Mobile Technology

00:13 September 5, 2007 PDT

September 5, 2007 Though not yet meeting the promise of palm-sized, ultra-portable nano-projectors the InFocus Work Big IN10 Ultra-Mobile Projector does offer a boost to portability weighing in at 2.4lbs (1.09kg) and measuring 2.5in (6.3 cm) x 6.1in (15.49cm) x 7.8in (19.81cm). Read More

Sanyo SCP-7050 mobile phone meets military standards for toughness

By Shaun McKeegan

17:36 September 3, 2007 PDT

September 4, 2007 Sanyo has added the rugged SCP-7050 to its range of mobile phones. Adhering to military standards for dust, shock and vibration, the clam-shell type phone features a durable rubber non slip exterior designed for use in physically demanding environments, full Bluetooth functionality, high quality display and built-in GPS capabilities. Read More

Quellan's QNx220 Noise Canceller boosts mobile signal strength

18:03 September 2, 2007 PDT

September 3, 2007 Quellan has announced a new RF Noise Canceller that extends the advantages of the technology beyond the realm of purely audio applications to enhance signal strength and clarity for video reception. In a weak signal area such as underground roadways or in high rise environments, a cell phone using the QNx220 can recover several bars of lost signal strength and a GPS receiver can obtain a location lock in just seconds rather than minutes. Read More

The credit card size Creative ZEN music, video and photo player

06:18 September 2, 2007 PDT

The credit card size Creative ZEN music, video and photo player

September 2, 2007 Creative’s new credit card-sized (well, try 55 x 83 x 12mm) Creative ZEN music, video and photo player was one of the stand-outs in the incredibly crowded personal media player space at IFA this week. The top-of-the-range Creative ZEN comes with a 16.7 million colour 2.5-inch screen and 16GB storage plus an SD memory slot and includes a built-in FM radio with 32 station presets, a voice recorder, and a personal organiser which

can synchronise contacts, ‘to do’ lists, and calendars with Microsoft Outlook. Read More

Panasonic 16GB SDHC card due in November

11:09 August 31, 2007 PDT

Panasonic 16GB SDHC card due in November

September 3, 2007 UPDATED - NEW IMAGES With memory’s inexorable bang-per-buck march outstripping even Moore’s Law of doubling every 18 months, it’s not surprising that we constantly announce new record capacities. It’s nonetheless exciting because the number of HD camcorders and high-resolution digital still cameras demanding card-based recording media with larger capacity and higher data transfer speeds is dependent on the development of more and faster memory cards. Panasonic today announced it will release a 16GB Pro High Speed SDHC Memory Card with a data transfer speed of up to 20MB/s. The new RP-SDV16GU1K card will be globally released in November with a retail price of US$320. Read More

Sony releases new open format digital media players and kills ATRAC format

10:29 August 30, 2007 PDT

Sony releases new open format digital media players and kills ATRAC format

August 30, 2007 Sony today announced two new series of digital media players that will use MP3, AAC and WMA formats, at the same time as announcing it will discontinue use of the ATRAC format and begin closing its Connect online Music store in March 2008. Sony’s role as a music distributor has long compromised its position as a manufacturer of digital media players and the long-time stand-off between the two arms of the Japanese giant that threatened to make its digital music players irrelevant is over as it seeks to make up lost ground in the booming market created by digital file sharing over the internet. Ironically, though it can now compete on an even playing field with the likes of Apple’s iPod, one wonders what the consequences of abandoning its loyalest customers will do to the market’s perceptions of the famous Walkman brand. Read More

Sleek new Nokia 6555 3G mobile phone

07:38 August 28, 2007 PDT

August 28, 2007 Nokia’s 6555 3G mobile phone is just that, a new 3G mobile phone. But in the 21st century where phone equals fashion accessory, what sets it apart at first glance is its stunning looks - the sleek clamshell design features a recessed hinge that creates a seamless line when open, an external analog clock, and inside, a 16 million color display. Read More

Quadcharge universal charging station

By Shaun McKeegan

02:35 August 28, 2007 PDT

August 28, 2007 The Quadcharge is an inexpensive, all in one hub that allows you to charge four devices simultaneously whilst decreasing the number of AC adaptors that need to be connected to a power source, while at the same time cleaning up the tangled web of cords that otherwise pervade your kitchen bench-top or home office space. Read More

World Record 304km Wi-Fi connection

By Shaun McKeegan

23:43 August 26, 2007 PDT

World Record distance in a Wi-Fi technology transmission of 304km (188.89 miles) between M...

