Mobile Technology
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RAZR-thin Windows-based i-mate SmartFlip
February 27, 2006 This is a sneak peek at the new i-mate SmartFlip. This reportedly RAZR-slim yet very powerful Windows Mobile based device has not yet been officially announced by i-mate, but will be launched in in the next few months and is expected to suit those who want a Windows-based smartphone with striking looks. Like the phone, pricing is yet to be announced though the following specifications were obtained direct from the manufacturer. (read more...)
Developments in convenient personal storage continue
February 27, 2006 Just how many different form factors can personal storage take? We’re often amazed at the ingenuity of storage manufacturers in striving for bigger, faster, more convenient and simply devilishly clever new form factors, and we saw a few of them at this weekend’s PMA show in sunny Florida. Not new (but bigger) is the US$134.99 SanDisk 2 GB Ultra II SD Plus card, that looks and functions like a typical SD card but folds in half to reveal a high-speed USB 2.0 connector. Going one better was Pretec, which offered the first look at the both the world’s fastest CF Card and a flash drive with built-in card reader. The Pretec 133X CF Card is capable of running at up to 20MB/sec and 14MB/sec of access speed in read & write. The Pretec e-Disk II+ is an expandable USB flash drive with an embedded 512MB flash memory (default) which can be expanded to 4.5GB by simply inserting an optional SD/MMC card (read more...)
Single-Chip Bluetooth and FM Radio Device will allow FM radio to become standard on Bluetooth-enabled phones
February 14, 2006 Broadcom used the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona to today announce a new device that integrates a complete Bluetooth radio and baseband along with a high-performance FM stereo radio receiver into a single chip. Makers of multimedia cell phones and digital media players enabled with Bluetooth can now conveniently add FM radio functionality to their products with significant power, size and cost savings versus other solutions, offering a more complete stereo audio experience to their customers. New generations of mobile phone handsets are integrating increasingly diverse entertainment and media functionality, from digital photography to MP3 music playback. Bluetooth, the short-range wireless technology, has been incorporated widely into these devices as a convenient way to enhance the user experience, providing cord-free headset and stereo headphone capabilities. FM radio is one of the multimedia features currently gaining momentum with manufacturers and carriers with market researcher iSuppli projecting that 332 million handsets will include FM radio by 2009. The Broadcom BCM2048 solution enables these manufacturers to easily add FM radio and wireless stereo capabilities with a single-chip, providing cost savings of up to 40% and requiring only about one third the board space of existing solutions based on discrete components. (read more...)
Screen projection from handheld devices
February 12, 2006 One of the presenters at this week’s DEMO conference was Digislide, a company with a micro-optical engine named Digismart that allows 11-inch by 17-inch full-colour images to be projected from a range of hand held devices, including cell phones, Notebooks, GPS units, MP3/MP4 players, smartcard readers and gaming devices. Digislide’s patented miniature projection systems could prove to be one of the enabling technologies that will shape the future form factor of handheld technology – one of the “missing links” that could enable small objects to offer large screen viewing. Digislide is seeking industry alliance partners and licensees for its miniature projection systems which has the potential to be used in a number of US$100 billion a year markets (as above) and offer a unique differentiation, enabling them to not only retain but expand their market share by offering consumers instant access to large scale images from hand held devices. (read more...)
Buying, paying bills and transfering money with your mobile phone
February 9, 2006 Motorola has announced M-Wallet, a new solution for mobile phones that will enable paying bills, transferring money or making a purchase at retail. M-Wallet features an easy-to-use mobile interface that gives the consumer wireless secure access to financial services -- eliminating the need to carry a credit or debit card in your wallet. Motorola's M-Wallet also addresses the needs of companies that wish to innovatively market their goods and services. For example, merchants can issue virtual loyalty or gift cards directly to their customer's mobile phone. These cards can be redeemed via a mobile phone or can allow customers to conduct secure point-of-sale transactions, collect loyalty points, and obtain store receipts at existing retail merchant locations. M-Wallet users must opt-in to receive coupons or other promotional services, allowing them to choose preferred merchants who participate in the program and thereby reducing spam. (read more...)
