My Mobile Universe

Google’s $199 phone to compete with the iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:17:00 +0000

By Yi-Wyn Yen and Michal Lev-Ram

The Google-powered cell phone is coming soon, and it will retail for $199, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The price of the new Google smart phone would put the device head-to-head with Apple’s $199 iPhone . The Google phone, which features a touchscreen and is made by Taiwanese manufacturer HTC, faces some stiff competition. The iPhone 3G has generated significant interest among consumers for redefining touch-screen technology, popularizing mobile applications and significantly improving Web navigation on cell phones.

T-Mobile, the first carrier that will run Google’s Android mobile software, will show off the new phone to analysts and reporters on Tuesday in Manhattan. It is expected to hit stores later this fall.

Representatives from Google, HTC and T-Mobile would not comment on the Journal’s report.

Google unveiled features of the Android operating system on an unidentified black HTC handset at a developers conference in London on Wednesday.

The HTC phone is just the first of many Google-powered phones, according to the search giant. For Google to reach its ultimate goal - driving mobile Internet use and, in turn, ads - it will need to get multiple devices in the hands of mainstream consumers. The price will also need to be right, given that companies like Palm and Samsung already offer entry-level smartphones for $100.

[via cnn.com]

Spy photos of new Sony Ericsson Walkman-phone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:58:00 +0000

After information leak about new Sony Ericsson phone in Cybershot series, kind insiders give us some new photos of another model of the same manufacturer. Now we have opportunity to see new clamshell phone which will be part of Sony Ericsson's successful Walkman series. There's nothing special in this model. It's almost the same W890i with insignificant changes.

Main aim of that model is to establish emotional link with user. Developers cram with colorful menues, beautiful animations etc. For example, without reference to your location you can see animation on the screen showing weater in the region. Specifications are unknown yet.

Apple forgot to place Greenland on iPhone 3G sales map

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:00:00 +0000

Today Apple's WWDC'08 was held. New 3G iPhone was introduced at last. But there's some strange thing, that you can see on the iPhone-2 map: Apple decided to remove Greenland from there. What is it? Mistake or maybe Apple's gods know something about global warming etc? :)

Light sensor smartphone Samsung i780

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:47:00 +0000

Samsung Electronics has begun production of light smartphone i780. This particular device has optical joystick, 2,55 '' sensor screen (320x320 pixels), built-in GPS unit. It's width less then 13 mm.

Most interesting element of this phone is optical joystick. You can easily gain access to any function or menu. Standard QWERTY-keyboard is also an excellent addition to i780. This device is very convenient to use because of sensor screen able to identify touch of finger or stylus.

Supports HSDPA, Wi-Fi, USB 2.0, Bluetooth v2.0. Operating system of this novelty is Windows Mobile 6.0. You also gain a Office Mobile package: Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook.

Media: 2 Mpixel camera (2x digital zoom), VGA camera for video-conferences, player (AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, OGG, AMR, MPEG 4, H.263 and H.265).

Data storage: 150 Mb + microSD.

[via 3dnews.ru]

Technorati Tags: Camera phone,GPS,Korea,Samsung,Smartphone,Touch Screen,Windows Mobile

Spice's "Popular phone": $20 today, $10 tomorrow

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:23:00 +0000

India already manifested itself as manufacturer of cheap car Tata Nano ($2500). Indian holding company Spice released "popular phone" priced about $20. This phone does not have any display. "This is just a phone" - so says director of Spice.

There were few unsuccessful attempts of producing displayless phones in 90's. Those phones where unpopular. Specialists think that main advantage of this new model is its price.

Spice plans to sell billion of phones to people of developing countries in Southern America, Africa and Asia in next 3 years.

They also assure that in next year price will reduce below $10.

Nokia has also begun development and manufacturing of cheap phones, but their price is $34-$50.

Spice is cheapest phone at current moment and in closest perspective, says head of Spice, Mr. Mody.

