January 07, 2008
Hello Motorola Press Party
The Motorola Z10 multimedia phone. We open with a long demo of the Z10, which has built-in video edited tools and a wireless broadband video uplink via HSDPA quadband GSM. *30 fps *8 GB expandable memory *16 million color display As much camera as phone. Moving on to the Rokr E8.(This leaked a few weeks back.) Moto has been trying to get the music phone right for a long time now. This one has a no-button surface, touch activated it lights up. When you listen to music, the phone keys automatically disappear and the music player buttons show. When you switch to camera mode, the buttons for the camera appear on the front of the handset. Morphing technology on a single glass-like surface. But people like to know when they've pressed the keys. So they added a haptic touchpad that gives tactile feedback. it also has a scroll wheel like function. Motorola's audio engineers developed a new algorithm for in-ear music listening. The innovation here is that while most in-ear headphones make it sound as though the music is vibrating from inside your head, now it sounds like the music from the in-ear headphones are coming from outside your ears. Motorola is acquiring SoundBuzz, a provider of wireless ota music downloads and buying in southeast asia.
From Hello Motorola Press Party
Posted by Jim at 12:47 PM
December 27, 2007
His and Hers Cellphone Bathtubs...Eh?
Sure there are more useful cellphone storage products out there, but few could match the style and sheer randomness of these "his and hers" bathtub holders. Don't get me wrong, it would be nice if they had some sort of functionality, but that would make them far less stupid '"and who wants that? [Product Page]
From His and Hers Cellphone Bathtubs...Eh?
Posted by Doug at 12:12 PM
Adtec AD-HSM10: New World's Smallest Bluetooth Headset [Biggie
The world's smallest Bluetooth headset just three weeks ago was Nextlink's Invisio G5. Today's it's a fatty, out-ano'd by the more dwarven AD-HSM10, which looks like a titanium hearing aid. It weighs about a gram less than the G5 and is more squat, but its measly 3 hours of talk time and 100 hours of standby fall short by an hour and 50 hours, respectively. "More to love" seems to weigh in the G5's favor, though the AD-HSM10 costs half as much ($78). [Adtec via Phone Arena]
From Adtec AD-HSM10: New World's Smallest Bluetooth Headset [Biggie
Posted by Guido at 08:04 AM
December 22, 2007
Helio Mysto Arrives, but Only the Korean-Language Version
Here's a weird move by Helio: its launching its new phone, the Mysto, quietly today. Why quietly? Well, it's only releasing the Korean-language version of the new slider. Soon enough, the English version will follow, but apparently because of its ties to Korea's SK Telecom only the Korean version is available for now. If you really want an English version, a few will be available at the Helio stores in NYC and Santa Monica on December 26th before a full launch in late January. The Mysto is a rebranded Samsung U600, featuring a 2-megapixel camera, GPS with BuddyBeacon, 3G web access and the ability to upload directly to YouTube (although it won't have the Ocean's sweet YouTube app). It'll cost $149 with a 2-year contract. [Product Page via Electronista]
From Helio Mysto Arrives, but Only the Korean-Language Version
Posted by Sean at 04:50 PM
December 08, 2007
Palm "Mystery Product" Screws Up Financial Results
Today Palm issued a statement warning that revenue for the 2nd fiscal quarter would take a $30 million hit due to a product that "the company had previously expected to have certified within the quarter." What this mystery product is exactly is not known, and so far Palm isn't talking (no doubt cowering in shame). [Palm via CNET]
From Palm "Mystery Product" Screws Up Financial Results
Posted by Michael at 08:28 AM
December 05, 2007
Verizon Hugs Google, Says Android Is Key to Open Networks [Verizon N Google]
In a breaking BusinessWeek story, Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam says that it will support Android, Google's new platform for phones and mobile devices, making Verizon a member of sorts in the Open Handset Alliance. While this seems to be the logical conclusion to Verizon's weeklong openness bender, McAdam claims that it was the Android platform that "facilitated" Verizon's move out of the walled garden. McAdam dismisses the idea that being a "founding" member of the OHA would have been anything more than a press-release opportunity for the carrier. Once the dev kit went out, though, he says his engineers were impressed. "Clearly the Android system gives a lot of developers the opportunity to develop applications for a wide range of handsets." All of this is still shocking to observers who think of Verizon as profiteer of the closed system. Clearly, Google's pressure on the FCC to permit only open-minded carriers into the 700MHz spectrum auction has a lot to do with the business decisions being made here. We originally thought Verizon was pushing hard to keep its network locked up, but McAdam claims that for a year now, he and other executives had been devising an open model that would work. Whether we believe