Spiralling bang-per-buck for handheld video
February 8, 2006 The Bang-per-buck factor for personal handheld digital entertainment devices continues to spiral forever upwards with the pricing on new AV and PVRs driving the penetration of handheld video. One of the most logical functions of handheld devices is to be able to download images from that other heading-for-ubiquity device, the digital camera, without needing a laptop. When you’re out seeing the sights, or taking holiday snaps far from civilization, the last thing you want is to run out of memory in your camera or be weighed down with your laptop. Which makes Astone’s new 5GB EVO Digital AV Player an even better proposition because, thanks to its OTG (On The Go) function, you can download photos direct to the player. The EVO has a 280 x 220 pixel, 260k colour, 1.5" TFT LCD display and can also play movies and music clips, display images, listen to and record FM radio, read text files and record voice! More proof that the bang-per-buck factor for handheld entertainment just keeps getting better is the EVO’s price (US$220) and that of its big brother, the EVO X. The 20GB EVO X has a 2.5”, high-res color LCD screen and offers direct video recording and playback from any audio/visual source (TV, DVD, video) in real time, all for US$400. And having a detachable20GB hard drive, you have the option for easy size upgrades in the future. (read more...)
Swiss Army Knife gets a built-in MP3 player
February 7, 2006 The Swiss Army Knife has been one of the most sought-after gadgets by technophiles for 115 years, and it’s pleasing to see that Victorinox is still updating and innovating. Not long ago it added USB memory to one of the variants and has now gone one step further. The new s.beat digital audio player is an all-in-one 4GB digital audio player and USB storage device incorporated into a full-metal Swiss Army Knife. Built with the same level of precision the Swiss are renowned for, the knife and MP3 comes with a lifetime warranty. Now go try to peel an apple with your MP3 player! (read more...)
BMW offering free audio books designed for the 40 minute auto commute
February 7, 2006 As MP3 technology gives greater accessibility to all forms of audio content, there has been tremendous growth in the area of audio books. Audio books offer a very different user experience and are finding a loyal band of devotees amongst people who regularly need to drive long distances. For those drivers who don’t have satellite radio, recorded books offer a continuous thread of amusement that lasts much longer than terrestrial-based radio station footprints. Accordingly, it was a natural fit for BMW to follow the success of its internet-based ‘The Hire’ series of short films by offering free MP3 audio books specifically designed to be experienced while driving, with the average length of 45 minutes per story matching the average driver’s commute. (read more...)
VW and Google team to explore future vehicle navigation systems
February 4, 2006 The next battleground in the ongoing war for humanity’s digital future emerged this week – first it was business, then the home, and now the attention of the giants has focussed clearly on the automobile. Earlier this week Fiat and Microsoft announced their jointly-developed automotive telematics system Blue&Me would launch at the 2006 Geneva Motorshow later this month. Now VW and Google have announced their collaboration in building an in-car communication and entertainment system and have released significantly more detail. Volkswagen, Google, and graphics chipmaker, nVidia, are working on an in-car navigation map system and display that is 3-dimensional and more realistic than anything currently available. Users will instinctively recognize their location in relation to the surrounding topography, especially in urban areas that are depicted with depth and accurate size relationships between buildings and roads. The group is also working with the likes of Sun Microsystems and Splashpower on other advancements, including automatic personalized content updates for its vehicle navigation systems, and a wireless in-car charging system for handhelds. (read more...)
Karl Lagerfeld first designer to make runway fashion show available for video podcasting
February 3, 2006 Now here’s something we think will really catch on. Fashion guru Karl Lagerfeld will close New York Fashion Week on Friday, February 1, with his F/W '06 show and a fashion first. The debut of the Lagerfeld Collection will be the first fashion show to be made available as a Podcast on the iTunes Music Store, just hours after the event. Why is it signiicant? Well it will complete the disintermediation process between the fashion show and the consumer. Only a decade or two ago this took months, then with Fashion TV it became much quicker and now with the presentation available for podcasting, tech savvy designers and fashionista around the globe will be able to have the event on their personal media player within hours. Though the printed fashion magazine is in no danger of ever becoming extinct, this disintermediation will significantly erode its influence as video is an infinitelt better medium for seeing what clothes look like. (read more...)
