Mobile Technology
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LG FUSIC – why isn’t this phone more popular?
October 24, 2006 The LG FUSIC mobile phone has a distinctly musical bent – it delivers entertainment services at broadband-like speeds and looks, feels, and plays like a portable music player with the added ability of downloading full songs over-the-air, an FM transmitter for playing music through a radio or car stereo, Bluetooth Stereo support, and changeable faceplates for personalization of the phone. The bit that we can’t understand is why this phone isn’t more popular. The inbuilt Customers FM Transmitter offers stereo sound from MP3s stored on a microSD card through a radio or car stereo – the only mobile phone we’re aware of that does this without an accessory. Brilliant stuff! (read more...)
Odiogo turns a blog/RSS feed into an MP3
October 23, 2006 Text-to-speech converters suck, or at least they used to suck – these days the latest converters such as the US$30 Odiogo are remarkably good at giving the written word a coherent news reader voice. Odiogo downloads your favorite RSS news and blog feeds and converts the text into spoken word so it becomes available via an MP3 player, when you want. Odiogo converts any RSS news and blog feed into a Podcast! As seen in the pages of the Red Ferret Journal. (read more...)
MOTOKRZR takes a good thing and runs with it
October 21, 2006 We're seeing more and more phones using the clamshell form factor, and considering the success of Motorola's most recent offering, the MOTORAZR, it's no surprise to see them release the MOTOKRZR - an update with plenty of functionality and the classic format crammed into a sleek 16mm x 42mm x 103mm shell that weighs 3.6 ounces. (read more...)
Blinkit: turn your iPod into a torch
October 20, 2006 At last count, more than 3000 accessories are available for the iPod, from the ordinary to the outlandish, but none quite as downright handy as Blinkit. Turning an iPod into a torch might at first sound like the plot of a Legally Blond movie, and the fact that it blinks in time with the music might add weight to that theory, but having a torch is very useful if you go out at night a lot and it’s not always cool to carry a torch and in some neighbourhoods you might even get locked up. An iPod with a discrete accessory offering serious lighting power makes sense – it’s small, low-bucks (US$30) and very useful when you consider its high-output beam is visible up to several hundred yards away. (read more...)
The SportCommand wireless fabric remote control for an iPod
October 10, 2006 The Belkin SportCommand for iPod lets you wirelessly control your music while your iPod stays protected. Strap the fabric remote to your arm, store your iPod in your backpack or jacket, and then listen to your audio while you get extreme. The weather-resistant SportCommand is ideal for outdoor activities, such as snowboarding, mountain biking, and hiking and with a 50 foot range, it may well have other applications we haven’t yet considered. The US$80 SportCommand will ship in November in North America, with launches in Asia, Europe, and Australia to follow shortly. (read more...)
Stand-alone MPEG-4 Video Recorder for Memory Stick Duo
October 5, 2006 This is neat – the new Easy Recorder 2 is an MPEG-4 Memory Stick Video format recorder that records video content (via composite analog signal from a VCR, DVD or video camera) directly to Memory Stick Duo in MPEG-4 Memory Stick Video format, a widely used video format for popular portable devices and compatible with Apple Quick Time for your personal computer. (read more...)
MP4 Watch plays video for 9 hours
October 5, 2006 One of the more curious aspects of the recent mass proliferation of personal media players is the devices in which they are being incorporated. In recent times we’ve seen not one but two video playing wristwatchs. The most recent came with some natty images showing the watch in four colours from Andalong, though we cannot seem to extract a price or any details on specifications beyond that it plays MP3s, MP4s, has USB 2.0 connectivity and an inbuilt microphone and a remarkably impressive nine hour play time. Of all of those functions, we think that the microphone might potentially be the most useful as we can’t exactly see people queuing up to swap their wide screen HD tellys for a screen smaller than a postage stamp. Now we originally saw this story on I4U (even before we got the Andalong email), so they deserve a pat on the back for their news gathering, and when we checked at Engadget, Pete and the boys had this story about a different video playing watch with 1GB of memory and a US$125 price tag. Andalong is seeking brands wishing to have the watch produced for them, and to be fair, they have a range of excellent electronics even if we think the idea of watching a movie on your wristwatch is lame. (read more...)
