Mobile Technology
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Microdrives continue to get smaller in size and larger in capacity
January 19, 2005 - Storage continues to get smaller in size, larger in capacity and cheaper seemingly every month. Hitachi continues to lead the way with the unveiling of a smaller one-inch Microdrive product and a slimmer 1.8-inch hard drive that will be available later this year. These two miniature drives are designed to meet the accelerating demand for ultra-portable handheld devices - such as mobile phones and digital music players - that don't compromise on storage capacity. Hitachi has re-engineered its one-inch Microdrive to create a 20-percent smaller version with a capacity of 8 to 10 GB and trimmed 30% off the size of its new 1.8-inch Travelstar drive to create the world's smallest and lightest 1.8-inch drive, beating the closest competitor by 10 percent in total volume. (read more...)
RFID pen to debut next week
January 19 2005. A new RFID-enabled pen will be shown for the first time next week at the Paperworld exhibition in Frankfurt. Jointly developed by Dutch company Allwrite and Fisher SpacePen using SOKYMAT RFID tags, the pen offers a number of benefits other than the ability to write on paper. The idea behind the pen is that the RFID tag in it gives the owner a unique ID and can hence be used in a number of very useful ways. We're not so sure how useful it will be. (read more...)
'Helper Phone' for Visually Handicapped People
January 19, 2005 Korea's SK Telecom has announced the launch of the 'Helper Phone', the first mobile phone developed exclusively for visually handicapped people. The phone is designed to help the world's 50 million blind people conveniently use their mobile phone through a voice enabled cellular function guide. The 'Helper Phone' is Samsung Electronics' SCH-E580 model. It offers special voice guidance to customers through the voice helper mode on the handset. (read more...)
Apple Introduces iPod shuffle - the first iPod Under US$100
MACWORLD EXPO, SAN FRANCISCO, January 11, 2005 Apple today introduced iPod shuffle, a digital music player based on iPod's shuffle feature which lets users experience their music in a million different ways. Smaller and lighter than a pack of chewing gum, iPod shuffle comes with its own lanyard so it's ready to wear right out of the box. iPod shuffle works seamlessly with iTunes' innovative AutoFill feature which automatically selects songs from a user's music library to fill up iPod shuffle with just one click. iPod shuffle is the most affordable iPod ever and is available in two models: 512MB holding up to 120 songs for just US$99 and 1GB holding up to 240 songs for just US$149. (read more...)
Samsung debuts mobile phone with Speech-to-Text Capabilities
LAS VEGAS January 8, 2005 Samsung used its massive show of all-round high technology strength at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show as the backdrop for a very innovative and potentially very useful new technology for mobile telephones: speech-to-text dictation. The speech-to- text product called VoiceMode allows consumers to speak into the phone and have the phone convert the words directly into text. Using advanced speech recognition, the technology enables consumers to send short messages with the sound of their voice. Samsung's p207 is the first phone with the VoiceMode technology that allows consumers to simply speak the words of a message and have the phone translate those exact words into text. This speech-driven text messaging application allows users to quickly and easily address messages, then use their voice to create the text, enhancing the user experience and greatly simplifying text creation on today's compact numeric keypads. (read more...)
World's First Satellite Antenna for High Speed Internet Access and Digital TV Reception in cars
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7 Ubiquitous 24-7 high-speed communications access is one of those things we have long talked about being in the future - at the CES today, it became a stark reality when RaySat introduced the world's first vehicle-based satellite antenna providing in-motion, high-speed Internet access to motorists, including emergency personnel, riding in cars, trucks, or motor homes. The new SpeedRay 3000 is based on an enclosed low-profile, roof-mounted antenna, which turns any vehicle into a rolling "hot spot," enabling Internet access to laptops, PDAs, or other devices equipped with Wi-Fi wireless networking technology. (read more...)
Electronics and Fashion Merge as vendors begin to address the women's market
LAS VEGAS January 8, 2005 As computers become ubiquitous in society over the coming decade we will see many changes as new markets are addressed. The male-female digital divide has long since disappeared - two thirds of all home computer purchases in the United States are now made by women. The female market has different feature priorities when purchasing electronics, demanding aesthetics, durability and functionality and one of the most encouraging things we saw at CES was the product of a partnership between digital lifestyle product manufacturer X2, and mobile lifestyle carry case manufacturer Mobile Edge. The two have formed a strategic partnership to create an ensemble of computer electronics with coordinating, high-fashion carrying cases designed especially for women. The first products resulting from this collaboration will be a colour-coordinated pastel line of notebook PCs and digital devices with matching chic, tech-smart carrying cases. (read more...)
