The Sony PSP phone is one rumor that just won’t die, but people among the bright ideas are desperate to make us believe that a PSP phone is not far-fetched. This is the reason why the PSP Bugatti Veyron Edition was an assignment from a product design course in Seoul National University of Technology.

Using Photoshopped illustrations to showcase this PSP Bugatti Veyron edition, the device will incorporate a SDHC memory card, Bluetooth for multiplayer options (4 people max) along with a 16:9 aspect ratio screen. While it’s for Sony to decide what goes in or what doesn’t in the phone, as far as this concept is concerned, let’s all just hope the product turns out all right.

Via Concept Phones

The phone market is brimming with bespoke phone designers, and though most of them never fail to amaze us like Amosu, there is Givori too, whose mobile art always leaves us confused where the high-end tastes are concerned. Though they did get their act together with their Via Veneto range, they have gone overboard again with their latest Chérie collection, named after the French word for “darling,” and inspired by vintage 1920’s love letters. The Cherie collection is produced on Nokia 8800 Carbon and BlackBerry 9700 Onyx.

The handcrafted mobile sets feature vintage Swarovski crystals that are no longer being produced by Swarovski besides other vintage elements. Each phone comes with matching crystallized headset, a beautifully hand-made carry pouch crafted using green taffeta and antique lace, and a complimentary adorned compact mirror. The phones are designed in a limited edition of 50 individually numbered pieces, retailing at approx. $4,070 exclusively at select Axiom Telecom outlets and Harvey Nichols Dubai, Mall of the Emirates, UAE.

Via bornrich

Lady Gaga has taken to promoting Virgin Mobile and Polaroid in the US in her latest video. The Not Safe For Work (NSFW) 9.5-minute video called Telephone and featuring Beyoncé, features Lady Gaga in a prison before getting a call on her Virgin Mobile phone.

Via pocket-lint

The new CASIO G’zOne (pronounced Jeez-wun) Brigade™** possesses the latest innovations in rugged wireless devices. For most well connected consumers, text messaging has become a viable form of communication for both personal and business matters. As the first water and shock resistant messaging device in the U.S. marketplace, the CASIO G’zOne Brigade™ embraces this need for connectivity and brings reliability and toughness to a wider audience.

Beyond its resilient construction, the CASIO G’zOne Brigade™ is a tool for ever-increasing productivity. With a Full HTML Browser and Document Viewer for reviewing Word Documents, Excel Spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and PDFs, the Brigade is the perfect device to maintain both business communication and personal contact on the go. A perfect tool for multitasking, the CASIO G’zOne Brigade™ introduces the Text-to-Speech function, which allows users to listen to their text messages, multimedia messages and emails.

The advanced 3.2 Mega Pixel Camera with LED flash captures images under the harshest conditions. For professional grade photos, the CASIO G’zOne Brigade™ features BestShot™, a function with 6 pre-set modes that automatically changes the camera’s settings based on the background, and Auto Focus (Spot, 9 point and Face Detection), a quick performance tool that minimizes blur caused by shaky hands or a moving subject.

Additionally the Brigade is fully equipped with the Multimedia features Stereo Bluetooth™, music player, and Micro SD memory expansion (up to 16GB) for image storage and music on the go. Additional features include a unique crocodile texture exterior for no slip grip, GPS for directions at your finger tips, Push to Talk for instantaneous communication, Clear Talk for crystal clear calls and speaker phone, and Voice Recorder to create quick reminder memos.  To see the Brigade in action, visit www.CasioToughPhones.com

Ever wanted to jailbreak your iPhone, but thought that fiddling with all that software felt like Voodoo magic? Well, with the iDongle, you won’t have to go through the tedious process of jailbreaking your iPhone.

The device can jailbreak an iPhone, and more importantly, reboot a jailbroken iPhone on the go. The only downside of this device is that it currently only works on the iPhone 3GS running firmware 3.1.2, and iPod touch 2G/3G. There are only about a dozen or so of these devices available at the moment, but the developer is busy in the process of raising money to ramp up production.

Via ubergizmo

Vodafone is offering customers up to five free e-books on their mobile phone worth £37.Vodafone customers with a compatible handset, will be able to download up to five ebooks from the Vodafone website to read on their mobile as part of its ‘Free Friday’ promotion.

There are 28 devices which currently support the service including the Nokia 5800, BlackBerry Storm and Vodafone 360 Samsung H1 and M1. Available e-books include Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’, James Patterson’s ‘The Murder of King Tut’ and Alex Preston’s ‘The Bleeding City.’