[via thg.ru]

Technorati Tags: Spice,mobile phones,cheap

10 Best Selling Cell Phones of February 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:34:00 +0000

Sweden company Krusell, one of the biggest manufacturer of cell phone covers, released list of best selling cell phones of February. Because of Krusell business this list is based on cell phone covers sells.

In February the leader was Nokia 6300 again. This cell phone hold top position for several months in a row. Nokia 3109/3110 climbed to postition 2 and dropped Sony Ericsson k810i to third place. Apple iPhone left the list in February.

Here is the list(last month position in brackets):

(1) Nokia 6300
(3) Nokia 3109/3110
(2) Sony Ericsson K810i
(7) Nokia E51
(5) Sony Ericsson K850i
(4) Nokia N95 8GB
(6) Nokia 6500
(10) Sony Ericsson K530i
(9) Nokia N95
(-) Nokia N73

Technorati Tags: Nokia,Chart,Sony Ericsson,Krusell,February,iPhone

Sony Ericsson will change naming policy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 21:20:00 +0000

Marketers of of cell phones manufacturer decided to improve naming rules. Some latest devices of Sony Ericsson has rather funny names for consumers' taste. New scheme removes "i" letter from the end of devices' names. First cell phones which will have names according new scheme are R300 and R306. But actually this naming model isn't something absolutely new. Similar schemes are used by Japan producers.

Already existed series will have subcategories. G-Series(Generation Web, smartphones) for XPERIA, S-Series(Snapshot, less expensive Cyber-shot models) for Cyber-Shot and R-Series(Radio, lower-end Walkman models)

Technorati Tags: Sony Ericsson,Names,S-Series,G-Series,R-Series

Nokia to show future mobile green technologies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:11:00 +0000

New materials with nanotechnology will bring mobile devices on new level. That is what Nokia want to show with its concepts of gadgets. These gadgets can be used as cell phone, keyboard, TV etc.

Nokia and University of Cambridge researchers have developed an animated video describing how future mobile devices might be stretchable and flexible, allowing users to transform their device into radically different shapes.

Technorati Tags: Nokia,Morphing,Green,Nanotechnology

Texas Instruments demonstrate Google Phone(GPhone) Prototype

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:33:00 +0000

On the World Mobile Congress 2008 Texas Instruments revealed its prototype of mythic Google Phone also known as GPhone or G-Phone. As TI declares, Google Phone will allow user to get access to Internet, Email, SMS and video with only one click.

Current prototype is a real working device but very likely it will be changed a lot before releasing on the market.

Google Phone works with Texas Instruments' OMAP 850 processor (200 MHz, GSM, GPRS, EDGE support), can be used in WiFi net and communicate with other devices with Bluetooth. Despite of relatively weak hardware Google Phone shows very proper performance working on the Google Operating System(Android platform).

But actually, this demonstration doesn't mean Texas Instruments will become Google Phone manufacturer. End user devices will be produced by HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung etc. TI will be just a supplier of hardware components.

Technorati Tags: Google,Google Phone,GPhone,G-Phone,Android,Google OS,Texas Instruments

Sony Ericsson C702/C902: Cyber-shot Evolution

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 01:19:00 +0000

New cell phones C702 and C902 came to popular Sony Ericsson's Cyber-shot family. Sony Ericsson claims both models have the best in its class cameras.

Rumors about C702 were already roaming in the Internet but with name K820. Some sources thought C702 would be waterproof camera phone. But it's only splash and dust-resistant, so it's not recommended to drop it into water.

Higher-end model C902 have better 5 megapixel camera, which can make shots in poor lighting condition with help of new Photo Flash feature. But C702 also has its bonuses - it has A-GPS controller and slightly bigger display. C902 slimmer than C702 on 5 mm.