The Type 1 Lotus Watch
February 2, 2006 The Type 1 Lotus Watch is the first wrist watch to be created by Lotus Design, the design studio responsible for all Lotus current and future products, as well as numerous client programmes. The bespoke timepiece which is infused with Lotus core values through its appearance which is highly technical, yet clean, stylish and elegant. However, the Type 1 Lotus watch is not a mere branding exercise; it was designed by Lotus Design, and boasts beautifully crafted components. These include an orange anodised aluminium crown guard mounted on a black dial with the Lotus roundel, taking inspiration from precision automotive and race parts used in the modern day Lotus sports car. (read more...)
EDIROL R-09 WAVE/MP3 stereo recorder
January 30, 2006 With podcasting emerging onto the media landscape with so much promise of recent times, new tools for the phenomenon are emerging at a rapid rate. Software tools such as PhoneValet Podcast have simplified the process and now professional hand-held audio recording has a new poster child too – the EDIROL R-09. The unit is absolutely tailor-made for creating podcast fodder, not to mention enabling broadcasters and journalists to trash their antiquated cassette recorders and the ability to record live music events, recitals, rehearsals, samples out of the studio … it’s one of those devices that enables new methodologies by being freely available and afforable. The ultra-small recorder has a built-in, high-quality, stereo microphone, time-stamp capability, and captures sound at a crystal-clean uncompressed 24-bit resolution with your choice of 44.1 or 48kHz sample rates. It’ll also record and play back in MP3 format (up to 320kbps) and can be monitored through headphones or exported to a computer via USB. Expect the R-09 in Q2 for around US400-$450. (read more...)
Samsung’s 8 mpx camera phone – the hamburger with the LOT!
January 30, 2006 We’ve talked about the highly competitive nature of Korean giant Samsung previously. If they ever introduce that well known game, “mine’s bigger than yours” at the Olympics, Samsung would be a Gold medal contender, capable of playing in almost any consumer electronics arena and winning the game. Last March at CEBIT, Samsung announced the world’s first 7 megapixel camera phone, the SCH-V770 and for the last few months has been showing the first eight megapixel camera phone, the V8200, to potential distribution partners at various trade shows, culminating in disclosure to select media at the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this month. The V8200 will be on shelves in Seoul within six weeks but will only be available in Korea. Both models (770 and 8200) will be available side-by-side as the specifications are slightly different - the 770 has a x3 optical zoom whereas the V8200 has just digital zoom. But the V8200 has just about every other feature you can think of – such as VGA (640x480) video recording, a TV-out function, Video on Demand, Music on Demand, an MP3 Player, a Microsoft Office file viewer, a 16M-color TFD Display, TransFlash external memory, dual speakers for excellent sound quality and a melody composer so you can develop your own ringtones … and digital images 3296 x 2472 pixels in size. Detailed images inside. (read more...)
New wireless intercom eliminates need for base station
January 29, 2006 For sports coaches, event coordinators, theatre directors, security personnel, and others with a need for group and one-to-one wireless communication, Anchor Audio’s new PortaCom Pro could be just what’s required. It’s a 2.4 GHz professional wireless intercom system combining an automatic lock out feature to keep conversations to two speakers at a time for maximum understanding, with an “All Call” channel allowing any user to speak to everyone in a group. Allowing up to 15 simultaneous groups to operate on 15 user group channels and a separate “All Call” channel, the user-friendly PortaCom Pro can bring any size group together for priority calls. Each user group can contain an unlimited number of users within a range of approximately 250 metres. Unlike cumbersome wireless intercom systems requiring a central base station or active antennae, the PortaCom Pro requires just a lightweight headset and beltpack for each user. (read more...)
Handtop PC combines desktop power, instant-on PDA convenience and connected functionality of a cell phone
January 13, 2006 The DualCor cPC is a pretty special device and one which demands the attention of professionals who get out of the office a lot but don’t want to forego the power of a desktop when they’re travelling. It is the first ultra portable personal computer to simultaneously run full-function Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 and Windows Mobile 5.0 operating systems, offering the best of both worlds. This unique device represents a new category of hardware for global enterprise computing and promises to end the compromise between mobility, functionality and productivity for the mobile business professional. (read more...)
