson has unveiled its new T303 handset. Pitched at a "style-conscious audience", the compact (83 x 47 x 14.7 mm) slider phone design features a chrome finished metal housing and 1.8 inch mirrored screen as well as covering the stock-standard functionality bases with Bluetooth™, FM radio and media player, Internet and built-in camera (though the latter is a little light on megapixels - 1.3 - by today's standards). Read More
