Subscribe to Gizmag's RSS feed
Follow Gizmag on Twitter
Mobile Technology
FIC's CW001 netbook has a DVD-RW drive and ExpressCard/34
By Tim Hanlon
23:22 January 1, 2009 PST
First International Computer's CW001 netbook is destined for US shores after arriving in the FCC database on the 31st of December last year. The 10.4-inch, Atom-based netbook is noteworthy for finding room for both a DVD-RW optical drive and an ExpressCard/34 slot - which appears to be a first for this form factor. Read More
yellowsn0w released: unlock your iPhone 3G
By Tim Hanlon
20:52 January 1, 2009 PST
Dev-Team has made good on their promise of an unlock for the iPhone 3G, with an unexpected bonus: it will unlock phones running the latest firmware (2.2) and baseband (02.28.00). Read More
Dashboard Devices ENV computer for the car
By Mike Hanlon
22:44 December 29, 2008 PST
December 30, 2008 One of the highlights of CES will be the fully-featured ENV car computer from start-up Dashboard Devices. The US$2,700 in-dash double-DIN ENV runs a 7" touchscreen monitor, Windows XP with an automotive interface, has a 160GB drive and offers full computer functionality. It’ll respond to voice prompts, read your email aloud, turn your car into a wifi hotspot, offer GPS navigation, has a DVD drive, iPod control, internet radio, satellite radio and possibly HD Radio too and GSM cellular connectivity. The system is true dual zone so rear seat passengers can control their own different A/V experience and there’s even plans for a his-and-hers sunvisor displays. Accessories include a rear view camera, a sonar parking system, and the ability to view real time health information for various vehicle sub-systems using the OBDII "Engine Diagnostic System." Like we said, fully featured! Read More
The lucrative business of text messaging
By Mike Hanlon
20:17 December 28, 2008 PST
December 29, 2008 What’s fair and reasonable pricing behaviour in business? There’s an excellent NYT article entitled “What Carriers Aren’t Eager to Tell You About Texting” which might encourage you to think about this next time you send a text message. The cost to the Telcos of sending text messages is negligible because the space-limited texts ride for free inside a control channel reserved for operation of the wireless network - so every cent of the 20 cents you pay for a text message is profit to the Telco. Gartner reports there were 1.9 trillion text messages sent in 2007, 2.5 trillion in 2008, and an anticipated 3.3 trillion in 2009. Our normal concept of fair pricing considers products whose costs rise proportionally to volume. Author Randall Stross points out that the cost of text messaging in the United States has doubled in the same period. Read More
Notebooks ship more than desktops for the first time
By Mike Hanlon
19:25 December 28, 2008 PST
Third quarter computer shipment figures are just in and we have finally passed a significant albeit inevitable milestone on the road to ubiquitous mobile computing and connectivity - the notebook has finally taken over from the desktop as the most popular computing platform, Fuelled by the success of the exploding netbook market, global notebook PC shipments rose to 38.6 million units in Q3 while desktop PC shipments declined 38.5 million units. In taking over as the primary computing form factor, the notebook is probably just holding the baton for a few years before its constituent sub-set of netbooks dominates the market. The emergence of the cut down, lightweight, cloud computing netbook has been the big story of 2008. Just 500,000 netbooks were sold in 2007, yet over 10 million will be sold this year and IDC predicts 40 million units by 2012. It has taken just 60 years to squeeze a computer which filled a room into a usable form factor of less then 1 kilogram and a price less than a weekly wage. One wonders what the next decade holds in store for us. Read More
The $99 iPhone 3G is here
By Tim Hanlon
18:09 December 28, 2008 PST
While rumors of Wal-Mart selling a 4GB iPhone for $99 have recently been smashed, there's still one way you can get your hands on an iPhone 3G for under US$100 - provided you're not averse to compromise. Read More
How iFart iPhone software makes US$10,000 a day
By Mike Hanlon
22:29 December 23, 2008 PST
December 24, 2008 Tales of becoming instantly wealthy in the computer software industry were common a few decades ago, but the growth of online sales for iPhone apps via Apple’s popular iTunes App Store is starting to create a few overnight developer successes too. One of the stars of the last few weeks has been the iFart program – successfully digitising scatalogical humour, the US$0.99 app offers a virtual orchestra of flatulent effects (choose from the “squeeser”, the “wet one”, the “quack”, the “sick dog” and 16 more) and there’s a “Sneak Attack” function where you can set your phone up to trumpet rude noises a few minutes down the track. You may well scoff at the infantile humor, but thousands, indeed, tens of thousands of men are embracing their inner child and purchasing the application every day – sales revenues reached US$9000 a day on December 22. Read More
US$15 Pogo Sketch turns MacBook Trackpad into pen tablet
By Mike Hanlon
20:13 December 23, 2008 PST