Customers downloading Stieg Larsson’s ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ will also be entered into a draw to win a private screening of the movie adaptation which also launches today (March 12). A full e-book and device compatibility listing can be found on the Vodafone website. Vodafone’s ‘Free Friday’ promotion has previously given its customers  free mobile internet and free music.

Via mobilenewscwp

The much anticipated handsets from Sony Ericsson, the Vivaz and Elm are now available to buy in some regions and will be widely be available everywhere else over the coming weeks. Click here for More details on the Vivaz and Click Here for more on the Elm.

Google’s Nexus One has been out Stateside for quite some time now and while UK users can opt to get themselves one shipped over to the UK, it’s pretty costly. However, in the build up to its UK release date, UK consumers can now register with Vodafone to receive updates about the Nexus One.

Registering will provide them with information regarding its release date and what the device has to offer. Most importantly though, UK users that register will be first in line to get the Nexus One when it eventually lands in April – although, the ability to pre-order handsets has yet to be added to the service.

Via knowyourmobile

A hot new social-networking service dubbed Bubbly, which is essentially a voice-based Twitter, is quickly gaining popularity among Indians. And thanks to Bollywood celebs being early adopters, Bubbly is growing virally and with virtually zero marketing spend.

Bubbly is the brainchild of 5-year-old mobile and social app firm Bubble Motion, which is based in Silicon Valley and Singapore. Its first product was BubbleTalk, a person-to-person voice-messaging service that, instead of SMS, sends mobile audio messages and has about 100 million users now.

Here’s how Bubbly works: Anyone can sign up to follow a friend, family member or favorite celebrity or brand. Posting messages and following is free, and once a new message has been recorded and sent out, users get an alert. If they choose to listen, they pay for the airtime. Most messages are less than 30 seconds long, and there is currently a cap of one minute.

To post on Bubbly, a user dials a short code, like *7, records a message and hangs up. To listen, tap in another code, like *2. It works on any handheld device, and messages can be posted to Bubbly while still withholding phone numbers for privacy.

Bubbly hasn’t launched officially, but the service saw an estimated 500,000 users in about four weeks after some of Bollywood’s biggest stars started using it, including Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor, who were talking about it ahead of the premiere of their hit film “Three Idiots” (which recently swept India’s Filmfare Awards). “It’s personal and it’s easier for a celeb” to connect with their fans using Bubbly rather than a web-based service in which an agent or PR firm might be writing messages, said Bubble Motion’s CEO Tom Clayton.  www.bubblemotion.com/products-bubbly.html

Via adage.com

Having conquered the final frontier ESA (European Space Agency) set its sights on the social media space and creating a Twitter account. Using @esa was the obvious username, but they soon discovered that it had already been bagged. Tracking down the owner led them to Esa Alanen a Product Manager for Nokia. Esa Alanen had been using the username for years for various social media channels unaware of his galactic doppelganger.

Happy to give up the account for no fee, Esa Alanen and his family were offered a trip to visit the Cologne Center for ESA in Germany, which they visited last week, in exchange for the account.

We’re yet to tweet from space, but here at Nokia Conversations we’ve sent over 2000 tweets and have 7000 followers. Recently we hosted a live Q&A on Twitter during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Thanks to you we were able to take your questions and interview Niklas Savander, Nokia EVP of Service.

O2 Recycle, the mobile phone recycling service, has generated a staggering £1 million in cash pay outs for customers, less than five months since its launch (October 2009). The service is operated by phone recycling specialist Redeem Plc and aims to re-use as many of the unwanted devices as possible. Any devices that are not suitable for re-use are responsibly recycled.

The eco-friendly programme was created to make it as easy as possible for O2 customers and mobile users generally to recycle some of the 90 million handsets which are gathering dust in homes throughout the UK. O2 offers a cash value for old phones and donates £1 for every recycled device to its Think Big social change programme.

Products that are supported on www.O2recycle.co.uk include:

• Mobile Phones (including accessories)
• MP3 players
• Laptops, (web-books and notebooks)
• Printer cartridges
• Satellite Navigation Systems
• Digital cameras

O2 Recycle is part of O2’s commitment to bring products and services to market which motivate and help customers to be more sustainable. To maximise the environmental benefits, the service is open to anyone in the UK, regardless of network, and in addition to mobile phones, will also recycle mp3 players, digital cameras, satellite navigation systems and other consumer electronic devices.