Technorati Tags: Sony Ericsson,C702,C902,camera phone,waterproof,dust-proof,splash-proof,A-GPS,5 megapixel

HTC manufactures Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1 smartphone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:45:00 +0000

As Chinese newspaper Economic Daily News (EDN) reports, High Tech Computer(HTC) perform production of ODM orders on smartphone Xperia X1 for Sony Ericsson (SE). It's not a surprise as Xperia X1 uses Windows Mobile Operating System. Xperia X1 was announced on Mobile World Congress 2008 which had place in Barcelona 11-14 February. Release of that Sony Ericsson's smartphone scheduled on second half of 2008.

As you can see it's very nice looking device, we hope it can grow to a very popular Sony Ericsson's product. Here you can find video short presentation of Xperia X1 and its unusual interface. Weight of that model is only 145 grams. The future cost isn't defined yet.

Technorati Tags: Xperia X1,Smartphone,Sony Ericsson,Mobile World Congress 2008,Xperia,Windows Mobile,HTC,High Tech Computer

MOTO Z6w Slider: Z6 and WiFi Included

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:32:00 +0000

Despite recent rumors about Motorola's exit from cell phone market, American company announced several new models at the Mobile World Congress 2008. One of that models is MOTO Z6w

Novelty's characteristics are very similar to it's sibling Z6. Main feature of MOTO Z6w is WiFi controller and it reflected on the name of cell phone. Letter "w" in Z6w means WiFi. This is light improvement, but it can seriously raise attention of consumers to that model though. Because it can be really helpful in cities with high density of WiFi networks or if you have home WiFi network. But we hopes this new feature won't raise the cost of cell phone as the possible attraction.

Unfortunately, Motorola didn't exposed much technical characteristics in the given press release. We can only know that MOTO Z6w would have 2 megapixel camera with video capabilities, USB2.0 port, microSD slot for memory flash cards with up to 4GB capacity and Windows Media Player 11 capability is declared. From independent source leaked out that new slider works with GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, EDGE, GPRS networks. Also that sources says about QVGA display, Java and Bluetooth support. Dimensions are 104x45x16 mm and weight is 105 grams. Stand-by time up to 380 hours and talk time up to 7 hours.

We can expect MOTO Z6w release in Q2 2008.

Technorati Tags: Motorola,MOTO Z6w,MOTO Z6,Slider,WiFi

Music phone MOTO U9 from Motorola

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:05:00 +0000

American based Motorola recently announced several new cell phone models including pretty MOTO U9 with great music capabilities. This new music phone has elegant design, support of CrystalTalk technology and ergonomic sensor control elements.

MOTO U9 is very phone for the music lovers. You can view your music collection with only one click. If You're listening music and someone calls you, music automatically will be pause. You can transfer audio files from your computer or from over 200 internet stores(for example Napster). Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 will help you to sort and control audio collection. U9 has 25Mb on-board user memory, plus an optional microSD memory card for up to 4GB of music, pictures and other media.

Technical specifications:

GPRS, EDGE
Dimensions - 90mm x 48.6mm x 16.4mm
Weight - 87.5g
Battery - 430 minutes talk time and 350 hours standby time
Exterior display - 1.45'', 128x160, 65k OLED
Interior display - 2.0'', QVGA, 262k TFT
Touch sensitive control
Windows Media Player 11 compatible
Integrated music player that supports multiple audio files: Windows WMAv10 plus Janus DRM, MP3, AAC, AAC+, AAC+ enhanced
Bluetooth (A2DP), USB2.0
25MB on-board user memory and up to 4gb microSD card
CrystalTalk technology
2 megapixel multi-shot camera with landscape viewfinder
MMS, SMS, WVIM, EMS5.04

In some regions MOTO U9 will be distributed with music content from British performer Fergie.

Technorati Tags: Motorola , MOTO U9 , Windows Media Player 11 , Music Phone , Fergie , Touch screen

Do You Want To Have Your Own Universe?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:54:00 +0000

If you want to broadcast your messages to the whole world you can be builder of My Mobile Universe(or any another blog of MyUniverseRing). We are waiting for your contribution.

