Mobile

iPhone app 'Pollen Radar' gives you the pollen forecast

By Rick Martin

19:03 February 8, 2010 PST

Japanese company Up-Frontier has developed an iPhone application that will provide a pollen forecast for individuals prone to allergies and hay fever. Through working with the Japan Weather Association and their Weather API, the application can access the latest pollen count on their iPhone. Read More

Pressure sensitive technology set to bring 3D capability to touchscreens

By Darren Quick

18:55 January 31, 2010 PST

Touchscreens found in most mobile devices today use capacitance or resistance technology - fine for detecting input from a finger, but not so great when it comes to detecting how much pressure that finger is applying. However, this limitation could be about to change with news that Japanese touch screen manufacturer, Nissha, has licensed new technology that allows a touchscreen to detect pressure, even from a finger. This adds a third dimension to touchscreen interaction and opens up a raft of potential applications. Read More

i-mate 810F - the 'Chuck Norris' of handsets

By Jeff Salton

18:57 January 26, 2010 PST

Handset manufacturer i-mate’s 810-F is so tough the company has given it a lifetime year-on-year warranty. That’s because it has already put the 810-F through a grueling set of tests and trials, including running a car over it, immersing it in all kinds of fluids, kicking it, dropping it, baking it, freezing it and even calling it bad names – and yet the device continues to work. I-mate says the 810-F has even passed the rigors of US Military toughness specifications (standards as referenced for impact resistance, crush force, submersion, rain/mist/salt, fog, dust ingress, and vibration). Follow the link for some video evidence. Read More

Liquavista collaborates with Texas Instruments on next-generation eReaders

By Ben Coxworth

15:03 January 12, 2010 PST

Dutch electronics company Liquavista has announced that it will be working with Texas Instruments to integrate its unique electrowetting display into TI’s new eBook platform. It’s part of a bigger plan to incorporate the technology into a variety of products. “Liquavista’s aim is to make its electrowetting display technology available as broadly as possible to end-consumers via a wide range of products” says Liquavista CEO Guy Demuynck. So, just what is electrowetting? If Liquavista is to be believed, it’s a technology with all the benefits of LCD, but with up to four times the optical performance. Read More

Big screen experience from your mobile device - the Microvision SHOWWX laser pico projector

By Mick Webb

12:39 January 10, 2010 PST

The Microvision SHOWWX laser pico projector

first came to our attention in development back in 2008, with the final version making an appearance at this years CES. Around the size of a smartphone, the SHOWWX projector enables a user to connect their iPod, mobile phone or a myriad of other devices to display movies and photos as a WVGA (848x480 pixels) DVD quality “big screen” experience. Read More

Palm presents its new smartphones, the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus

By Ben Coxworth

20:56 January 9, 2010 PST

This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Palm unveiled its two upcoming Verizon-exclusive smartphones, the Pre Plus and the Pixi Plus. Both phones boast substantial improvements over their present namesakes, and both will utilize Palm’s new webOS developer program, which will allow independent software developers to create and distribute their own apps. Read More

Google launches the Nexus One smartphone

By Tim Hanlon

23:23 January 5, 2010 PST

Google sees a future where carriers have to compete on price and the quality of their networks, rather than exclusive deals with handset manufacturers like AT&T's lengthy exclusive deal with Apple for the iPhone and subsequent models. The Nexus One is its first baby step toward that future and it's currently available in unlocked form to consumers in the US, UK, Singapore and Hong Kong for US$529. If for some reason you want to be locked into a contract, the only option is T-Mobile, with the phone available for $179 with a two-year contract, with Verizon (US) and Vodafone (EU) options available in the not-too-distant future. Read on for the full details. Read More

Consumer interest in Google Android soars

By Tim Hanlon

21:09 January 4, 2010 PST

More consumers than ever are considering the purchase of an Android-powered smartphone according to ChangeWave Research, who surveyed 4,068 consumers in December. The research shows that 21% of consumers who plan on buying a smartphone in the next 90 days would prefer their smartphone to run Android, up from 6% in September 2009. Read More