The online service at www.o2recycle.co.uk can be used by anyone in the UK, regardless of network, and will provide cash in exchange for the old devices within 5 days.

Tag Heuer is launching a new augmented reality app that lets you try on a watch using your laptop. The app, made by UK company Holition, works by reading a barcode on a paper watch you print out from Tagheuer.com and fasten to your wrist. Select a watch, hold your wrist in front of a webcam, and as if by magic your chosen model appears on-screen on your wrist. It gets larger as you move closer, smaller further away.

There are only five models available at present, including the Monaco and Gran Carrera, but Tag is looking to expand this. It’s the first app of its kind for watches, and will work on PCs and Macs when it launches later this year.

Via t3.com

Mobiado, the manufacturer of precision luxury mobile phones  continues the tradition of luxury gold phones with the stunning masterpiece; the Classic 712GCB.

The Classic 712GCB combines gold, sapphire crystal, and stainless steel to create new standard in luxury.  The frame is CNC machined from brass, hand polished, and then plated with thick layer of gold.  Large sapphire crystal plates are hand painted with gold lettering and precision inset into the gold body.  The keypad buttons are ground from sapphire crystal and hand painted from beneath with gold.  The iconic Mobiado logo is precision CNC machine engraved into the body to bestow a final touch of elegance.  The Classic 712GCB is the expression of mechanical perfection, mastering of aesthetic details, and the integrity of consistent craftsmanship.

The 712GCB is unlocked and will work with any GSM network operator.  The phone is quad-band GSM (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) and has triple band WCDMA Band I, II and VIII (2100/1900/900) coverage on up to five continents.  It is equipped with a large 2.2” QVGA display, 5 megapixel camera and video camera with flash, integrated GPS, web browser, email support, and a music player that supports AMR, MID, MP3, MP4, M4A, .WMA and AAC files.

There are so many different things that you can do with your iPhone that you might forget about some of them. In fact, some of the most basic things that you can do on your phone might be things that you forget about if you don’t use them regularly. Placing conference calls using your iPhone is an example of such a thing. This is a really efficient task and one that’s easy to do on your iPhone. However, since it isn’t something you do every day, you might not remember how to do it. Here’s your guide.

Make sure that you can make conference calls

First things first, you need to make sure that you are able to make conference calls with your mobile phone. For most users, this isn’t a problem. It’s a feature that is built into the iPhone and it comes with the data plan that you signed up for. However, there are some people with limited plans who might not have access to this feature. Additionally, there are some countries in which conference calling via your iPhone is not allowed. If you aren’t sure about whether or not you are able to make conference calls then you might want to call Apple for support. If you try the following steps and they don’t work for you, this might be the reason why.

Basics of the conference call

Okay, now that you’re all set and ready to make your conference call, these are the steps that you need to follow.

• Place the call to the first person on your list. You will do this in the same manner that you normally place a call with your iPhone. There are no new tricks to learn here.
• Ask the person that you have just called to hold on for a minute. As with most other conference call methods, this person will have to wait while you place the next call.
• Look at your screen. You should see an “add call” button on the screen of your iPhone. (It is located on the left side of the screen underneath the mute option and to the left of the hold option. It is accompanied by a plus sign as its icon.) Press this button. Now place the call to the second person that you are interested in adding to the conference call.
• Once the person answers, let them know that you are going to start the conference call. Look at your iPhone screen. You will see an option to “merge calls”. Press this button. The two different people that you have called should now be able to hear each other and speak to one another in the conference call.

Adding additional callers to the conference call

You can merge as many as five different phone calls into a single conference call. You follow the same process that you have followed above. However, wait until you have placed all of the calls before you merge calls. In other words, call Person 1 then press “add call” and call Person 2 then press “add call” and call Person 3 and so on until you have called everyone that is to participate in the conference call. When all of the calls have been made, merge the calls into one conference call.

Accepting calls into the conference call

In some cases, you will not be the one placing all of the calls for the conference call. Sometimes, the other person will be calling in to you. You can still add them to a conference call. This is done by pressing “hold call” and “answer” at the same time. Again, you will press “merge calls” to bring everyone together into one conference call.

How to speak privately with a caller during the conference call

There may be some occasions during a conference call when you need to speak privately with one of the other callers. For example, let’s say that you are negotiating a deal and the call includes your business partner and the other parties. You may need to speak privately with your business partner before agreeing to the deal. Here’s how to do that:

• Look at your iPhone screen. Find the button that says “conference”. Press that button.
• You will see the calls that are taking place. Each one will have an option next to it that says “private”. Select “private” next to the appropriate caller.
• Have your private conversation. When you are ready to return to the conference call press “merge”. The private conversation will not have been overheard by the group. Both you and the person you spoke privately with will now be merged back into the conference call.