New Triple-Driver Earphones – that’s right, three speakers inside each ear
October 5, 2006 Given the rate at which digital audio and video players are being sold, it’s reasonable to expect that within a decade, personal entertainment devices will be ubiquitous, and they will all have a headphone jack and every human being above the poverty line will carry a set of headphones. Now a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and its also very true that many personal entertainment devices are being limited by the headphones. So headphones and earphones are likely to undergo some serious development in the coming years and the new US$400 triple.fi 10 Pro earphones look to have raised the consumer bar to a new level - the tiny earphones incorporate three miniature speakers per ear to deliver blow-you-away fidelity and are modelled after far-more-expensive models for professional musicians. (read more...)
Silver-Zinc batteries shape up to the Lithium-Ion incumbents
October 3, 2006 "The time is right to demonstrate an inherently safe and reliable portable energy solution that does not compromise performance," says Ross Dueber, president and CEO of Zinc Matrix Power. "Although lithium-ion battery malfunctions represent a small percentage of their total population, the consequences of such malfunctions are quite severe, and pose a serious safety risk for consumers. Electronic manufacturers should consider silver-zinc battery technology as a much safer, lower risk solution for portable power." (read more...)
500,000 RPM matchbox-sized gas turbine produces 100 watts
October 1, 2006 Researchers at the ETH Chair for Power Electronics have developed an electrical generator that spins at a world record 500,000 revolutions per minute (RPM) and scientists are hopeful they can achieve twice this speed to touch the magical million rpm. The matchbox-sized motor generates the equivalent of 100 watts, including the power electronics interface, and has an efficiency of close to 95 percent. Powered by a gas turbine, one tankful of fuel drives the generator for about 10 hours at peak 100 watt performance. These ultra small gas turbines could replace conventional batteries as a mobile power source and have a range of potential applications, from dentistry where ever smaller holes could be drilled with ever higher rotation speed through to energy supply for mobile applications, such as portable heart-lung machines or artificial hearts. The little motors could also be used in turbo compressors, which condense gas mixtures or air. (read more...)
New Concept Watch Design uses pSEL technology
September 28 2006 The DD101 watch takes advantage of the flexibility of electroluminescent display technology. The plastic electroluminescent interface display is inlayed into an oversize bangle which carries a hidden timing function. Pressing on the side-button, reveals the time in a large display instantly changing it from a simple piece of jewelry to a functional timepiece. Pelikon UK designed the printed segmented electroluminescent (pSEL) touch displays and the funky DD101 watch design comes from o.d.m. The DD101 looks like a bangle when dormant but can be quickly transformed into a stylish time piece when out on the town in the evening. (read more...)
Black Diamond launches the SwitchBack rugged Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC)
Updated October 2, 2006 The prospects of one day having our computers all able to withstand the hostile environment that is the real world moved a step closer this week when rugged electronic systems specialist Black Diamond Advanced Technology announced the SwitchBack PC , the world's first rugged UMPC (Ultra Mobile Personal Computer). The SwitchBack made its debut at the Embedded Systems Conference in Boston this week and utilizes a 1.0 GHz Intel Celeron M processor, 1GB of 400 MHz DDR2 and can run Windows XP, CE, Mobile or Linux, packing the power of a desktop PC in a lightweight, handheld rugged form factor. The SwitchBack has all the features of today's rugged handheld tablet PCs, but it's smaller, more powerful and it has another significant differentiator ... a detachable/attachable Module on the back which can be used to extend functionality by adding additional hardware, devices or connector interfaces. Examples of modules that can be added include an additional processor, hard drive or battery, custom I/O options (data transfer, interface extensions), a fingerprint reader, an RFID, Barcode Scanner or Mag Stripe Reader, terrestrial radio(s), digital camera, GPS receiver, breathalyser and a Laser Range Finder. (read more...)
Parrot’s Bluetooth Hands-free Speakerphone accessory
September 28, 2006 Paris-based Bluetooth specialist parrot has graced our pages before for its Bluetooth wireless speakers and Bluetooth LCD picture frames. This time it’s a more traditional use for Bluetooth technology in the form of a hands-free for a mobile phone – the point-of-difference is that the MINIKIT is designed from the outset as a speakerphone, and uses a built-in multi-directional microphone, DSP-2 signal processing algorithms and a high-definition two-watt speaker to enable crystal-clear speakerphone conversations. Designed as a portable companion for any Bluetooth phone, the MINIKIT weighs 104 grams (3.5 oz) and its vital statistics are 110 x 63 x 28 mm (4.3 x 2.5 x 1.2 inches). The Parrot MINIKIT uses its own, not the phone's, voice recognition feature so there’s no need to keep the phone near by – it always calls the right number. With its battery offering 10 hours of talk time and over a week on standby, the Parrot MINIKIT is ideal for those who want a dedicated high-quality speakerphone for their mobile. (read more...)
