Mobile Technology
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ZYB offers free online backup and sharing of mobile phone data
June 27, 2006 If you’re like most people, you’ll have experienced at least one catastrophic loss of contacts numbers on your mobile phone, or cursed the need to re-enter your personal data every time you get a new phone. Now there’s a way to permanently sidestep the entire hassle and it’s free! ZYB has announced the full beta-launch of its free online service that lets people backup, manage and share their mobile’s data online. ZYB is a unique service that works with more than 200 different mobiles and does not require any installation of software. ZYB allows users to store an unlimited number of contacts and calendar entries and access them online from anywhere in the world. If a user is unlucky and loses his mobile, all he has to do to get his data back is to sync a new mobile with his ZYB account. (read more...)
Samsung pushes the limits of slim mobile design
June 23, 2006 Samsung has unveiled a brand new line-up of slim mobiles at CommunicAsia 2006 that push the limits of slim mobile design. The Ultra Edition 6.9 (X820) leads the handset pack, boasting the world’s thinnest profile of only 6.9 mm. Also on display was the Ultra Edition 12.9 (D900), the world’s slimmest slider with a depth of only 12.9mm and a three megapixel camera. Finally, to round out the range, the Ultra Edition 9.9 (D830) is a new clamshell handset that is 9.9 mm thick. (read more...)
The Sidekick 3 launches for the socially-active
June 22, 2006 The next generation T-Mobile Sidekick 3 was unveiled at a red carpet A-list launch party last night where Hollywood’s elite got the first look at what is being pitched as a must-have communications device for the socially-active. Despite the pizzazz, the Sidekick 3 appears to stack up well, being 20 percent smaller than its predecessor and featuring a new trackball for easy one-handed navigation and Bluetooth so it can be used with a wireless headset. It also now has an MP3 player, a megapixel camera, built-in support for the major IM clients (AIM, Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger) and integrated support for EDGE (for faster downloads). In keeping with the “in-crowd” marketing theme, existing T-Mobile customers will be the first to be able to purchase the new Sidekick, beginning June 28, with the public able to purchase from July10. Launch party images featuring Hilary Duff, Jessica Simpson and Eva Longoria inside. (read more...)
UltraCell XX25 beta units ready for sale
June 14, 2006 UltraCell announced the launch of the XX25 reformed methanol micro fuel cell system, at the Power Sources Conference, in Philadelphia, yesterday. The event marks the first occasion when beta units of the XX25 formally go on sale to customers in critical markets. The UltraCell XX25 is powered by a unique, proprietary reformed methanol fuel cell technology that provides totally wireless portable power anytime, anywhere. The UltraCell XX25 is able to run a ruggedized laptop computer for up to three working days on a single fuel cell cartridge. It can also run other portable electronic equipment for emergency responders, operating off of simple and inexpensive methanol cartridges. In addition, the XX25 can be configured with large volumes of fuel for weeks of runtime in stationary applications such as remote video monitoring. Because its lightweight cartridges are hot-swappable, the UltraCell micro fuel system is able to operate indefinitely without any need for electrical recharging, as long as fuel is available. (read more...)
New Earphone with Sound Isolating System
June 14, 2006 Swedish company JAYS has developed a Sound Isolating System that reduces up to 90 percent of ambient noise, offering increased battery time on portable products and decreasing the risk of so called iPod-ears (hearing impairment). The company’s first earphone model called d-JAYS, which uses this Sound Isolating System was announced today. The system is built around a fine balanced micro armature previously onlyavailable only to professional musicians. (read more...)
New technology offers large screen on a small device
June 8, 2006 Neochroma is a concept that has the potential to solve the conundrum of mobile phones, cameras, PDAs and other small devices needing screens larger than the device itself. It borrows heavily from the iconic billion-selling View-Master which was the first device to offer 3-D imagery to the public in 1939 and ironically may find a new lease of life in the digital era by offering a high resolution, large screen stereoscopic image projected to each eye. NeoChroma’s inventor Patrick Amaru believes the small, low-cost, lightweight Neochroma viewer could be built into a mobile phone or digital camera or created as an attachment. As a platform for location-based services, NeoChroma has the added advantage of being ideal for maps and other navigational systems too, so with the growing need for cheaper, high resolution minidisplays we think this German invention has a viable future in a range of mobile devices. (read more...)