Ericsson demos 42Mbps HSPA on consumer products

By Gizmag Team

03:15 December 21, 2009 PST

Wireless technology is moving fast, and here's a reminder of just how fast. At the beginning of 2009 we were reporting on Australian Telco Teltra achieving a world record network speed of 21Mbps, now Ericsson has demonstrated its latest mobile broadband technology, HSPA Evolution, with lightning speeds of almost 42Mbps. Read More

TeliaSonera launches 4G network in Norway and Sweden

By Mick Webb

16:14 December 18, 2009 PST

Swedish telecommunications company TeliaSonera has launched the world’s first commercially available 4G mobile broadband network. While an international roll out of up to twenty five countries is planned in the next year, the network will initially be made available in the central parts of Stockholm and Oslo, and is designed to provide speeds up to 100Mbit/s - ten times faster than those of the existing 3G networks. Read More

Dell Vostro V13 small business laptop targets 'mobile entrepreneurs'

By Jeff Salton

20:53 December 9, 2009 PST

Dell has added to its Vostro range with the V13 small business laptop that, at 13.3 inches, is billed as a convenient size between a netbook and a full-size notebook. Dell says that while this new-size laptop might be lighter, it’s still a heavyweight when it comes to laptop grunt. The company is targeting this new computer at “mobile entrepreneurs”. And with a starting price of around US$449, it might make an entrepreneur out of all of us. Read More

Something for everyone with NTT DoCoMo's new mobile phones

By Darren Quick

21:50 November 16, 2009 PST

Japan’s biggest mobile phone operator, NTT DoCoMo, has unveiled a raft of new phones – 19 in all – along with a 3G-capable digital photo frame. The new lineup includes the waterproof F-02B (complete with snap-on perfume holder), four models packing a 12.2-megapixel camera and the world’s first phone with a separable two-module body. Read More

ZMS-08: world's first Blu-ray quality media processor for handheld devices

By Paul Ridden

19:05 November 11, 2009 PST

With the development of the ZMS-08 system on a chip, ZiiLabs is aiming to bring high performance media processing to low power devices. As well as allowing full Blu-ray quality 1080p video playback, the chip supports simultaneous HD encode and decode, 3D and 2D image processing and advanced audio. Read More

‘Opera’ luxury camper trailer hits a high note

By Jeff Salton

17:10 November 3, 2009 PST

If you enjoy peace and quiet on your camping holidays, the "Opera” might not be the ideal choice. Emulating the renowned lines of the Sydney Opera House in Australia, this luxurious mobile home designed by Belgian architect Axel Enthoven is bound to get lots of scrutiny from inquisitive campers and passers-by... and it deserves all the attention it gets. Read More

La Montre Verte: people-based environment monitoring

By Paul Ridden

14:43 October 6, 2009 PDT

A wrist-bound sensor that gathers information about pollution as the wearer walks about town was a surprise hit with visitors at a conservation festival in Amsterdam last month. La Montre Verte (The Green Watch) follows the example of similar projects in London, New York and San Francisco and puts ozone and noise pollution detection in, or rather on, the hands of citizens. Read More

Flash 10.1 coming to Windows Mobile, Palm Pre, BlackBerry, Android and Symbian

By Darren Quick

21:36 October 5, 2009 PDT

Adobe claims that Flash content is present on more than 85 percent of the top 100 websites, and that approximately 75 percent of all web-based videos use Flash. In good news for the growing numbers of people accessing the Internet on their mobile phones, Adobe has unveiled its Flash Player 10.1: Full Flash software to bring an integrated Flash experience to browsers on Android, BlackBerry, Symbian, WebOS and Windows Mobile smartphones – but not iPhone. Read More

Another global broadband offering from Verizon: the UMW190

By Paul Ridden

17:31 September 3, 2009 PDT

Not even a month has passed since Verizon announced that it had partnered with the USA arm of China's ZTE to release of the AD3700 USB modem which offered users worldwide coverage from a single device. And now the company is at it again, declaring the forthcoming availability of the UMW190 USB modem, which does essentially the same job in a slightly smaller and cheaper form. Read More