Technorati Tags: Blogging , Blogger , Contribution

Samsung release two phones in a one - D880 DuoS

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 22:33:00 +0000

Actually it's one phone which can handle two SIM cards in it. You can use it for example to separate your work and personal calls. Of course the phone that can carry and work with two SIM cards is nothing new. But all previous phones was made by minor manufacturers and mainly in Asia. And now Samsung wants to bring dual-SIM phones to mainstream in Europe with its new slider Samsung D880 DuoS.

With Samsung D880 DuoS you can use two different numbers from the same mobile operator or from two different operators.

SIM-cards in D880 DuoS can work simultaneously for all standard operations like calling? sending\receiving SMS etc. And you can easily switch from one card to another for using internet-related things like browsing, MMS etc.

Samsung D880 DuoS is an ordinary Samsung's slider with two SIM cards opportunity. There is specifications:

- Dimensions: 104mm × 51mm x 18.9mm
- 2.3 QVGA Display
- 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus
- FM Radio
- Bluetooth 2.0 A2DP, USB 2.0
- 1200 mAh battery
- GSM 900/1800/1900 EDGE connectivity

You have to pay around $700 to have D880 DuoS.

Technorati Tags: Samsung , D880 DuoS , Slider , Dual phone , Two SIM cards , Dual SIM card phone

MOTORIZR Z3 This slider version of the KRZR looks good but doesn't have much new under the hood.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 22:38:00 +0000

By Stewart Wolpin

Motorola's designers seem to be borrowing from themselves instead of innovating. Case in point: The new Motorola RIZR Z3, an EDGE-compatible phone available from T-Mobile, is essentially a slider version of Motorola's clamshell KRZR (not to be confused with the RAZR). The name RIZR Z3 (pronounced "riser") stems from the rising top, but we're not convinced it's a better design than the clamshell version.
Sporting virtually identical outer dimensions, both the KRZR and RIZR Z3 phones have bright 1.9-inch LCDs, the same navigation and array of buttons, and similarly styled and sized keypads. But while the KRZR has a mostly glass and metal exterior, the RIZR Z3 is encased in the same smooth, rubberized outer shell as the PEBL. With a slider, of course, the exposed screen is far more vulnerable to scratches, and it's easy to accidentally activate exposed buttons when the key lock isn't activated.
Initial startup on the RIZR Z3 takes more than 30 seconds, possibly because it's collecting all your T-Mobile myFaves information, which is the last item to appear on screen. But because the longest the backlight can keep the screen lit is 20 seconds, the screen will go blank before the phone is ready to be used.
For photos, you'll find a two-megapixel camera with a video light and 8X zoom. Unfortunately, despite the jump up in resolution from the 1.3-MP KRZR K1m, pictures taken with the RIZR Z3 were almost all overexposed, soft-focused, and lacking in contrast and black levels. We actually think the KRZR's pictures were better.
A built-in music player supports MP3 and AAC files. Stereo Bluetooth is also included, as is 20MB of internal memory and a 1GB microSD Card slot for songs; we just wish the slot weren't buried behind the battery cover. The problem with the RIZR Z3's music player is finding it. The phone doesn't have a dedicated music player key, nor could we find the music player listed in the Fun & Apps menu. Further complicating matters is how the phone mixes your ringtones in with your tunes and offers no way to separate them other than to create a playlist that contains just songs.
While the RIZR Z3's multimedia amenities may be lacking, the phone's calling performance is not. Voice volume was loud if leaning toward the thick side, with only slight network warble at both ends. Voice-memo recording and voice dialing, as well as an enhanced phonebook all help make day-to-day communication a snap.
Initial Web access took about 12 seconds on T-Mobile's EDGE network, and subsequent WAP Web pages filled in a speedy five seconds. That's about average for an EDGE phone and is surprisingly speedier than the KRZR K1m on Verizon's EV-DO network. Its talk time of 3.3 hours is acceptable but shorter than what we've come to expect from GSM phones; the standby time of 9.4 days is adequate.
While the RIZR Z3 is certainly stylish, we think you can do better for the money. Unless you care more about looks than features, we say pick up the identically priced Nokia 5300 or the $149 BlackBerry Pearl instead.