Methanol Micro Fuel Cell System gets U.S. Army backing
June 8, 2006 We first wrote about UltraCell’s portable micro fuel cells last year and readership surged in March this year when we announced the company’s new hot-swappable fuel cell system could run a laptop for several days. The company gained further momentum this week when it was announced that it has received a contract from the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development, and Engineering Center’s (CERDEC) Army Power Division to accelerate development of the XX25, a 25-watt reformed methanol fuel cell, for use as a portable power device for soldiers. The contract will drive advanced system design for the UltraCell unit to operate in extreme operating temperatures and withstand severe shock and vibration. The XX25 has up to a 75% weight advantage over currently available military rechargeable batteries, based on a 72-hour mission at 20 watts. The XX25 also reduces operational costs through the reduction of throwaway primary batteries and the logistic burden of recharging batteries. In addition to the military’s field testing of the XX25, UltraCell is now seeking lead beta site customers in critical markets for testing the UC25 commercial version, which it aims to take to market next year. (read more...)
The Chargebox brings a new model to mobile device recharging
June 8, 2006 With the global installed base for mobile phones, PDAs, personal multimedia players ad infinitum growing at the rate of a few billion a year, and the world’s reliance on said devices increasing at an even greater rate, it appears there is ample room for new business models catering for emergency power/charging. A particularly novel approach to recharging mobile devices is set to roll out in the UK this month and we think it’ll be worth watching because if the business model works, it’s likely to be replicated everywhere else in short order. The new business operates kiosks in public places that recharge mobile phones and iPods for UKP1.00 (US$1.85). The ChargeBox kiosks recharge mobile devices in a secure locker and will soon become a familiar sight at locations such as airports, railway stations, cinemas, shopping centres and festivals. The kiosks will accept both cash and SMS payments and will be able to charge up to twenty four different brands of phones as well as iPods, BlackBerries and PDAs with the connectivity options continually updated to accomodate the latest models and trends. (read more...)
World’s Smallest Camera Flip Phone
June 2, 2006 Pantech Wireless, the U.S.-based subsidiary of Pantech Group, the number two mobile phone company in South Korea , and Cingular Wireless, the largest wireless carrier in the U.S., today announced the introduction in North America of the Pantech C300, the world’s smallest camera flip phone in the GSM arena. Offered in the U.S. by Cingular Wireless, the new phone is likely to strongly appeal to trend conscious U.S. consumers because of its groundbreaking compact yet stylish design. The Pantech C300 will be a cornerstone of Pantech’s strategy to increase sales and market share in North America over the coming year and is the first branded GSM handset to be launched by Pantech in the U.S. (read more...)
New Gold and Silver MOTORAZR V3i by Dolce and Gabbana
June 2, 2006 UPDATED IMAGES Following the huge success of the limited edition MOTORAZR V3i by Dolce & Gabbana, the Italian designers have again teamed with Motorola to create a new version of the device in luxurious gold and silver, with an engraved Dolce & Gabbana logo. Further glamour is added with an exclusive pendent featuring the gold DG initials. Inside the new phone offers further customised features, such as special backgrounds, screensavers, MP3 ring tones and unique animations. (read more...)
Motorola Q QWERTY Smartphone ships next week
May 23, 2006 The corporate and productivity segment of the mobile phone market is about to go mainstream with the release of the much anticipated Motorola Q on May 31. Designed for roadwarrior customers, the ultra-thin Moto Q is an all-in-one device aimed squarely at the Blackberry and runs a QWERTY keyboard, Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 software, has EVDO wireless capabilities, a QVGA screen, Bluetooth 1.2, 1.3MP camera and thumbwheel scroll. First announced in mid-2005, Motorola is claiming that with Windows Mobile software, the Q puts a "mini notebook" in customers' pockets by providing enough power for them to leave their laptop at home to check e-mail, review presentations, and stay connected for a week or a weekend. (read more...)