Incentivizing the masses - free music drives phone usage

By Paul Lester

14:44 August 30, 2009 PDT

Ever since services like the original Napster brought free (albeit illegal) music downloads to the world, the music industry has been quick to point the finger at pirates but slow to realize that digital content is clearly the way forwards. Since then, download services such as iTunes and streaming services like Spotify have introduced new business models to the masses and Orange is the latest to come up with an innovative new way to listen to tunes on the move. Read More

Nokia looking to get in the money

By Darren Quick

00:23 August 27, 2009 PDT

Nokia’s new Nokia Money service will let users send money, pay for products, recharge prepaid SIM cards and pay utility bills just by using the payee’s mobile phone number. Designed to be as simple as making a phone call or sending an SMS, the Nokia Money services will be accessible 24 hours a day anywhere there is mobile phone coverage. Read More

Qualcomm working on handheld TV for FLO TV

By Darren Quick

22:47 August 26, 2009 PDT

Qualcomm is reportedly working on a new portable digital TV called the FLO TV Personal Television, or PTV. The iPhone-sized device will be used to tune into broadcasts on Qualcomm’s FLO TV terrestrial digital TV service and could mark a departure for a company that rarely introduces hardware itself. Read More

Nokia to join the netbook fray with the Booklet 3G

By Darren Quick

19:49 August 24, 2009 PDT

They’re known as netbooks, ultraportables, subnotebooks, mini-laptops or even kneetop computers in some circles. Now consumers have yet another moniker to contend with as Nokia announces its upcoming Nokia Booklet 3G. Featuring a glass 10.1-inch HD display and Intel Atom processor, the Booklet 3G is a Windows-based unit that promises the performance of a full-function PC alongside a rated 12-hour battery life. Read More

Calling all things retro - the Bluetooth Mini Phone

By Mick Webb

06:04 August 19, 2009 PDT

The ever expanding range of Bluetooth mobile accessories occasionally sees a quirky variation appear alongside the more traditional units. Joining the novelty ranks is the retro - inspired Bluetooth Mini Phone, which, as the name suggests is styled like a miniature phone handset. Read More

WildCharge expand wireless charging options with PowerDisc

By Paul Ridden

23:04 August 13, 2009 PDT

WildCharge has introduced a new addition to its line-up of wireless charging accessories - the PowerDisc. Small enough to allow several devices to be used at the same time on one WildCharger pad, the contact module is embedded in the disc which comes supplied with seven adapters compatible with hundreds of portable gadgets from the likes of Nokia, Blackberry, HTC, LG and Samsung. Read More

Water-tight and ship-shape: the Clarion CMV1 multimedia head-unit

By Gizmag Team

17:41 August 11, 2009 PDT

Fully-featured mobile multimedia is finally moving beyond the automobile with Clarion's addition of a watertight multimedia head-unit to its range of custom marine products. The Clarion CMV1 features a 3.5-inch TFT color display, offers DVD-video, DivX, iPod Video playback and, with rear panel AV inputs and outputs, it is capable of driving additional display screens. It cleverly has a one-year back-up memory so radio presets are not lost if your boat is in seasonal storage. The unit delivers a comprehensive on-board entertainment experience that was previously reserved for in-car and can now be fully appreciated in the unique and relaxing environment offered by watercraft. Read More

Mobile Exchange on Wheels to bolster telecommunications in disaster areas

By Jeff Salton

19:42 July 27, 2009 PDT

Devastating wildfires are burning around the Mediterranean this summer and down south, Australia is still recovering from its worst wildfire season in history in which more than 150 lives and 1800 homes were lost on ‘Black Saturday’. Telecommunications are paramount to helping save lives and direct fire-fighting efforts in wildfires but unfortunately, infrastructure such as mobile and fixed line phones and Internet services are often early casualties in fire ravaged areas. The country’s major telco, Telstra, has launched a portable solution to this issue with the unveiling of a AUD$200,000 Mobile Exchange on Wheels (MEOW) which can be quickly deployed to provide temporary fixed-line communications including broadband. Read More