Tag: mobile

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Modus Tiny Cellphone with ‘Jackets’

Modus

An Israeli startup has convinced wireless carriers in three countries to try a new concept: a tiny cell phone that pops into interchangeable ‘jackets’ to become a bigger, smarter phone – or into other gadgets to connect them to the Internet.

The company, Modu, is set to announce Thursday that it will launch the phone, also called Modu, on October 1 with Telecom Italia SpA in Italy, OAA Vimpel Communications in Russia, and Cellcom Israel Ltd.

Telecom Italia Mobile and Cellcom are the largest carriers in their respective countries, while VimpelCom is the second-largest in Russia.

The Modu is slightly smaller than the current iPod Nano and weighs 1.5 oz. It has a small color screen and a limited keypad, which allows it to work as a rudimentary cell phone on its own.

The jackets that will come with the Modu look like cellphones, with standard numeric keypads and other features like cameras. But they lack the antenna and chips that communicate with a wireless network, and this is where the Modu comes in – it pops into a slot, turning the jacket into a fully functional phone.

Modu founder Dov Moran said in an interview that the Italian carrier is excited about the concept because it can make cellphones more like fashion, tempting consumer to update their looks every few months.

“This allows you to make a summer collection and a winter collection,” Moran said.

“The carriers really are interested in having more and more customers coming through their stores, rather than signing up and coming every two years to sign a new contract and get a new phone,” said Daniel Amir, a chip analyst at Lazard Capital Markets in San Francisco. He called the Modu a potential ‘game changer’ in the cellphone industry.

The jacket is cheap to make, has almost no electronics, and doesn’t need to be tested by the carrier to see that it conforms to its network standards. They can be themed, say, by focusing on music, with pre-loaded tunes, or have full keyboards for texting.

Moran estimates that carriers will be able to sell a Modu and two jackets as a bundle for about $280, a price that they can then subsidize to free or almost free with a two-year contract.

A shortcoming of the initial model is that it will use GPRS for data transfer. Roughly equivalent to dialup in speed, this will limit the Modu’s usefulness, but Moran said the company is working on upgrading it to use HSDPA, a 3G technology.

Modu is also talking to consumer electronics companies like Magellan Navigation Inc., a California-based maker of GPS devices, and car-stereo maker Blaupunkt, a unit of Robert Bosch GmbH of Germany.

The idea is to have consumer electronics companies build slots for the Modu into their devices to give them network connectivity. That could allow a GPS device to receive updates on traffic or map changes. A picture frame with a Modu slot and loud speakers could act as a music-playing, picture-showing charging station.

Other cellphone makers have been sniffing at the modular concept. Sony Ericsson has filed for a patent on a modular phone. But Modu appears to be furthest along in its plan, and has crucial support from large carriers.

Moran, the founder of Modu, also founded M-Systems Ltd., which pioneered USB flash drives. The company was acquired by California-based SanDisk Corp. in 2006 for $1.6 billion.

source:tech2

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More N-Gage Games, Less N-Gage?

N-Game

While Nokia continues to annoy users by failing to announce an official launch date for the N-Gage platform and restricting its usage to the N81 handset, we can console ourselves with the knowledge that the company is developing newer games for the platform. The latest releases are Space Impact: Kappa Base, System Rush: Evolution, and Creatures of the Deep.

Nokia is inviting N81 and N81 8GB handset owners to join N-Gage First Access, where they can download the application, try and buy games, and provide user experience feedback. Unfortunately, that pretty much confirms that the application is still being tried and tested and N-Gage fans will have to wait a bit longer to experience the full deal on other Nokia handsets.

source:tech2 

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New LG Viewty Camera Phone With DivX Encoding

lgku990

The famous digital media company, DivX and LG have jointly announced the new LG Viewty camera phone (LG-KU990), which is the first cellphone with DivX Certification to natively capture video using high quality DivX format. This newest LG Viewty smartphone features an 3-inch touch sensitive screen, 5-megapixel camera (certified by Schneider-Kreuznach) with auto/manual focus, image stabilizer, ISO 800 as well as SmartLight technology, which enable the users to adjust the brightness level of captured images.

“Users of the LG Viewty have come to expect innovation and quality,” said Dr. Skott Ahn, LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “The addition of DivX recording capability to the Viewty will open up the media experience and enable our users to do more with the videos they capture, from sharing that content online to playing it back beyond the phone on a wide variety of devices.”

According to the global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, the LG Viewty camera phone is able to record high speed 120 fps (frames per second), VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixels) video in DivX format.