Cell phone traffic yielding real-time road traffic info
January 12, 2006 The overnight news that TomTom NV is to acquire Applied Generics Limited has some interesting ramifications for the way in which we navigate on the roads. TomTom offers quality, innovative, easy-to-use personal navigation products and services to the consumer market. Applied Generics has developed technology that makes it possible to generate real time road traffic information based on analysis of mobile telephone network usage and cell-switching. The technology is commercially deployed and has the potential to deliver high quality traffic information at a fraction of the investment normally required to generate traffic information. Which means that TomTom may soon be in the position to offer additional income streams to network operators and invaluable real time nationwide information on traffic conditions overlayed on top of directional and road network information. If you'd like to see Applied Generics' real time road traffic technology working, click this text and follow the instructions in the second paragraph. Very cool! (read more...)
The electronic paper book
January 7, 2006 In one of the most significant product announcements of recent times, Sony has announced the lightweight Sony Reader – a product destined to transform the electronic reading experience and which we expect will do for reading what Apple's iPod did for music. Coupling an innovative electronic paper display with precise one-handed navigation, the Sony Reader will allow active readers to carry as many books as they want to read whether they are traveling on the road or just around the corner. Roughly the size of a paperback novel, but thinner than most (about .5 inches thin), the device can store hundreds of books in internal memory with the addition of an optional Memory Stick or Secure Digital (SD) flash memory card. The trick to the Reader is that its text is much easier to read than any computer screen - higher contrast, much higher resolution and MUCH easier on the eye. Curling up in bed with a digital novel has taken a while to become reality, but it will soon become available to the masses. (read more...)
CES 2006: Motorola and Oakley unveil new stereo eyewear
January 5, 2006 Motorola and Oakley yesterday announced the "O ROKR", the latest eyewear product to result from the companies’ collaborative focus on designing cutting-edge wireless products for the active consumer. O ROKR uses the Bluetooth Stereo Music Profile (A2DP), which enables music to stream wirelessly from compatible products to the eyewear. At the touch of a button, a user can play or pause music and answer an incoming call. From the Motorola mobile handset line-up, O ROKR works with the newly unveiled Motorola ROKR E2 and the Motorola E680i (available only in Asia). (read more...)
CES 2006: BlueTooth innovations abound - Inner-ear headset, bluetooth keyboard and wireless iPod companion
January 5, 2006 Motorola has unveiled a ground-breaking product that sets a new standard in miniaturization for Bluetooth headset form and function - the Motorola H5 Miniblue Bluetooth Headset. Miniblue is equipped with an in-ear speaker and microphone that picks up your voice through your ear canal. The design greatly reduces ambient noise and enables crystal-clear communications in noisy environments. Weighing only 0.26 ounces and measuring 33 x 41 mm in diameter, the H5 Miniblue headset is small enough to ensure a comfortable in-ear fit. Motorola also unveiled several other Bluetooth enabled innovations including the Motorola TXTR (a full QWERTY wireless keyboard that to a Bluetooth-enabled phone so you can type messages with convenience and ease) and the Music Duo ( which lets you stream music from your iPod to your Motorola Bluetooth Stereo headphones). (read more...)
CES 2006: Viewsonic previews handheld projector prototype
January 4, 2006 Today we were fortunate enough to catch up with the folks at Viewsonic and to get a preview of a new handheld, battery-powered projector prototype. The diminutive PJ106D uses a white LED light source and a .55" DLP chip and can operate for about 2.5 hours when mated with it's portable battery pack. We actually saw the device in action and were impressed. While the PJ106D's light output is only 25 lumen, we found that it was more than adequate for "small" presentations and Viewsonic claims that it's enough to produce a 30 or 40" image in a darkened room. Inputs include an SD card slot (for jpeg slide shows), S-video, composite video, and VGA. The prototype we saw had a speaker and audio input, but these are unlikely to make it into the final product. (read more...)