(c) www.laptopmag.com

Uni.Mobile Tags: Motorola, RIZR, MOTORIZR, RIZR Z3, Cell phone

Nokir E828 meta review (yes, NokiR)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 22:29:00 +0000

At one glance, the cellphone above looks pretty much like a Nokia N73. I strongly suggest you take a closer look at the brand name, only to discover that this is actually a NOKIR instead of a NOKIA. What more, this model is being marketed as the E828 which is one digit too high for any of the E-series of business phones currently being offered by the Finnish cellphone manufacturer. I suppose Chinese manufacturers couldn't give two hoots about copyright infringement, going all out to secure consumer dollars by producing a bunch of copied designs that are good enough to fool the unwary customer. I predict that there are two groups of people who would pick up the Nokir E828 - the first would be those who are caught unawares, thinking that this is a bona fide Nokia, while the latter would be people who want to be seen toting one of the latest cellphones but cannot afford the actual one. Read on more of the Nokir E828 review after the jump.

The E828 comes in a solid cardboard box, where opening it reveals the handset itself, a couple of batteries, a stereo handsfree headset, a USB cable, a battery charger, and a manual. The product page mentioned that a 128MB microSD card was included, so I checked the box thoroughly without any success (you know how small those darn cards are). A moment of brainstorming later, I realized that the microSD card could only be in one place - inside the handset itself. Opening the back of the E828 easily, I found the 128MB microSD card stored safely where it belonged. Before getting down and dirty with the rest of the cellphone, I plugged it into the nearest power outlet.
It took approximately 4 hours to get a full charge from a flat battery, which is pretty much the standard these days. The first thing I noticed was the vibrant display - it was somewhat on par with the Nintendo DS Lite in terms of brightness. Checking out the pre-loaded picture gallery, I found the 2.6" touchscreen QVGA display to perform satisfactorily at a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. The only downside as with all other touchscreen phones would be the layer of oil and fingerprints left over the display at the end of the day - you would be well advised to keep a soft cloth or some tissue nearby to wipe the screen clean after each conversation in order to retain a pristine look.
The phone itself is surprisingly light (104g) for its size (110mm x 55mm x 14mm), thanks to the majority of its plastic parts. Apart from the touchscreen, hardware specifications include an extendable stylus located at the top right hand corner just like the Treo, a 2 megapixel camera behind, volume control buttons on the side, and a mini USB port on the bottom left hand side. This mini USB port is pretty versatile as it can be used to plug in either your stereo handsfree handset or the charger cable. One drawback would be you can't use both at the same time. The USB charger cable can either be hooked up to the adapter itself, or directly to the computer for charging purposes. Once connected to the computer, you can use it as a 2 megapixel webcam or a mass storage device. I would recommend growing your fingernails beforehand as opening the mini USB port can be quite tricky due to the rubber cover.
Unlocking the cellphone is pretty tricky, as you first have to press a certain key before touching a precise point on the touchscreen. I would have preferred an all-key unlock system, probably due to the number of years I have been spoilt by Nokia's superb User Interface (UI). The UI here is nothing much to shout about, as it does not run on any of the the popular operating systems. It works more like a Flash-based interface, where each menu consists of 4 sub-menus. It takes a while to get the hang of things, and not being able to read a single character of Chinese in the manual does not help either. Those who are less tech savvy should rope in an experienced gadget lover to help them through the growing pains of navigation.
Software features include a camera, an image viewer, a video recorder, an audio and video player (supported formats consist of MP3, 3GP, and MPEG 4). You can choose to play the video of your choice in portrait or landscape mode, but I would recommend the latter due to the widescreen format. There is a lag of approximately half a second when you use the E828 to take photos, but generally the pictures turn out pretty okay for a camera phone of its class. You get all the usual trappings such as Night and Auto modes, an adjustable brightness level, and different effects.
Using this as a secondary MP3 player is great, as the included stereo headset offers a commendable sound quality. The phone's speaker itself is unusually loud, making sure you are aware of an incoming call even in noisy social environments. I sure hope the speaker would be able to last the pace throughout the phone's life and not tear too easily from playing music too loudly at frequent intervals.
The buttons on this cellphone are pretty hard to press, even more so if you are an owner of large digits. The depressed nature of the keys make it easy to make a typing mistake, and the fact that the E828 caters toward the Chinese-speaking market is made all the more evident in the text messaging mode. You won't find any T9 text prediction input in there, but messaging in Chinese is made extremely simple with a vast array of characters available at your command. I find that using the stylus to key in my messages are much faster when compared to using the keypad, as I am prone to spending almost half the time making corrections when using the latter.
Battery life stands at approximately 2 days before requiring a recharge. This includes conversations of up to an hour a day, playing the occasional song, while snapping a few pictures along the way. I guess that battery life would be even lower if other features such as Bluetooth were thrown in. Overall, it is pretty much average in terms of battery life. Most people charge their devices on a daily basis anyway, so this is a non-issue unless you hit the road often.
Take note that the Nokir E828 operates only on the 900/1800MHz GSM bands, which rules out those living in the Americas (including the United States and Canada). This Asian-centric phone explains why the manual comes in only Chinese, as I expect a vast majority of its buyers to come from mainland China.
At $200, this is pretty much a budget phone for those living in Europe and the U.S., but for the target market in China and other up-and-coming countries in the third world, it would be positioned as a higher end handset at that price. To cap up this review, I will list the pros along with the cons. You can purchase the Nokir E828 from Brando.
Pros:
• Great looking display
• Lightweight
• Extremely audible speaker
• Affordable
Cons:
• Poor User Interface
• No Bluetooth
• Fingerprint magnet
• Software lags occasionally
• Buttons hard to press
• No T9 text prediction input