December 24, 2008 It’s not often we report about potentially disruptive technology in a US$15 package, but that’s the way we see the Pogo Sketch. Made specifically for use with the newest MacBook multi-touch trackpad, the stylus is claimed to transform the notebook into a pen tablet for premium drawing programs and artistic applications. Without trying it, we can’t be sure it’s the real deal, but we acknowledge the massive potential of adding tablet functionality to any computer for just US$14.95. We recently raved about Ten One Design’s Pogo Stylus for the iPhone and iPod touch which uses the same special conductive tip to transfer the signal from the user’s hand to the capacitive touch screen display. Indeed, the Pogo Sketch can also be used on an iPhone and iPod touch too, so it’s potentially a game changer in our humble opinion. Read More
iPhone 3G Unlock complete, due for New Year's Eve release
By Tim Hanlon
21:48 December 21, 2008 PST
MuscleNerd from the infamous Dev-Team has publicly demonstrated the unlocking of an iPhone 3G, before switching to a T-Mobile SIM card and making a phone call. Dev-Team only has to package the software, codenamed 'yellowsn0w', into the slick, user-friendly form that you have come to expect from their QuickPwn tool and other software releases - and they hope to get this done in time for a New Year's Eve release. Click through for the demonstration video. Read More
Parrot's MINIKIT Slim hands-free speakerphone
By Emily Clark
20:45 December 18, 2008 PST
With the help of NXT flat-panel speaker technology, Parrot has managed to cram some useful functionality into its new slimline, three ounce, hands-free speakerphone - the MINIKIT Slim. The clip-on Bluetooth car kit synchronizes automatically with up to five mobile phones and uses Parrot's latest voice recognition and DSP technology with user-independent voice recognition and text-to-speech capability. Read More
Mobile Spy software now for iPhone 3G
By Mike Hanlon
18:40 December 17, 2008 PST
December 18, 2008 Without getting into the questionable ethics involved in spying on your employees, children and other supposed loved ones, Gizmag readers should be aware that there’s now some pretty hardcore technology available for monitoring what people do on their iPhone. Retina-X’s Mobile Spy has been around for some time for Windows Mobile and Symbian operating systems but this week the iPhone app became available and it can silently monitor incoming and outgoing text messages (SMS) and call information and upload it to your private online account. Accounts can be checked online from any web browser without needing further access to the phone. Read More
myPower charges iPhone on the go
By Kyle Sherer
22:18 December 10, 2008 PST
Another solution for those looking for a little more up-time out of their iPhone, myPower is both a protective case and back-up power source which doubles iPhone battery life. myPower can fully charge in three hours, and is compatible with the iPhone, iPod classic, iPod touch, and iPod video. Read More
Novatel MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot creates a mobile Wi-Fi cloud
By Darren Quick
23:01 December 9, 2008 PST
Widespread mobile Internet access is the next step along the road to complete connectivity and Novatel Wireless are hoping their new MiFi product line proves a vital stepping stone in hastening our trip along that path. The palm-sized MiFi enables users to access high-speed Internet from anywhere there is a cellular connection, including moving vehicles where multiple passengers may need Internet access. Read More
Richardsolo iPod back-up battery
By Emily Clark
20:35 December 4, 2008 PST
RichardSolo.com, the brainchild of founder and former CEO of The Sharper Image, Richard Thalheimer, has launched a new back-up battery designed specifically for iPhones. The pocket-sized RichardSolo 1800 has the capacity to more than double the usage time of your iPhone. Read More
Sandisk Cruzer Enterprise: the first secure flash drive to support OS X
By Tim Hanlon
15:58 December 4, 2008 PST
When we pointed out that the AES encryption functionality on board Iomega's eGo Encrypt hard drive didn't function under OS X, turns out we might have been unfairly singling it out - as Sandisk's Cruzer Enterprise has just claimed the title of the world's first encryptable flash drive to fully function on Macintosh operating systems. Read More
Nokia flags high-priority on e-mail
17:15 December 3, 2008 PST
Nokia has announced a plan to offer email and IM on all Nokia devices through the use of their Mail on Ovi Platform. Users have the option of creating a new e-mail account with 1GB of storage on the Ovi service, or can connect to their existing Mail and IM accounts hosted by Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, AOL and others. Read More
Nokia Maps plans mobile assault on Google Maps
By Mike Hanlon
00:07 December 3, 2008 PST
December 3, 2008 Dave Weinstein reports Nokia has announced a major update to its Nokia Maps application for S60 smart phones, which not only updates their mobile mapping, but adds desktop support for trip planning and coordination through their new Maps on Ovi service. Read More
The new Nokia N97
By Jack Martin
23:31 December 2, 2008 PST