August 27, 2007 A new world record distance for a 5 GHz Wi-Fi link has been achieved by the Italian Center for Radio Activities (C.I.S.A.R), and Ubiquiti Networks, a leading innovator in outdoor wireless broadband solutions. The distance of 304km (188.89 miles) was established from Sardinia Island to Central Italy achieving data-rates of about 5Mbps, using Ubiquiti’s XtremeRange5 (XR5) High-Power Carrier Class mini-PCI radio module and 35dBi 5 GHz parabolic dish antennas. Read More

Motorola Q music 9m smartphone

18:09 August 23, 2007 PDT

August 24, 2007 Motorola has introduced a new smartphone that seeks to build on the ergonomic design and multimedia capabilities of its predecessor the Motorola Q. The sleek MOTO Q music 9m features a QWERTY keyboard, a side-scroll thumbwheel and dedicated keys for one-handed navigation and supports over-the-air music downloads using Verizon’s V CAST 3G EV-DO network. Read More

Avaya Dual Mode lets mobile users switch between wifi and cellular networks mid-sentence

By Kyle Sherer

21:28 August 16, 2007 PDT

Avaya Dual Mode lets mobile users switch between wifi and cellular networks mid-sentence

August 17, 2007 The Avaya One-X Mobile Dual Mode, developed for the Nokia Eseries range of phones allows workers to shift from network to network using one phone, with one number, and “hand off” calls to cellular networks with just one button. Read More

New Gresso high-end luxury mobile phones

17:31 August 7, 2007 PDT

August 8, 2007 Luxury mobile phone specialist Gresso has released its new “Avantgarde” collection. These unique, ultra-slim phones are manually constructed using gold and 200 year old African Blackwood – the use of which ensures that two identical phones do not exist. Employing the usual attention to detail, Gresso use Sapphire crystal glass of 42 K to frame the screen and hand polished stainless steel for the back, along with another first in the form of a keyboard featuring laser cut Roman numerals. Read More

Panasonic's new In-Dash LCD Monitor/DVD Receivers and CD Player

18:39 July 31, 2007 PDT

Panasonic's new In-Dash LCD Monitor/DVD Receivers and CD Player

August 1, 2007 Panasonic has introduced its next generation of mobile video entertainment systems for the vehicle including two new in-dash DVD monitor receivers compatible with Panasonic's optional expansion module for multiple digital devices. This enables connection of up to four devices at once such as iPods, camcorders or video game consoles, a DVD/CD changer, TV tuner or Bluetooth wireless phone kit. Read More

The AHKY wrist worn translation device

July 16, 2007 Speaking via an interpreter is difficult enough at the best of times, so you can imagine the difficulties soldiers in foreign lands have communicating with the population when there is a significant language barrier, no interpreter and lots of big guns in the near vicinity. The AHKY (Arabic for ‘speak’ ) is a new wrist worn translation device developed by Iraqi-born University of Derby student, Amin Ismail, will soon tackle the problem when it is deployed by British troops serving in Iraq. The AHKY currently has ten phrases which have been programmed in English, Arabic and Kurdish. Phrases such as ‘nothing will happen to you’; ‘turn around slowly’; and ‘come here’. Other languages and phrases specific for a user’s specific mission are uploaded prior to each use. Read More

AMD’s TV Wonder turns your laptop or PC into a feature-rich HDTV DVR home theater

July 10, 2007 AMD today introduced two new TV Wonder products that could really accelerate the blurring of the digital and analogue worlds – both are thumb-sized devices that plug into your desktop or notebook and offer high-definition television (HDTV) viewing and digital video recording (DVR) capabilities. The rangetopping ATI TV Wonder 650 Combo PCIe is a combo-tuner DVR with ClearQAM tuning, allowing PC users to receive unencrypted digital content available from their local cable television provider, and switch between analog and digital TV to watch and record a digital TV program while simultaneously watching/recording an analog TV channel. Read More