“Our goal is to make it easy for consumers to enjoy a high-quality video experience on any kind of device,” said Kevin Hell, CEO at DivX, Inc. “The LG Viewty is a perfect example of this experience. It allows consumers to capture video on its 3-inch screen and then easily transfer that video to a computer or virtually any kind of consumer electronics device.”

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Sony-Ericsson prepping G-series for February?

sony_ericsson

Sony-Ericsson is expected to unveil a new G-series of phones, which consist of two predicted models. Enthusiast news site SEfanatics reports that the new models will be called the G900i and G700i, and are expected to be shown February 10th. The G900i, codenamed Tyra, will supposedly feature a 2.6-inch screen, WLAN, and a 5-megapixel camera. Meanwhile, the G700i, codenamed Josephine, will also feature the 2.6-inch screen, but with a 3.2-megapixel camera and sans WLAN.

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New Kodak Chips Could Improve Cell Phone Cameras

Kodak

Photography company Eastman Kodak Co. on Monday introduced chips that can boost the picture-taking power in mobile phones, and help manufacturers cut development costs.

Kodak says its KAC-05020 Image Sensor is the world’s first 1.4 micron, 5-megapixel device that allows capture of high quality images in small cameras, with quality that equals what is available from current devices using larger, 1.75 micron pixel designs.

“It will help manufacturers reduce their costs…because of the size – you can put more chips onto one wafer, for the same amount of money,” said Fas Mosleh, CMOS Sensors Marketing Director at Kodak. “This is the kind of technology that can help upgrade all camera phones to a real camera.”

The announcement is the latest from Kodak’s growing patent licensing arm, which has become a critical contributor to its profitability as the company emerges from an expensive transition into a producer of digital imaging and printing systems. Kodak expects to earn up to $350 million a year from royalties and related revenue through 2011.

“It could be very well happening that one of those years will be a lot larger than that,” said Antonio Perez, Kodak’s chief executive, on a conference call last week. “It may be another year, a lot smaller than that. We see significant legs to our program.”

Industry analysts have looked skeptically at Kodak’s rosy outlook, noting that few details have been delivered on its patent plans, and that incremental licensing contracts are hard to count on in the long term.

Still, Kodak has introduced some products from its patent portfolio, including its own consumer inkjet printers, which it says makes longer lasting pictures. In addition, last year it unveiled camera sensor technology that significantly increases sensitivity to light, allowing users to potentially take pictures in very low light.

Key to the performance of this new sensor is the “Kodak Truesense CMOS Pixel,” a reworking of the fundamental design and architecture of traditional CMOS pixels, the company says. A CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) sensor is less expensive to manufacture, while consuming less energy and performing more functions on a single chip.

Manufacturing customers interested in the design will likely get a chance to sample it in the second quarter of this year, but devices with the technology are not likely to hit store shelves until 2009, Kodak says.

source:pcworld 

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Cell Phones No Cancer Risk

Cellphone-cacer

Drinking coffee, using mobile phones or having breast implants is unlikely to cause cancer, according to a risk ranking system devised by an Australian cancer specialist to debunk popular myths.

The cancer risk assessment reaffirms smoking, alcohol and exposure to sunlight as leading risk factors, but allays concerns about coffee, mobile phones, deodorants, breast implants and water with added fluoride.

The five-point system created by University of New South Wales Professor Bernard Stewart lists the risk of cancer from proven and likely, to inferred, unknown or unlikely.

“Our tool will help establish if the level of risk is high, say on a par with smoking, or unlikely such as using deodorants, artificial sweeteners, drinking coffee,” Stewart said.

He found active smokers and ex-smokers to be the most at risk, although the risk is reduced for people who quit smoking.

Drinking alcohol was also a high risk factor, particularly for people who also smoke, although Stewart said no specific type of alcoholic drink was most strongly to blame.

Drinking chlorinated water and using a mobile phone was far less likely to cause cancer, Stewart said, although the risks associated with the long-term use of mobile phones had not been fully established.

He said there little risk from drinking coffee, using deodorants, drinking fluoridated water and having breast implants or dental fillings.

Stewart’s research was published in the latest edition of the Mutation Research Reviews journal to mark world cancer day on Monday.

 source:pcworld

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Opera Mobile 9.5

Opera

Opera unleashes innovative technology in latest mobile Web browser — Opera Mobile 9.5

Faster speed, new interface and Opera Widgets bring users closer to a full desktop experience
Exclusive preview at Mobile World Congress 2008 (February 11-14, Barcelona)
Oslo, Norway and Barcelona, Spain — February 5, 2008
Opera Software, the only company that puts the Web on any device, today announced the commercial release of Opera Mobile 9.5 — the latest version of its award-winning Web browser for sophisticated feature phones and smartphones. Participants at the Mobile World Congress 2008 will be the first to experience the improved functionality of Opera Mobile 9.5.