MP3 player AND voice recorder could develop a new market
January 5, 2005 Iriver's N10 hangs around your neck like a piece of jewellery and looks the part. The necklace also functions as a set of earplugs, and the N10 is an MP3 player with 512 MB of recording space. It is also a voice recorder and can be activated to record almost instantly. This makes taking lecture notes a breeze as the file can then be downloaded to your computer in Mp3 format, annotated and even transcribed. It also opens up the possibility of routinely recording verbal briefings, business meetings and instructions. (read more...)
Multi-channel MP3 Surround sound launched
December 14, 2004 MP3, the world's most popular audio compression format is about to go multi-channel. Scientists and engineers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, who developed MP3 together with colleagues from Thomson and Agere Systems, have joined to launch MP3 Surround into the consumer and commercial markets. This technology will enable 5.1 channel surround sound for a broad spectrum of applications including web-based music distribution, broadcasting systems, PC-related audiovisual or gaming applications, consumer electronics and automotive systems. (read more...)
P2P file-sharing coming to mobile phones
November 29, 2004 Music, video and other multimedia may soon be able to be swapped from your mobile phone using peer-to-peer (P2P) file-trading technologies being developed by phone maker Nokia. The latest developments from Lorant Farkas and colleagues at the Nokia Research Center in Budapest threaten to one-day eclipse file-trading on computers by making P2P networking a feature of the ubiquitous mobile phone. (read more...)
New software lets mobile phones get to know you
November 28, 2004 Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US are trialing new pattern recognition software for mobile phones that can study users' habits and then offer customised suggestions and advice, New Scientist magazine has reported. The technology explores the potential for the next generation of PDAs and smart-phones to "get to know" their users, learning from what they do and who they do it with by logging voice and text calls and use of other applications. (read more...)
TXT MOB technology unites social networks
November 26, 2004 TXT MOB, an innovative social application for SMS services, enables the networking of community groups for on-the-ground information sharing. TXTMob lets you quickly and easily share text messages with friends and total strangers in a format similar to an email b-board system. Like email, you can sign up to send and receive messages from various groups, which are organized around a range of different topics. (read more...)
Mobile phones to be powered by micro-jet engines
November 23, 2004 Engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US have made advances in batch producing miniaturised, jet engine-based generators from a single stack of bonded silicon wafers - potentially unlocking a new power source for mobile phones and other portable electronic devices. New Scientist magazine has reported that by spinning a tiny magnet above a mesh of interleaved coils etched into a wafer, engineers David Arnold and Mark Allen have built the first silicon-compatible device capable of converting mechanical energy (produced by a rotating micro-turbine) into usable amounts of electrical energy. (read more...)
Casio introduces a heavy duty PDA
November 20, 2004 Casio has announced the release of the new IT-10 Enterprise PDA. Engineered for heavy duty use in tough field environments as well as retail applications, the IT-10 is drop, shock, water and dust resistant. The device will be available in Japan and the USA in December for a RRP of US $999. The IT-10 offers exceptional portability along with high-speed, high-capacity data processing. It's range of functions are designed to suit a variety of tasks such as retail store management, sales force automation, equipment/facilities maintenance management and market research applications. The IT-10 offers a higher level of performance by offering greater durability, a high resolution VGA display that is both advantageous for web- based application developers as well as allowing easy viewing for users, and a high capacity battery for extended operation time between charges. (read more...)
USB noise-cancelling headphones from Thanko
November 15, 2004 New USB noise-cancelling headphones from Thanko have gone on the market in Japan, offering the ability to filter external noise as well as distortion from your PC to improve listening quality. The Rare Mono Shop in Japan is selling the innovative noise-cancelling headphones for US$45. They measure 30mm in diameter, weigh 180g (excluding battery) and use a NDFeB magnet for the driver. They run on two AA batteries with a continuous use battery life of around 80 hours. (read more...)
Hard Disk Drives Expected to Move Beyond the PC
November 8, 2004 As the PC market matures and the amount of digital content available to the consumer and the desire to store it continues to increase, the number of devices integrating hard disk drives in consumers' homes will explode, according to In-Stat/MDR. As a result, the high-tech market research firm expects that, while hard drives in the CE segment represented about 5% of the total hard drive market in 2003, they will represent about 33% of the market by 2008. With this segment representing a variety of opportunities for storage companies, shipments of CE with integrated hard drives are expected to represent a very attractive 67.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) over the 2003-2008 period. (read more...)
Ferrari inspires the Motorola i833 phone
November 8, 2004 In another example of cross-brand synergy Motorola and Pininfarina - the design company behind many iconic vehicles from Ferrari and Maserati - are releasing the Pininfarina Limited Edition Motorola i833 mobile phone. The i833 is a titanium-coloured model with a sleek shape inspired by the lines of a Ferrari car. The car-like housing of the handset also features a translucent internal lens that gives users a peek into the "hood" of the phone, a gas tank-shaped audio jack cover and grill-like bottom connector cover. (read more...)