(c) www.uberphones.com

Harman Kardon Guide+Play GPS-500 Does Nav and HiFi

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 02:54:00 +0000

Harman Kardon has announced their GPS-500. This is a small GPS device that also has media functionality. This GPS unit includes a hi-fi music player (with FM transmitter), video player, 2GB of internal storage with optional SD expandability and support for MP3, MP4, WMA, ASF, WAV and OGG. The 4-inch touchscreen and software doesn't look too shabby, either—nice and clean. It will be hitting the shelves later this month for $500. – Travis Hudson

(c) www.gizmodo.com

How the iPhone avoided being leaked

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 02:53:00 +0000

by Christopher Grant

We all knew Apple was going to announce the iPhone at yesterday's Macworld keynote, but we didn't really know, y'know? Despite years of anticipation, false starts, and promised rumors, we can't decide if we're more impressed by what Apple managed to pack into the iPhone's slender frame or their ability to keep the entire thing an absoloute secret. Fortune takes a look at the process, covering the highly secretive cooperation with cell-carrier Cingular, the unusually distributed effort within Apple itself, and the increasing strain placed on the personal lives of employees tasked with long hours and strict confidentiality. Perhaps most interesting was the creation of "bogus prototypes" that they used with not only Cingular executives but with Apple exployees themselves. Lucky for us, an insider deep inside the core of Apple sent us this cameraphone snap of an early prototype featuring a (now absent) external antenna.

(c) www.engadget.com

Sharp 770SH 3G phone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 02:26:00 +0000

CES 2007 - Truth be told, very little separates the 550SH and the 770SH. Both cellphones share almost the same specifications, with the main difference being the size and form factor. While the 550SH comes in a candybar design, the 770SH opens up its clamshell with a very satisfying click. Instead of the 1.9" TFT LCD display that you find on the 550SH, you get a 2.2" Mobile Advanced Super-V LCD instead. I compared the screens between both phones, and the 770SH looked a wee bit better but it probably would not matter to the casual user. Loading captured images took approximately 2 to 3 seconds per shot, which can be frustrating for those who are used to speedier software. As with the 550SH, it is currently available in Europe and will be offered by Cingular and T-Mobile sometime in the near future. Overall, it really depends on how you prefer your handset to come in - candybar or clamshell?