According to high-tech market research firm, In-Stat, the smartphone market will grow at more than a 30% compound annual growth rate for the next five years globally, exceeding unit sales for laptops, as users experience significant value from their smartphones. Users are downloading more applications and generating higher usage as measured by average revenue per user (ARPU) for operators. The main driver that has fueled this growth is overall user experience on the mobile Web.

Built on Opera’s unique core architecture, the Opera Mobile 9.5 desktop-like browsing experience has been enhanced with innovations such as zooming and panning that make it easier to navigate, load pages quicker and get users closer to the Web content and entertainment they want. With Opera Mobile 9.5, users can experience the real Web and interact with content exactly as they do on their PC.

Faster speed
The new version utilizes Opera’s Presto rendering engine to achieve page load speeds comparable to a desktop experience. The Opera Presto engine was modified and improves browsing performance significantly by accelerating the handling of Web pages. It dramatically improves page responsiveness on pages with heavy use of languages such as JavaScript and Ajax, ensuring smooth, hassle-free browsing.

Compelling experience
Opera Mobile 9.5 includes numerous features aimed at elevating the mobile browsing experience. Not only is the user interface (UI) intuitive enough to master in minutes, Opera Mobile 9.5 introduces several new innovations that elevate the Internet experience on a handheld device. Users can take advantage of the intuitive Opera Zoom™ to dive into the page and get closer to the content they want. In addition, productivity tools like the ability to save pages for offline browsing, Web address auto complete and password manager help busy users make the most of their time.

Fully loaded
Web 2.0-enabled, Widget-ready and Flash support turn Opera Mobile 9.5 into a fully loaded browser allowing users to access all their favorite Web sites such as Facebook, MySpace and more. With Opera Mobile 9.5, OEMs and operators will have the capability to include Flash Lite 3, empowering their smartphone users with access to the full Web including the ability to watch videos on YouTube effortlessly. In addition, Opera Widgets, which are mini applications that allow content to be accessed easily from the device idle screen with just a few clicks, are included in the new edition — automatically engaging the user through ease of operation and meeting consumer demands for quick access to information.

New revenue sources, bigger brand
Opera Mobile 9.5’s ability to serve Web content directly on the idle screen gets mobile OEMs or operators closer to users. By greatly reducing the number of clicks required to get to content, there is a real potential for operators to increase data revenue and user loyalty. In addition, access to the idle screen allows operators to place their brand strategically to interact dynamically with users. Opera Mobile 9.5 is everything that handset makers and operators have been trying to achieve for years.

“Opera Mobile is the result of Opera’s unwavering commitment to a vision that puts a true Web experience in the hands of mobile users,” said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. “The improved functionality of Opera Mobile 9.5 and easy access to information has raised the bar on a more compelling mobile Web browsing experience and will further stimulate mobile Internet adoption.”

The Opera Mobile 9.5 experience includes many of the innovations found in Opera’s trend-setting desktop browser including:

Intuitive user interface
Tabbed browsing
Improved text wrap
Page overview, zooming and panning
Landscape mode
Save Web page for future offline access
Call phone number from Web page
Send link as SMS/MMS
Send image as SMS/MMS
Small Screen Rendering™
Password manager
Web address input auto-completion
History and bookmarks
Copy text
Opera Widgets
Opera Mobile is currently shipped on more than 100 million phones with many of the world’s top mobile OEMs and operators such as HTC, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, T-Mobile, and others.

Leading software platform provider, UIQ, has realized the potential of Opera’s new mobile browser. “UIQ works with the world’s leading mobile phone manufacturers to create the ultimate user experience. Our long-standing partnership with Opera has given users the ability to access all their favorite Web sites and services,” says Mats Barvesten, EVP Product Planning and Product Management at UIQ Technology. “We look forward to introducing our upcoming handsets, featuring the groundbreaking Opera Mobile 9.5 browser.”

Along with hands-on exposure to Opera Mobile 9.5, Mobile World Congress participants will also have the ability to experience Opera on a variety of devices: Opera Mobile on smartphones, free downloads of Opera Mini 4, improved Web browsing on gaming consoles and the ARCHOS Generation 5 Media players will be just a few of the exciting features of Opera’s 2008 exhibit.

Mobile World Congress will be held on the 11th through the 14th of February in 2008 in Barcelona, Spain. Visit the Opera Booth in Hall 2, 2C76 or email conference@opera.com to book a meeting.