Dropping a caller during the conference call

It is often the case that you will need to continue a call with one of the parties while dropping others from the conference call. For example, in the above situation, you may want to speak with your business partner about matters that are unrelated to the call so you would drop all of the other callers and remain on the line with the business partner. Alternatively, your business partner may need to get to a meeting but the rest of the parties are going to continue the conference call with you so you would need to drop your business partner from the conference call. Dropping a caller from the conference call is easy. Here’s how.

• Look at your iPhone screen and find that “conference” button. Press it.
• Next to each caller you will see a red phone. Press the red phone next to the caller that you want to drop.
• You will see an option to “end call”. Select that option. The conference call will continue without this caller.

Via dialaphone-blog

Most of us use our mobile phones without a second thought. However, there are a lot of other people who believe that their mobile phones are making them sick. Mobile phones have been blamed for ailments ranging from “cell phone elbow” (a form of carpal tunnel syndrome) to cancer. One of the things that some people suffer from is an extreme allergy to the radiation caused by mobile phones.

It’s called electro-hypersensitivity (EHS)

The condition that is being referred to here is technically called electro-hypersensitivity (also known as EHS). It is a physical reaction in the body to the experience of electromagnetic radiation. This radiation doesn’t just come from mobile phones. It comes from many different consumer electronics including computers and televisions.

What EHS feels like

People who experience electro-hypersensitivity feel physically ill when they are directly exposed to electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones and other consumer electronics. For most people suffering from this problem, the major symptoms are headaches and a feeling of nausea. Some people even faint as a result of exposure to the radiation from mobile phones. Other symptoms include dizziness, rashes and a burning sensation in the body.

One extreme example

One extreme example that was recently written about in detail was the case of a Swedish man named Per Segerbäck. When a mobile phone is used near him, he immediately becomes nauseous. In many cases, he passes out as a result of his allergy. Some people have accused this of being a case of “mind over matter”. In other words, they believe that he sees the phone and becomes obsessed with the problem of radiation so he passes out. However, there have been instances in this man’s life where he passed out and only found out later that someone was using a mobile phone near him.

Just being around a mobile phone won’t cause this problem

Notably, it isn’t the presence of a mobile phone alone that would cause this type of extreme allergy. (If it did, it would be some other form of mobile phone phobia). Instead, it is the active radiation from a mobile phone that causes the illness. The phone has to be in use (sending, receiving or searching for a signal) and needs to be relatively close to a man like Per Segerbäck in order for the experience of the illness to occur.

Imagine a life with EHS

Take a moment to imagine what a life with this extreme form of allergy might be like. These days, it’s impossible to escape being around computers and mobile phones. To do so, you need to remain in your own home or in a remote area of the world. People like Per Segerbäck live in rural areas and don’t travel to urban areas for the obvious reason that they would become very ill around the type of radiation that is being emitted in these places at all times. These people can’t actively use mobile phones or computers; this limits them in a number of different ways. It may not seem like a serious illness; it is rare and it seems like something that is unfathomable to most of us. However, it does exist. Imagine the life of those people who are dealing with it!

Sweden recognizes this illness as a disability

Many people don’t even believe that this is a serious problem. Studies about the issue have proven inconclusive (as have studies about the link between mobile phones and cancer). Certainly, most governments don’t pay attention to this issue. However, Sweden (where Per Segerbäck lives) is an exception. This country considers EHS to be a serious disability. People suffering from this disability are able to receive disability benefits in this country. This makes sense if they are unable to work a normal job because of EHS symptoms. The government in Sweden will even pay to install technology in the homes of severe EHS sufferers. This technology uses metal shielding to divert the radiation from the outside world so that suffering does not occur inside of the home. According to research, it is believed that about three percent of the Swedish population suffers from this problem. That’s approximately a quarter of a million people who are dealing with EHS.

Treatment for people suffering from EHS

Treating someone with this condition is very complicated. Many of the medical devices that are used in hospitals emit the exact kind of radiation that causes the symptoms of this allergy. At this time, there is no known cure for being allergic to mobile phone radiation. The only treatment is to avoid the radiation whenever possible.