New Speakerphone a first for Nokia

July 5, 2007 Nokia, the world’s the largest phone manufacturer, have announced the release of their first dedicated speakerphone. Designed for ultimate hands-free functionality, the detachable Bluetooth Speakerphone includes a powerful speaker and microphone with enhanced audio quality via Digital Signal Processing (DSP) that cancels out excess noises and echoes, plus the ability to automatically switch off once you’ve finished talking. The Speakerphone HF-300 is operated with battery power (so you're not confined to using it with a power outlet) and comes with a sun visor clip for convenient attachment inside the car. Illuminated keys are featured for easy use and with up to 20 hours of talk time, the 80g unit is also suitable for extended hands-free conversations anywhere outside the car through the inclusion of rubber feet that allow it to be mounted on a variety of surfaces. Read More

Wind-powered mobile phone charger

July 5, 2007 The problem of keeping your mobile phone fully charged when miles away from a conventional electricity source is being tackled by UK wind turbine specialists, Gotwind. The Orange wind charger prototype is a small, portable tent mounting mobile phone charger that uses stored kinetic energy to fully charge a mobile phone in up to two hours. Weighing only 150 grams, the wind generator may be a convenient answer for your next camping trip and adds another option to the growing number of ecologically friendly phone accessories such as solar powered phone chargers (which have limited functionality at night and in colder climates) and wind-up units. Read More

World’s Smallest Flash Cards for Mobile Phones - SanDisk 8Gb microSDHC Cards

Reaching a new threshold of portable memory storage for mobile phones, the SanDisk 8-gi...

June 28, 2007 SanDisk Corporation has begun sampling 6- and 8-gigabyte (GB) microSD High Capacity (microSDHC) flash memory cards to major phone manufacturers and mobile network operators (MNOs) for testing and evaluation. The new cards are ideal for the growing number of feature-rich multimedia handsets that bring together phones, music players, hand-held computers, digital cameras and more. Pricing has not yet been determined but we can expect to see them at retail well before the end of the year. Read More

Hand-held wireless merchant system a boost for mobile businesses

By Loz Blain

June 22, 2007 "Sorry, I've got no cash on me" is possibly one of the biggest barriers to sales for mobile businesses and charity groups. But that won't be an excuse for long - Hypercom has announced the immediate global release of a hand-held wireless card payment system that's very quick, extremely secure and much, much smaller and lighter than previous attempts. Tricked-out with extremely quick processing, a color screen and support for credit, debit, gift, loyalty and check transactions - including non-contact PayWave-style transactions - this unit will make business much smoother for mobile and delivery businesses across the world. Read More

Adobe announces important ereading software - Digital Editions 1.0

June 21, 2007 Adobe has announced the release of an important new software application - Digital Editions 1.0 - specifically for acquiring, managing and reading eBooks, digital newspapers, and other digital publications. Available as a free download (Win and Mac). Adobe Digital Editions transforms the digital reading experience and offers new creative possibilities for publishers. Leading publishers, online retailers and channel partners have announced their support for Adobe Digital Editions and creating content is very cost- and time-efficient using Adobe’s sensational new InDesign CS3 software (review coming shortly). In addition, with versions for mobile platforms and reading devices also planned, Sony has committed to embed the technology into its most-likely-to-succeed portable reader product line. Read More

Apple iPhone upgraded even before release

June 19, 2007 You have to hand it to Steve Jobs and the team – they sure know how to build awareness. Yesterday Apple announced the iPhone will deliver significantly longer battery life when it ships on June 29 than was originally estimated when it was unveiled in January - 8 hours of talk time, 6 hours of Internet use and a whopping 250 hours of standby time, which represents more than 10 days without a recharge (provided you don’t do anything else in the meantime of course). On top of that, it’ll run seven hours of video or 24 hours of audio playback. In addition, the entire top surface, including its 3.5-inch display, has been upgraded from plastic to optical-quality glass to achieve a superior level of scratch resistance and optical clarity. Read More

Vibration-compensated mini projectors

June 14, 2007 Miniature projectors embedded in our cell phones, handheld game consoles and other personal electronics appear very likely to play a major role in the future of information display. Projecting a large screen display on a wall appears the most effective way we can currently envisage having a large screen inside a small form factor. One of the problems will of course be that a handheld device projecting a large screen might not lead to a stable, vibration-free and easily readable display. Now German scientists from the Institute for Photonic Microsystems in Dresden have combined a compact laser projector system with inertia and yaw rate sensors to project vibration-compensated images. The sensor system detects the slightest motion and rotates the image to compensate for it, ensuring a steady picture, even in a moving vehicle. The system could be commercially available within two years. Read More

MIT demonstrates wireless power