Slider design comes to the Micro-Portable computer
May 20, 2006 Computer miniaturisation in its extreme forms creates usability problems – like having a space big enough for a usable keyboard AND screen so you can get the information in and out. In 2003, these factors led to the advent and subsequent proliferation of the slider phone design as it is the only viable alternative to the clamshell design in squeezing a usable keyboard and screen into a small, elegant and robust exterior. So it was only a matter of time before micro-PC manufacturers should follow suit. Sony this week announced a slider design VAIO UX Micro PC using the Microsoft XP Pro OS, an Intel Core Solo Ultra Low Voltage CPU, 30GB hard drive, 512MB of RAM, two built-in cameras (one in front for VoIP video conferencing and one on the back for taking 2MPX piccies) and a full suite of wireless connectivity. Available in Japan this week, it will hit US stores in July for about US$1,800. Expensive? Yes! Landmark? Maybe – having one machine on the desk and another in your pocket is dumb and we just haven’t worked out how to get full functionality at all times yet. The slider form factor could be a significant step on the way to the inevitable. If you can’t wait until July, I4U is reporting that Japanese gadget exporter Dynamism will sell you a Japanese version in several different packages for around US$2200-$2300, though it comes with Windows XP Home, rather than Windows XP Professional. (read more...)
MPEG Surround: quality multi-channel audio with backwards MP3 compatibility
May 19, 2006 We’re bullish about the prospects for MPEG Surround and see it as inevitable it will be adopted by the mass market. MP3 Surround enables high-quality surround sound at bit rates comparable to those currently used to encode stereo MP3 material. It is backwards compatible to stereo MP3; a legacy MP3 device plays back MP3 Surround as high quality stereo. Most importantly, it comprises a full set of tools enabling the representation, reproduction and rendering of multi-channel audio for a broad spectrum of applications, from digital broadcasting, to mobile entertainment, to Internet music distribution. It brings true surround sound to any media system at next to no overhead in transportation and storage, and preserves consumers' investment as existing home stereo equipment can stay in use. The Fraunhoffer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS invented the MP3 and is working with Agere Systems, Coding Technologies and Philips, to demonstrate the full potential of the new Surround Sound system at AES (Audio Engineering Society) Pro Audio Expo which begins in Paris tomorrow. Wanna try for yourself? Go here to download a free evaluation version of the Fraunhofer IIS MP3 Surround player. (read more...)
The mobile-phone-controlled interactive mannequin
May 18, 2006 The opening of the Digital Retailing Expo in Chicago today will see the launch of the World's first mobile-enabled digital interactive mannequin. The digital mannequin allows consumers to customize the model's clothes displayed on the screen using their cell phones as a remote control. The technology enables consumers to use their mobile phone like a remote control to surf or communicate with large screens in storefront windows, cafes, bars or city streets and converts passive out-of-home networks into interactive marketing networks, creating a closed loop between the web, mobile phones and retail spaces. (read more...)
The Phone Tattoo
May 18, 2006 With mobile handset sales passing 850 million units globally this year, one in eight people will get a new mobile phone. Given there aren’t that many mobile phone manufacturers, the ubiquity of the device makes it increasingly difficult to use our mobile phone choice to express the unique, dynamic, fascinating individual we all know ourselves to be. Accordingly, we think Motorola’s latest brainwave of mobile phone tattoos is very clever. The company that unquestionably already leads the world in mobile phone styling has looked beyond the square and created pre-designed stickers which can be applied to individualise your mobile phone. Going one step further, the company is also releasing packs of blank tattoo stickers so you can design (using free software downloadable here) and print customized tattoos for Motorola RAZR and Motorola SLVR phones (L2, L6 and L7). The "tattoo" stickers are specifically designed to match the contours of these devices. Accordingly, you can now customise your mobile phone to match your clothes, reflect your surroundings, or portray your car, your football team, your partner, your children, your style, or lack thereof! (read more...)