Platform Support and Availability
Opera Mobile 9.5 will be available on all major platforms including Symbian, Windows Mobile and Linux, as both a standalone browser and as a SDK. The public beta release of Opera Mobile 9.5 will be announced separately. For media inquiries, please contact julies@opera.com.

A video demonstration of Opera Mobile 9.5 is available on http://www.opera.com/b2b/solutions/mobile/video/

About Opera Software ASA
Opera Software ASA has redefined Web browsing for PCs, mobile phones and other networked devices. Opera’s cross-platform Web browser technology is renowned for its performance, standards compliance and small size, while giving users a faster, safer and more dynamic online experience. Opera Software is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with offices around the world. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at http://www.opera.com.

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LG New Slim SLider at GSMA 2008

LGKF510

GSMA 2008 is almost upon us, and LG has made it amply clear that its new KF510 mobile handset will make its debut at the event. The slim slider has LG’s famous touch-sensitive navigation under its display and is loaded with a 3 megapixel (and possibly auto-focus) camera.

It’s not just the intriguing design, but the colors too – such as Stardust Gray or Sunset Red – that will make the KF510 an eye-catcher. The phone is quite slim at 10.9mm, comes with an MP3 player, and is Bluetooth-enabled.

The LG KF510 will officially launch in March this year. We’ll have to wait a few more days, however, before we get more information on this new slider. Stay tuned.

source:tech2

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Googles ‘New’ Mobile Search Engine

 Gmob serch

Shortly before releasing their latest results showing a slowdown in advertising sales in the fourth quarter of 2007, Google announced the launch of their ‘new’ mobile search engine (or, should we say, the improved version of the previous one).

Google says that with the new search service, mobile phone users will get results that best fit what they’re looking for, with search results combined from different bodies of information, so users don’t need to sift through both mobile and regular web results, or specify their search type. Instead, Google will search through the whole web, mobile web, news articles, local business listings, and image index to get the information needed and then provide the most relevant results. A search for cats, for example, provides links to photos of cats as well as web pages.

Google’s new mobile search also improves the local search experience. By remembering a user’s recent search locations, the new service is said to provide relevant local results in subsequent searches-no need to retype the location every time. Once a user has entered a location, searches for weather or restaurants, for example, provide information tailored specifically to that user’s location. The service is now available in the UK, France, Germany and Canada. It has been available in the US since March last year.

It is claimed that fewer clicks will now be necessary to access meaningful search results on mobile devices, which is a welcome improvement. The jury is still out as to how effective the new search engine is, but while we may not be there in terms of ultimate functionality, it is clearly a step in the right direction. Bizarrely, we still have to type in “http://mobile.google.com” instead of just “http://google.mobi” or “http://m.google.com”, but that’s a different story…

 

source:reuters 

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Garmin launches ne-3G touchscreen mobile and GPS

Mob

As was predicted they would, Garmin has announced its grand entrance into the mobile phone market with the “ne”, that they describe as “an all-in-one, sleek and slim, touchscreen device that combines a premium phone, mobile web-browser, and cutting-edge personal navigator”.

The ne, an all touchscreen device, is the first of its kind to integrate 3.5G phone capability with an internet browser, data connectivity, personal messaging, and full personal navigation functions in one device.

The 3.5-inch touchscreen display has three main icons — “Call”, “Search”, and “View Map”. When the ne is docked into its vehicle mount, it automatically turns on the GPS, and enables hands-free calling.

The GPS side of things has preloaded maps of North America or Eastern and Western Europe, or both, and contains all that you’d expect from a full-featured PND, as well as a few sweet extras.

The ne is Garmin’s first device to include Google local search capability, which means users can search for locations like “coffee shops” and Google will sort the results based on the user’s current location and relevance.

For the forgetful, the phone has Garmin’s “Where am I?” feature as well as the ability to help drivers find their car by automatically marking the position in which it was last removed from the vehicle mount.

Borrowing from Navman’s Navpix feature, the built-in camera allows users to take a picture that will automatically be tagged with the exact lat and long references of where the image was taken, which means the user can save the image so they can navigate back to the location, or email the image to someone else.

The ne also provides direct access to millions of geo-located landmark and sightseeing photographs available through Google’s Panoramio picture sharing site that can be used similarly.

Other multimedia functions of the ne include a built-in video camera, MP3 and MPEG4/AAC player.

Garmin “anticipates” that the ne will be available in the third quarter of 2008 when specific details about pricing and sales partners will be announced.

The ne is going to be on show at 3GSM in February, Pocket-lint will be attending this event, so will bring you more info – and hopefully a hands-on – with the exciting new device from the show floor.

source:sky