Studies may not have answers until 2029

There are studies taking place that are designed to provide more information and insight into the condition of EHS and how to deal with it. However, studies to date have been inconclusive. The study that people have the most hope for isn’t designed to be complete until 2029. This study, called the Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Users (also known as COSMOS) is reviewing mobile phone use among a quarter of a million people in Europe over the next two or three decades. The study will look at the links between mobile phone use and many different healthy conditions including those that are symptoms of EHS. Other studies taking place are in their preliminary stages and are being done on lab rats rather than people. This means that there is hope for the future for people who suffer from mobile phone allergies but that the answers and cures probably won’t be available for some time.

Measuring mobile phone radiation

One positive thing for the people who are suffering from this condition is that we’re starting to see a push for labelling phones with information about the amount of radiation that they emit. This would allow people suffering from low-level mobile phone allergies to choose the phones that were least likely to cause them problems. Of course, this isn’t going to be a solution for people like Per Segerbäck who have extreme EHS but it’s a start.

Via dialaphone-blog

The Sony Ericsson Satio was blighted with early software issues, but these have all been happily fixed via several firmware updates, the most recent hitting phones last weekend.  If you’re a newcomer to the world of smartphones, then upgrading firmware can sound like a daunting task, but it’s really quite easy.  Here’s how to upgrade your Satio’s software to the latest version:

Before upgrading the firmware, you should backup all your data stored on the phone, as an upgrade will wipe old messages and call lists.  The easiest way of doing this is with a memory card.  Ensure you have one inside your Satio and then:

• Select Menu, Organiser then File Manager.
• Pick Backup.
• You can choose what you want to backup by selecting Backup Contents.
• Press Repeat Backup and chose an option.
• Finally, select Options and Back Up Now.

Next, on to the firmware upgrade:

• On your home computer, open a browser window and go to www.sonyericsson.com/updateservice
• Find the Download Here link and follow it.
• Ensure your computer reaches the minimum specification required and click Download Now.
• Once the file has finished downloading, run it, agree to the EULA and follow the instructions.
• With the Update Service program installed, start the program.
• Select your phone from the list then connect it using the USB cable which should have come in your original box.
• The Update Service will now check your phone’s firmware is up to date and if it’s not, it will download and install the latest version.
• The process can take 20 minutes to complete, so make sure you leave enough time to do this and that your phone’s battery is fully charged.

Your Satio should now have the latest and most efficient firmware.  Remember to check periodically if a new version has been released.

Via dialaphone-blog

Novothink, the leading provider of solar powered solutions for Apple products, is proud to announce the availability of the highly-acclaimed, Apple-licensed Solar Surge charging case for iPhone and iPod Touch.  Surge combines a powerful, state-of-the art solar panel with a lithium ion battery into a comfortable, soft touch, non-slip finish case to provide energy conscious consumers with the ultimate protective battery backup solution for every day use.

• Tap Into the Power of the Sun – Novothink’s advanced solar technology provides about 30 minutes of talk time on a 3G network or 60 minutes on 2G from a mere 2 hours of direct sunlight.  Novothink also includes USB cable to charge Surge on a rainy day.

• Advanced Battery Technology – Surge’s lithium-ion polymer battery(1500mAH  for iPodTouch and 1320mAH for iPhone) more than doubles the battery capacity through a highly efficient charger.  The smart charging technology automatically sends a charge whenever it needs juice and there is sufficient power reserved.  There are no switches to worry about, it will know precisely when to stop and start charging.  There’s also an integrated thermal sensor to prevent potential overheating if its environment becomes too hot.

• Infinite Uses for the Outdoor Enthusiast - Surge includes a cutout for wrist straps and smaller carabiners making it ideally suited for traveling, hiking, biking, trips to the beach, and camping.

• LED Indicators – The 4 built-in LED lights let you know if you have a sufficiently powerful light source in addition to how much charge remains in the battery.

• Solar Planner – Novothink developed a free Solar Planner App that provides an estimate of how much sun exposure is necessary to maintain the battery level of your iPod Touch or iPhone based on your everyday usage and the current weather forecast.

Additional Battery Life Provided by Solar Surge for iPhone

The Novothink Solar Surge is available now in Black and White from Novothink.com at an MSRP of $79.95 for iPhone 3G/3G S and $69.95 for iPod Touch(2^nd Gen).

About Novothink

Founded by both technology industry veterans and environmental enthusiasts, Novothink specializes in offering the latest solar technology for today’s most in-demand consumer products. To learn more, go to www.novothink.com