December 2, 2008 Gizmag's Dave Weinstein attended the Nokia World Conference this week in Barcelona. This is the first of a series of articles on the flurry of announcements: Nokia has announced its next generation flagship device, the N97. Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's Executive Vice President Markets, unveiled the device as walked through the design process that yielded a powerful device that aims to capture the hearts and minds of the public as a primary internet and communications terminal as well as an entertainment and gaming device. Read More
The Top 10 iPhone Applications for 2008
By Tim Hanlon
16:09 December 2, 2008 PST
Apple has released statistics on the most downloaded iPhone applications of 2008, with a top ten list each for free and paid applications. One thing is for sure - iPhone developers looking to make a living should be concentrating on designing the next big iPhone game. Click through for the lists. Read More
Nokia's vision of a connected mobile world
By Jack Martin
14:52 December 2, 2008 PST
December 3, 2008 It’s not surprising that the world’s largest phone manufacturer has a grand vision as global mobile device subscriptions pass the four billion mark. Nokia’s latest white paper paints a picture of a connected global network based around the world’s most distributed and pervasive sensing instrument – the mobile phone. Thanks to an increasing number of built-in sensors - ambient light, orientation, acoustical, video, velocity, GPS - each device can capture, classify, and transmit many types of data with exceptional granularity. The perfect platform for sensing the world is already in our hands. If you only read one article today, this should be it. Read More
The era of the personal Internet dawns with the Nokia N97
By Jack Martin
00:50 December 2, 2008 PST
December 2, 2008 Nokia today unveiled the Nokia N97, the world’s most advanced mobile computer, which Nokia is hoping will transform the way people connect to the Internet and to each other. Designed for Internet-savvy consumers, the N97 combines a 3.5 inch touch screen with a full QWERTY keyboard, providing an ‘always open’ window to favorite social networking sites and Internet destinations. Nokia’s flagship Nseries device introduces leading technology – including multiple sensors, memory, processing power and connection speeds – for people to create a personal Internet and share their ‘social location.’ The Nokia N97 is expected to begin shipping in the first half of 2009 at an estimated retail price of EUR 550 before taxes or subsidies. Read More
EDG multimedia business card hits the market
By Jack Martin
09:13 November 28, 2008 PST
November 27, 2008 Three years ago we wrote rather optimistically about the coming of the rCard, a US$25 multimedia business card (and promotional give-away and gaming device and …). Now there's a similar product that comes in three versions, each with different capabilities. It’s called EDG (pronounced edge) and will be initially marketed as is a digital video card that enables pharmaceutical firms to build and maintain relationships with their key audiences, but are lots of very useful ways to use the card in almost any business where making a first impression and delivering a high value message to create an important relationship. Read More
Lenovo ThinkPad gets anti-theft Remote Disable feature
20:35 November 27, 2008 PST
Lenovo is introducing a new security feature for ThinkPad notebooks which allows users to remotely disable their PC via SMS. Developed in conjunction with Phoenix Technologies, the Constant Secure Remote Disable feature is effectively a kill switch that works by creating a mobile phone text command such as “lockdown now PC” or “PC shut off” and sending it to the computer's onboard broadband service. If the PC is turned off when the command is sent, it's automatically disabled the next time it registers on the network. Read More
Doro mobile phone keeps it simple
18:44 November 26, 2008 PST
Like the recently discussed ClarityLife C900, Doro's HandleEasy mobile phones are aimed at the large number of consumers who simply want basic phone functionality without all the bells and whistles. The Swedish company has now entered the U.S. market with two models - the HandleEasy 330gsm and the HandleEasy 326i gsm - both of which feature an uncomplicated design, large display screens and finger-friendly keypads designed for easy calling and text-messaging rather than game playing or web-surfing. Read More
The Pogo Stylus - faster input for the iPhone
By Mike Hanlon
17:15 November 26, 2008 PST
November 27, 2008 The Apple iPhone is clearly one of the most significant technological manifestations in history, but as much as we love it, it ain’t perfect. Typing on the virtual keyboard is difficult unless you have anorexic fingers and 20-20 vision and even then, input is painfully slow. Several manufacturers have developed viable variants of a high-tech stylus for the iPod Touch and iPhone capacitive touch screens and the best we’ve seen so far is the Pogo Stylus. Like many other online retailers this Black Friday (November 28) week, Ten One Design has slashed its prices early and is offering a 25 percent discount, meaning the Pogo can be had for US$14.96 including free USPS shipping. Read More
matthew.rings
- November 23, 2009 @ 02:00 UTC