that or not (especially given the fact that the carrier was fighting the FCC to keep things closed), we are happy with the current situation. The result has been what we have reported over the past week: Verizon declared its network open to all phones and devices that share its network technology, following an easy security and functionality verification process. Furthermore, Verizon will migrate to the 4G standard co-developed in Europe by its parent company Vodafone, Nokia and the 3GPP, a standard that would be in line with much of the world's wireless data network. Though this could be showboating for the FCC in the period leading up to the 700MHz spectrum auction, BusinessWeek points out the same impression that we've had, that the openness model is inevitable, and that "market demand for open networks would be impossible to hold back indefinitely." You hear that, AT&T? [BusinessWeek]
From Verizon Hugs Google, Says Android Is Key to Open Networks [Verizon N Google]
Posted by John at 10:54 AM
November 30, 2007
Hands-On with the Samsung SGH-i620 Smartphone Slider
Vincent from SlashGear just got a hands-on with Samsung's new SGH-i620, otherwise known as the Sangria, a slim slider smartphone with an iPod-like touchwheel on the front. As we reported back in May, it's loaded up with Windows Mobile and has Wi-Fi, a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth and MicroSD expandability. Unfortunately for us, word from Samsung is that the chances of this thing hitting the States anytime soon are slim to none, but we can at least look from afar. Head on over to SlashGear to check out the hands-on pics and video. [SlashGear]
From Hands-On with the Samsung SGH-i620 Smartphone Slider
Posted by Mel at 02:12 PM
November 28, 2007
Verizon Says You Can Port From Sprint, Build Your Own Phone [Verizon Opens
We just got the juicy details on the Verizon Wireless Any App, Any Device initiative going live in the second half of next year. The big answers, from the company heads: ' Yes, you will be able to port existing CDMA phones from Sprint'"or Korea'"to Verizon, provided they operate on the correct frequencies. ' The cost of certification for BYO phones will be "very reasonable", and that even an at-home tinkerer could feasibly submit a device for approval. ' Previously Verizon only tested phones that could sell in the hundreds of thousands of units; now it will be happy to approve devices that require much lower volume. ' This is for CDMA products only. The iPhone ain't gonna port, even though several reporters seemed to not understand why. Here are more details: ' There will be no problem with Java-powered CDMA phones running on VZW, even though the carrier is so partial to BREW. ' The testing process will involve than basic network interactivity and a simple security screen so that devices that could upload malware to the network won't get through. CTO Dick Lynch on homemade devices: If somebody has the technical capability of building a device on a breadboard and they want to bring it to be tested, the philosophy of this program says "Have at it!" If it is tested and passes, it can get on the network. Does it make it hard to be the small guy on the block? Not now, with availability of components, etc. The provider of the device would have some fee that they would pay. I think it's going to be surprisingly reasonable - it's not gonna have many many zeroes on the back. They will be very reasonable fees for professional services rendered. CEO Lowell McAdam on what might turn up: This isn't just phones'"itcould be a very small module in a gaming station, a home appliance, something that goes into your car. It doesn't have to have the traditional distribution or volumes. [Traditionally] if a device is not going to sell hundreds of thousands, it's hard to decide because of our scale. But now, if something only sells five, now it can be on our network. McAdam on porting from other carriers: If somebody wants to bring a device over from any other CDMA carrier or somewhere else, if it passes the test and operates on our frequencies, they can. [Can someone move from Sprint to Verizon?] The short answer is "Yes." Of course, this is all about device availability, not about the services and fees for service. The honchos admit that there will have to be new plans and open discussion of bandwidth caps. Depending on the type of device, different usage models will apply. If there's a device that only access network once a month to update, the idea of a utility meter reading comes to mind. If it's doing video download, something else makes sense. The topic of Google's Open Handset Alliance came up, but the response was fairly boilerplate, and indicated that Verizon was more likely to test popular Android models on its standard service offering, a la Treos, BlackBerrys and Windows Mobile devices. Verizon reminded reporters constantly that BYO was, after all, just augmentation of its standard business model, not a total change. I for one am happy about it, but this is too early to know what will come about. [Press Release]
From Verizon Says You Can Port From Sprint, Build Your Own Phone [Verizon Opens
Posted by Ryan at 01:53 PM
