Mobile Technology

When it comes to smartphones, people can argue about the relative merits of a bigger display that is easier on the eyes and fingers or a smaller display that results in a more pocket-friendly unit. But whatever the length and width, it seems that the desire for a thinner smartphone is pretty much universal. And - for the time being anyway - they don't come any thinner than the Huawei Ascend P1 S that made its debut at CES this week. Measuring just 6.68 mm (0.26 in) thick, Huawei says although the Ascend PS 1 is the world's slimmest smartphone, it doesn't scrimp on the features. Read More

Ion Audio is to add a new handheld controller for iPhone and iPod Touch to its iCade mini arcade line, along with two scaled-down versions of its original controller cabinet for the iPad, which started life as an April Fool prank. Currently on show at the company's booth at CES 2012, the iCade Mobile, iCade Core and iCade Jr. offer mobile gamers the chance to play it old school using physical buttons and a four-way controller or joystick instead of the touchscreen. Read More

Among the electronic goodies unveiled today at CES 2012 in Las Vegas was LG’s new 4G LTE Verizon smartphone, the Spectrum. The phone’s big selling feature is its 1280 x 720-pixel high-definition display – it is billed as “the first smartphone for Verizon Wireless to feature a 4.5-inch True HD In-Plane Switching (IPS) display, the same display technology used in premium LG HD televisions.” Read More

While insufficient battery-life can be annoying in most mobile devices, getting cut off from the outside world because your radio has run out of juice can be much more serious. This is why Eton has been producing various devices powered by hand-turbines and solar panels for some time now. Today’s CES Unveiled saw Eton demonstrating its latest FRX line of self-powered radios that come in three flavors – the FRX 3 and FRX 2, which both sport a solar panel and hand turbine, and the FRX 1, which features just the hand-turbine. Also on show was Eton’s new Rukus portable Bluetooth sound system, which comes in battery- and solar-powered versions. Read More

What if you could read on your Kindle for three months straight? SolarFocus will be showing off a Kindle case at CES this week designed to do just that. Called SolarKindle, the case has a solar panel built into its front that allows you to charge your Kindle poolside, or while you're involved in other outdoor activities, delivering three months of reading time and over 50 hours of reading lamp use on a single charge. Read More

From iDevices, the iPeople behind the iGrill, comes iShower - a battery-powered, Bluetooth-enabled, water-resistant speaker for what its makers charmingly refer to as "aqua-centric environments." The iShower can stream music from any Bluetooth-enabled Apple or Android device, apparently to an impressive range of up to 200 feet (60 meters). Well iNever. Read More

There are currently a plethora of speaker docking systems out there, for use with iPhones or classic iPods. There have been some solutions created specifically for previous generations of iPod nanos, such as the devices made by Green Power and Dexim, but the new sixth-generation nanos have a different form factor with different docking requirements. One of the companies responding to that change is Singapore’s Gavio, which recently launched a speaker dock designed specifically for the current incarnation of the nano. It’s called The Pill, although if you want to get technical, a more accurate name would have been The Capsule. Read More

Apple has effectively blacklisted respected security researcher Charlie Miller after he discovered and reported a potential vulnerability with iOS apps. Exploiting the flaw (subsequently patched by Apple), Miller created an app that made it possible to steal data from, and take control of, other iOS devices. Further, Miller managed to get the app through Apple's approval process. Read More

At next month’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2012) in Las Vegas, tech start-up Snapkeys will be attempting to break the Guinness World Record for fastest typing speed. The company will be making its record attempt using volunteers (who it is currently in the process of recruiting), and its new 2i typing system for mobile devices. Unlike traditional systems that utilize a full QWERTY virtual keyboard that takes up much of the screen, 2i incorporates just four onscreen keys ... and they’re all invisible. Read More