Pantech introduces Touch Wheel Music Phone
May 15, 2006 Korean mobile phone company Pantech is about to launch a "Touch Wheel Music Phone." The trendy new PG-3600V slider phone has a touch wheel sensor, that enables easy navigation by allowing users to sweep the wheel key with their fingers. Targeted at the younger, ‘digital generation’, the touch wheel offers an easy-to-use function for tracking songs, a zoom function for capturing images or tracking recorded movies, and moving menu bars. The phone also has a video editing application, the first time such functionality has been installed on a GSM handset. The phone also features a 1.3 mega pixel camera. (read more...)
Samsung X820 - World’s Slimmest Phone at only 6.9mm
May 11, 2006 Samsung has unveiled the first of the upcoming series of ultra slim phones, the Samsung X820, at the Sviaz ExpoComm 2006 in Moscow. The X820 boasts the world’s thinnest profile of only 6.9 mm. Also on display at Sviaz is Samsung’s D900, the world’s slimmest slider phone with a depth of only 13mm. (read more...)
Finger Writing Recognition Phone
May 9, 2006 Pantech will demonstrate a finger writing recognition phone at the SVIAZ Expo Comm trade show in Moscow, Russia, this week. The PG-2800 GSM model’s keypad recognizes and processes the individual user’s writing of text messages. Consumers can either push individual keys or write letters with their fingers on the keypad when looking up words in the electronic dictionary or sending text messages. The ‘finger writing recognition’ avails faster, more convenient communication and is especially useful for inputting text in Russian and Chinese characters. (read more...)
Mount, power, and play your iPod in your car
May 9, 2006 FM transmitters are a great way of taking your MP3 player on the road with you, though the quality of these items has traditionally varied between terrible and acceptable. Early reports on Belkin’s two new TuneBase FM products for the iPod suggest that the product’s improved built-in FM-transmission technologies exceed all expectations offering crisp and clean audio performance. Not surprisingly, sales have gone off with such a bang that demand has outstripped supply and the units are temporarily out of stock. The compelling factors include that both (one for all iPods except the shuffle and another smaller unit for the diminutive iPod nano) let you power, charge and listen to your iPod simultaneously, both utilise the iPod LCD for tuning and the flexible-steel neck offers easy repositioning so it’s where you want it so you don’t drive off the road while changing music. If you have an iPod and you spend a lot of time in the car, this US$80 product is an investment in lifestyle. (read more...)
Icuiti DV920 Video Eyewear
May 7, 2006 Personal multimedia viewing is something we expect to explode over the next year or two as people take the MP3 personal media experience and extend it to its logical conclusion. And video eyewear seems to be the logical way to fully experience the medium. The US$549 Icuiti DV920 Video Eyewear debuted at CTIA last month, and is now shipping and available in North America. The DV920 enables a private, big-screen viewing experience that fits in a pocket or purse, and eliminates the drawback of mobile content viewing on a tiny built-in screen. The DV920 incorporates two CyberDisplay VGA full-color microdisplays with 640 x 480 resolution. At just 3.5 ounces, the DV920 is among the smallest and highest resolution personal display systems on the market. Worn like a regular pair of sunglasses, the DV920 offers a private home-theater-size video experience - anywhere, anytime - with high-quality stereo headphones to complement the overall experience. The DV920 is ideal for watching streaming video on mobile phones, movie playback from portable DVD players, video podcasts and TV shows from a video iPod. (read more...)
H2O Audio Waterproof Housing for Apple iPod nano (and any other MP3 player)
May 3, 2006 We’ve mentioned this capability before but we’re still so tickled about it, the shipping release of H2O Audio iPod nano waterproof housing gave us the ideal excuse. Anyone who swims knows the solitude of the water and the semi meditative state that can be achieved. There are those among us though, who crave the rhythm offered by music and this ingenious waterproof housing/headset combo enables one to listen to most mp3 players underwater. The H2O housing also offers safe sanctuary to your MP3 player during adventure sport activities such as surfing, wakeboarding, water skiing, snowboarding and probably anything else you can think of other than perhaps diving and the diminutive iPod nano design ensures users it can be strapped on and simply won’t get in the way. With the nano housing, absolute waterproof protection is not at the expense of access to Apple’s interface – the casing has a unique full-function Commander scroll-wheel assembly that provides users with ready access to all of the iPod nano's proprietary click wheel functions even when fully submerged in water. will be able to take their playlist with them regardless of outdoor conditions or recreational environment. Excellent action piccies with the housing being tested to the extreme!! (read more...)