Battery with built-in USB charger
September 22, 2006 Logical, inevitable, perhaps even overdue in retrospect, our ripper idea of the day (at least so far) is this rechargeable battery that can charge from any USB port without the need for any recharging devices, cradles or cables. Just pop the end to reveal a built in connector and charger, plug into any powered USB port on your desktop, laptop, keyboard, games console, monitor ad infinitum charge the battery. Currently available in the AA format, the USBCELL will shortly comprise a full range of standard formats, phone and camera batteries. (read more...)
A video projector the size of a sugar cube
September 19, 2006 Miniaturised projection systems have been spoken about for a long time, but with several viable technologies seemingly close to market, the day when you can carry a video projector at all times, just in case you need it is close. In February, we wrote about the matchbox-sized PVPro projector and now news from Faraunhoffer suggests that not-too-far down the track your handheld, digital camera, portable media player or phone might have a projector built-in. That’s the promise of a new technology for projectors that does not use conventional micro arrays, instead containing just a single mirror that can be rotated around two axes. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS in Dresden and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF in Jena have developed an alternative to micro mirror arrays and the result is a projector the size of a sugar cube. (read more...)
Field Tested: Lenovo updates the Z series ThinkPad with the Z61t, Z61m, and Z61p
September 10, 2006 Last November, we had a chance to test the new Z60t and Z60m Thinkpads. These devices were the first of Lenovo's 60 series products, and were the first to offer integrated EVDO service from Verizon in the US. They were also the first Thinkpads built to a new set of internal standards for docking station and power supplies that are compatible across the entire 60 generation of products. The Z60 was followed by the T60 and X60 Thinkpads in February, which added Intel's current generation of dual core processors, but unfortunately the Z60 was released too early to get these new gems, and an expected upgrade to the specs of the Z60 didn't materialize when we thought it would. The new Z61t and Z61m laptops refresh their Z60 forbearers, and the Z61p is a new wide screen workstation model based upon the Z61m chassis. (read more...)
New LocationFree products focus on place shifting
September 6, 2006 Continuing its focus on the concept of place-shifting, Sony has unveiled two LocationFree Base Stations (US$200 LF-B10 and US$250 LF-B20) and the US$230 LocationFree TV Box. LocationFree devices wirelessly stream television programs, movies and personally-created content to a variety of devices – including PlayStation Portable units, Macintosh and Windows-based notebook PCs, or remotely located TV sets- wherever a broadband Internet connection is available. All three products will be available in October. (read more...)
Pantech's outrageously different ‘Auto Pop-up Display’ satellite DMB Phone
September 6, 2006 South Korea’s Pantech Group today announced the launch of the IM-U140 handset, a satellite digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) handset that provides users with a genuinely unique mobile phone experience via its innovative design. With DMB, the phone obviously receives television but it has an interesting arsenal of features including four channel stereo speakers, a 3 megapixel camera with an image stabilization mode, MP3 player and TV-OUT and FM transmitter functionality meaning it can play the MP3s it contains on your car radio f’rinstance. Finally, the QVGA 262K colour TFT LCD display is designed to pop up automatically at a 30 degree angle and the touch screen vibrates when touched, enhancing the overall unique feel of the phone. (read more...)
Portable digital audio player with built-in slide-out speakers
September 4, 2006 There’s been some interesting developments in the evolution of the portable audio player at IFA, with both the Miuro and now the K5 MP3 Player from Samsung - a flash-memory based MP3 player with built-in slide-out speakers, 1.7" Touchpad OLED LCD display, and a sleek one-button design. Using the same slider form factor that has become accepted so quickly with the mobile phone to increase surface area (and hence give more room for display, keyboard or in this case a speaker facia), the aim of the innovation is to be able to play music in two modes instead of one – public and personal. The K5 has a built-in FM radio tuner and supports MP3, WMA, WMA DRM10 and JPEG formats. It will be available September 10 in black and will ship later in the year in pink at US$210 MSRP (2GB) and $260 MSRP (4GB). (read more...)