Global mobile telephone market continues to grow
November 8, 2004 The global mobile telephone market continues to grow, with research company In-Stat/MDR forecasting 2004 global shipments of mobile phones will increase 22% this year to 653 million units. Nokia remained the number one cell phone manufacturer in the world in the third quarter of this year, according to In-Stat. In the period ending September 30th, Nokia had 31.2% market share, virtually unchanged from a year earlier, but up slightly from the two previous quarters. (read more...)
Nokia 7710 offers handwriting recognition
November 8, 2004 The Nokia 7710 shown for the first time last week offers both pen input and handwriting recognition and an eBook reader on a widescreen display featuring 640x320 pixels and 65k colors. The 7710 includes also includes a full Internet browser, an integrated music player with stereo audio, an extensive set of video features such as Real Player playback, streaming and recording and a megapixel camera with 2-x digital zoom and an FM radio with Visual Radio client. Listeners will be able to see information on the song and artist currently playing on the radio or participate in competitions. (read more...)
WaiterPad wireless handheld transforms hospitality
November 7, 2004 WaiterPad is an easy-to-use handheld ordering solution that utilises radio frequency (RF) technology to record and transmit customer orders to preparation areas, as well as instantly update the Point of Sale (POS) system. The brainchild of PalmTEQ Ltd. Australia, the product has been successfully deployed in Australia and the UK and now launched on the North American market. WaiterPad includes both software and radio frequency hardware in one package, enabling restaurant staff to wirelessly order, process payments and align inventory information with back office operations. This saves time, both for the restaurant and for the customer, which in turn increases efficiency and enhances profitability. To date, customers in the UK have experienced 12-14 percent improvement to the bottom line and a solid return on investment in four to six months. (read more...)
FanTESStic - a soap opera just for mobile phones
November 6, 2004 In the coming era of ubiquitous handheld wireless access to all media types, entertainment will inevitably be very different. One significant development in new media was the recent UK launch of an MMS soap opera designed for mobile telephone users. The new format from the same company which brought us Big Brother, involves fresh thinking about the new information and entertainment tools society has, or will soon have, at its disposal. FanTESStic consists of 80 comic strip-style episodes and runs over a 16-week period. The storyline is based on a female DJ in Ibiza who has lost her identity and is struggling to get it back. In case you haven't guessed yet, her name is TESS. (read more...)
Sony Ericsson launches the K500i camera phone
November 3, 2004 Sony Ericsson Australia have launched the new K500i camera phone packed with the latest entertainment and imaging features to suit a fun and active lifestyle, enabling music, the latest 3D games and high quality VGA images all on the go for a recommended retail price of AUD $555. Designed to look like a phone on one side and a camera on the other, the K500i boasts 1.9 inch 65K colour TFT screen to ensure the user can view images and play games with vivid clarity. The K500i is an ideal gaming companion with its cutting-edge graphics, large screen and MultiAction joystick. Smooth, intuitive game play is assured with an impressive graphics platform consisting of Java 2.0 and Mascot Capsule Engine Micro3D Edition from HI Corp to support fast-action, graphic-rich mobile applications. (read more...)
Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile add-on
November 02, 2004 Convenient consumer access to mobile services is on the way, simply by touching tags with the Nokia 3220 phone and Nokia Near Field Communication (NFC) shell. At the Nokia Mobility Conference in Monaco today Nokia announced the NFC shell, the latest step in the development of innovative products for mobile communications. With the Nokia NFC shell on their phone, consumers will be able to easily access a variety of services and conveniently exchange information with a simple touch gesture utilizing NFC technology - a technology that emerged from the combination of contactless identification (RFID Radio Frequency Identification) and interconnection technologies. (read more...)
Waterproof MP3 Player uses Bone Conduction Tech
November 2, 2004 A waterproof SwiMP3 player that uses bond conduction technology has been released for swimmers, triathletes, surfers and anyone who wants to listen to music whilst in the water. Unlike other waterproof players that rely on traditional air conduction technologies, often producing a muffled sound, the SwiMP3 player uses bone conduction (the direct transfer of sound vibrations from the cheek bone to the inner ear) to provide the swimmer with exceptional sound clarity. Bone conduction hearing is a safe, well-established hearing mechanism in humans that the SwiMP3 player leverages to enhance aquatic activity. (read more...)
Convert and watch DVDs on your mobile/pocket PC
October 29, 2004 Now you can take your DVDs with you and watch them anywhere on your smartphone or Pocket PC. DVD TO POCKET PC enables you to convert DVD movies so they can be played on your Pocket PC or Symbian (Nokia or Sony Ericsson) smartphone - it's fast, takes just two clicks, and costs just US$24.95. The resultant movies are in high quality with stereo sound and can be played in full screen landscape mode. The amazing thing is the compression - a full length feature film of less than 100 minutes can be stored on a 128 Mb memorycard. For films longer than 100 minutes you'll need a 256 mb card. On a 512 SD card , you can even crunch 4 films! (read more...)
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