New fuel cell promises five times the energy density of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
April 28, 2006 Maxell Hitachi has announced a new variation on the Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC) which uses water and aluminium to generate hydrogen and promises a low cost 10 watt cell (enough to operate a laptop PC) with five times the energy density of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFC). With mobile devices becoming ever more compact, there is an increasing urgency to create higher density power sources. Without question, fuel cells will provide the answer, but both DMFC cells which use methanol as fuel and PEFC cells which use hydrogen as fuel, have their drawbacks. The limiting factor for DMFC is a low power density and problems* with the methanol crossover, while for PEFC the complex equipment, high-pressure tank and high cost of the reformer are the limiting factors. Maxell’s new variation of the PEFC generates hydrogen from the reaction of aluminium and water and promises a simple and low cost system suitable for application in fuel cell power sources up to 100W. (read more...)
Nokia shows the next generation digital camcorder phone
April 26, 2006 As we head for the eye of the convergence storm, the number of compelling digital devices offering remarkable capability is increasing, and the current pick of the litter is Nokia’s newly announced N93 mobile phone – surely the ultimate mobile device for spontaneous video recording, at least for now. Unfold and twist the main 262,144 color 2.4" QVGA display (240 x 320 pixels), and the Nokia N93 is ready to shoot video and photos using the display as a full screen viewfinder. The 3.2 megapixel camera with 3x optical Carl Zeiss zoom is impressive, but it’s the camcorder with DVD-like MPEG-4 VGA video capture at 30 frames per second and video stabilization and 20x digital zoom that’s the interesting bit. With an internal memory of 50 MB, which can be expanded with a hot swap miniSD card to 2 GB, and you can capture up to 90 minutes of DVD quality video. You can even share your captured memories with family and friends on a large compatible TV screen, using either the included TV cable or wirelessly over integrated WLAN and UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) technology. Furthermore, from browsing the web to reading your emails and office documents, you can even play games on the Nokia N93 using the screen of your compatible TV. (read more...)
German Commercial Roll Out of Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology Simplifies Travel for Consumers
April 26, 2006 Nokia, Royal Philips Electronics, Vodafone and the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV), the regional public transport authority for the Region Frankfurt Rhine-Main in Germany, have announced that following a successful ten-month field trial, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology will be deployed in a commercial environment. Nokia 3220 mobile phones with integrated NFC technology can now be used as electronic bus tickets and act as loyalty cards for discounts at local retail outlets and attractions. The 95,000 residents of Hanau can now enjoy the ease and convenience of NFC for mobile ticketing in public transportation, simply with the swipe of their compatible phones. Most people have their mobile phone with them wherever they go, so the possibility to use the phone to conduct daily transactions, such as transport ticketing and access to services, adds great value for consumers. The NFC enabled Nokia 3220 mobile phones have been tested by 160 residents for use in the public bus system in the city of Hanau. At the end of the trial, more than 90% of the trial participants considered this a positive, convenient system worth continuing. (read more...)
Dmobo launches Limited Edition "Mickey Magic Leather" Mobile Phone Using EXO Technology
April 15, 2006 Dmobo, a licensing partner for Disney recently launched the M900, a premium mobile phone featuring a host of Mickey Mouse features, including a leather enclosure with embossed Mickey Mouse motifs that helps give the phone its premium appearance. Enabling the inclusion of the luxurious and soft feeling of "Mickey Magic Leather" on the M900 was made possible through a technology known as the EXO Overmolding System from Inclosia Solutions. EXO is a patented mass manufacturing process which enables designer fabrics, leathers, real woods, and real metals to be combined with plastics in an injection molding operation. The process has already been used extensivelt by Dutch innovators Tulip (makers of the E-Go) in diversifying the ubiquitous gray and silver laptop computer into an elegant object mass-produced in leather and fabric finishes. (read more...)
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