Miuro – the semi-autonomous robotic boombox
September 4, 2006 It’s been billed by some media as an over-the-top iPod accessory which is being somewhat unfair to the JPY108,000 (US$924) Miuro robot. Yes, it does accept the iPod, but as it’s much smarter than the average boombox, and it has its own wheels, it can be summoned from wherever it might be by remote control. Equipped with Kenwood speakers, it will stream any audio format (MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, AIFF including web radio) wirelessly (802.11 b/g) from your home computer, has AM and FM radio, can follow set routes around the house, or remember the optimum spot to position itself in each room. It’s a new concept – a mobile, semi-autonomous boombox, which combines your MP3 collection, AM/FM and web radio and brings it to you. The result of a joint venture between Japanese robot company ZMP (makers of Pino, e-nuvo and nuvo) and audiophilic icon Kenwood, Miuro can be reserved via the internet, as of yesterday, but only if you’re living in Japan. They’re promising delivery before Christmas 2006, with overseas availability expected in the second half of 2007 – we expect there’ll be shopping outlets on the internet with it the minute it becomes available in Japan. Excellent image gallery. (read more...)
The V-Mate Video Card Recorder converts any video to flash card for use on mobile devices
September 4, 2006 The increasingly mobile consumer now has the ability to watch their favorite shows and videos, whenever and wherever they want – it’s really just that most of us need a way to get the show from its original source into a form we can watch it on our mobile phone or PDA. SanDisk, the inventor of flash storage cards and world's largest supplier of flash data storage card products has introduced an interesting and potentially very useful Video Memory Card Recorder called the V-Mate which overcomes this problem entirely, regardless of the format of the original. The US$130 V-Mate enables users to record video from video inputs such as over-the-air television as well as cable, satellite, DVD players, personal video recorders (PVRs) like TiVo and video cassette recorders (VCRs) onto their flash memory cards. The V-Mate prepares the video, drops it on your memory card which is then inserted into their mobile phone, PDA, handheld game console like the Sony PSP (PlayStation Portable), video music player or notebook computer to play back their videos on the go. (read more...)
Samsung releases 10 inch DMB Mobile TV
September 2, 2006 Every now and again, we see a product which looks set to forge a new market segment, having the right combination of technologies at the right time to have enough appeal to change the way the public sees things. Samsung is hoping its new 10 inch DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) Mobile TV will do just that, opening an era where everyone will have their own personal TV. Indeed Samsung’s aims are huge as it hopes to reposition the public’s perception of TV from a piece of family-oriented and fixed position furniture to a personally-oriented mobile device. In its latest press announcement it draws the analogy of the change created by the portable cassette player in the music industry and suggests portable TV will be even more groundbreaking. Given that not everybody will wish to watch video on a tiny cell phone screen, we believe this product has a very viable audience. (read more...)
Universal Portable Power Solution for Electronic Devices
August 30, 2006 The new Xantrex PowerSource Mobile 100 offers an interesting and almost universal handheld power system that can operate multiple electronic products at different voltage and power levels. The US$130 PowerSource Mobile 100 is the only compact mobile power source with an AC outlet and two USB outlets with the capability to operate portable devices at varying power levels. This goes beyond products currently available on the market, and it means consumers can now operate or charge a high power product like a laptop, and low power devices such as an iPod and a cell phone all at the same time. Approximately the size of a laptop battery and weighing about one pound, it combines a 100-watt DC to AC inverter with a high output lithium ion battery to provide backup power for mobile devices. It can be recharged from any AC electrical outlet or from a DC outlet in a vehicle or airplane. It provides both 120 Vac and 5 Vdc (USB) power for use with portable products. (read more...)
Fujitsu introduces 2.5 inch HDD featuring perpendicular magnetic recording
August 30, 2006 The burgeoning popularity of audiovisual-oriented PCs and increasing use of HDDs in various consumer electronics products is expected to drive further growth in the HDD market along with demand for ever-larger capacity. Continuing to cater for the world’s thirst for storage, Fujitsu has announced a new series of hard disk drives (HDDs) for mobile PCs, its first 2.5" HDD offerings to incorporate advanced perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) technology for enhanced storage capacity. Two new models, the 160GB MHW2160BH (which boasts the industry's highest storage capacity for a 5,400 rpm HDD), and the 80GB MHW2080BH, will go on sale worldwide from October. (read more...)
Cool outdoor multifunctional LCD TV
August 26, 2006 We suspect that this EUR289 (USD$370) French-made 12.7cm colour LCD outdoor television is just the ticket for campers. It handles both PAL and SECAM and comes with a remote control but its multifunctional prowess runs waaay beyond that. In addition to the TV, it has an AM/FM radio, thermometer, removable torch, a siren, a compass, a bi-directional neon light and an anti-mosquito ultrasound functionality. It is also ruggedised so that it won’t die the first time it gets a bit of a knock, and it’s also quite compact at 20 X 22 X 30 cm. If we’d paid attention during High school French classes we might be able to tell you more. If you paid attention during High School French, you might be able to discern more for yourself. (read more...)
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