CES 2006: Wireless Stereo Headsets for Mobile Phones -- One Headset for Listening to Music and Answering Calls
January 4, 2006 Logitech has announced it will preview two new wireless stereo headsets for mobile phones at the 2006 Consumer Electronics Show. Each of these headsets allows people to both listen to digital stereo music and conduct phone calls on mobile music phones. The Logitech Mobile Stereo Headset HS 200 and HS 210 models make it easy, with the push of a button, to switch from enjoying a favorite song to participating in a conference call. (read more...)
CES 2006: business-card sized, Bluetooth-enabled mouse that stores and recharges inside your laptop’s PC card slot
January 4, 2005 The MoGo is designed for road warriors who don’t like bulky, full-sized, mice, but also hate laptop trackpads and trackpoints. Now we all know that a mouse is a very personal thing, so this may not be a solution for everyone, but it’s a very good idea and one which is worthy of every road warrior’s attention. The mouse which fits snugly in your palm when you’re using a desktop often takes on quite different proportions and becomes a pain in the butt when you’re on the road, never seeming to fit nicely in your bag, and constantly getting tangled. So having a PCMCIA-card sized mouse that stores and recharges neatly inside your laptop computer’s PC card slot when it’s not being used is very useful on the road. For us, the Bluetooth-enabled functionality is a clincher. Whatsmore, the MoGo Mouse recharges in less than an hour so there are no batteries to be replaced. (read more...)
Portable fuel cells hit the market
December 31, 2005 Jadoo has announced that it will be introducing a line of fuel cell products for prosumers at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2006 in Las Vegas. Jadoo has been shipping its fuel cell products to the professional broadcasting market for two years, but the NABII power unit, N-Stor fuel canister and FillPoint refill station will find a variety of new applications, including field-ready laptops, emergency response radios and other equipment used in "off-grid" power situations, as well as professional broadcast cameras. Some of the advantages of the NABII fuel cell technology include a virtually infinite shelf-life compared to batteries, a Hot-Swap capability (so power never goes down like when replacing batteries), and a rapid refill/recharge time with the FillPoint. (read more...)
World's Thinnest In-Motion Satellite TV Antenna to debut in Japanese automotive market
December 28, 2005 It makes sense that as the wireless phenomena unfolds, we’ll want access to our information wherever we are, no matter what we’re doing. We’ll want it on our handheld, and we’ll want it at home, and anywhere else where we spend our time – quite logically, for most of us, that will be when we are driving a car. RaySat produces in-motion, low profile, phased-array satellite antennas for the train and automotive markets. These antennas allow moving vehicles to receive live satellite television, and the company is the first to offer a low profile antenna solution for high-speed, two-way Internet connectivity. RaySat’s latest antenna receives BS/CS satellite broadcasts in vehicle and is ultra-low-profile at just 4cm (1.6") in height. One of these in your SUV means fishing in a mountain stream and watching the big game on Saturday night need not be mutually exclusive pursuits. (read more...)
The Valentines Day Limited Edition Blancpain
December 21, 2005 The day for lovers, Valentines Day, like so many other aspects of modern life, emanated from the Romans. Every February in ancient Rome, a feast was held to honour the goddess Juno. The names of young women were put into an urn and drawn by lottery to match a single male. The matched couples would be considered partners for the year, and those who wished could enter the draw again the next year for a new partner. The Catholic Church was keen to eradicate these heathen practices so in 496AD, Pope Gelasius declared the day in honour of St. Valentine and promoted it as a day for lovers. St Valentine was a martyr who had been stoned to death for marrying couples in defiance of the insane emperor Claudius II who had outlawed marriage on the basis that the existence of families made soldiers reluctant to go to war. It’s hardly a heart-warming tale, and certainly not one to match the sentiments normally expressed on the day, though when you consider that 60% of marriages end in divorce, we think the original idea might be worth a revisit. In more modern times, several time-honoured practices have evolved, including the sending of love letters on the day and the giving of watches, with the world’s oldest watch manufacturer (BlancPain) commemorating the day each year with a very special limited edition woman’s timepiece. Don’t ask the price though. (read more...)
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