(c) www.ubergizmo.com

Pantech goes two up with IM-S150 and IM-U150

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 23:30:00 +0000

Pantech is now offering two new handsets in Japan namely the Pantech IM-S150 and the Pantech IM-U150. The former handset is widely acclaimed for being extremely well designed and have had the good fortune of winning the iF Design Award of 2007 as well. Features on the S-150 include megapixel cameras, MP3 players and wireless internet. The IM-S150 features a screen, incorporating dual TFT LCD of 260,000 colors. It is also equipped with a 1.3 mega-pixel camera with flash and 64 polyphonic ringtones. Users can send photos and phone numbers to other mobile phones through its infra-red data association (IrDA) function. The IM-S150 will be launched in Korea this week under Pantech's SKY brand, the leading Korean premium mobile phone brand. The IM-S150 is 7.8cm in height and 3.7cm in width and weighs only 80g. The latter, i.e. the U150 is simpler yet elegant. The touch wheel design has been tried out with the U150. The U150 also has a surprisingly different color for the backlight - purple which ligths up depending on the movement of the finer on the touchwheel. The Pantech U150 phone will also enjoy 1 GB of memory, 3D surround sound and an integrated MP3 player.

(c) www.phoneyworld.com

MySpace on Your Cingular Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 23:21:00 +0000

MySpace.com and Cingular Wireless announced an exclusive partnership to offer enhanced MySpace functionality to all Cingular customers via their mobile phones. The deal marks MySpace's largest-scale mobile partnership and gives Cingular's customers exclusive access to MySpace Mobile's tool set including the ability to edit MySpace profiles, view and add friends, post photos and blogs, send and receive MySpace messages, and more from the mobile phone.

MySpace Mobile on Cingular provides features and functionality of the MySpace global community, translated for an easy-to-use and feature-rich experience on a mobile device. The rich feature set for MySpace Mobile on Cingular includes:
- Uploading Photos - Available on select Cingular handsets, MySpace Mobile allows Cingular customers to select photos stored on their mobile device and upload them to their MySpace profile. The same terms of service for MySpace also apply to the mobile sphere, including but not limited to inappropriate content and copyrighted material.
- Responding to Mail - Cingular customers don't have to wait until they are in front of a computer to read and reply to their MySpace messages. From their Cingular phones, they have the ability to send messages to their MySpace friends, read and reply to messages sent to them, as well as view and manage friend requests.
- Searching for Friends - MySpace Mobile allows Cingular customers to perform basic friend searches giving users the opportunity to "click-to-add "friends into their network. Cingular customers must simply locate a MySpace profile they wish to add as a friend, and then select to add this user as a friend. Customers will also have the ability to look through invites that are pending approval.
- Posting Comments or Blog Entries - MySpace Mobile allows Cingular customers to post new blog entries and make comments to other users' blogs or MySpace profile pages. To post a blog or comment, Cingular customers need simply view the appropriate section and click "Post" to create the entry. Users can save their work at any time, and any information entered will update both the mobile client and the online MySpace profile page.
- View Friends - Cingular customers have the ability to view the friend list of any MySpace profile. The Friend list contains a text listing of the friends, which when selected would show the profile picture along with a link to that user's MySpace page and the ability to add the friend to your contact list for quick bookmarking.
- View Groups - MySpace Mobile gives users the ability to view the group list of any MySpace profile. The Group list contains a text listing of the members, which when selected would show the profile picture along with a link to that user's MySpace profile and the ability to add the member to your contact list for quick bookmarking.
To experience MySpace Mobile on Cingular, customers can text: MYSPACE to 386 (FUN) to get the MySpace Mobile application on their wireless phones. The cost is $2.99 per month plus standard data usage charges.
In addition to the full range of new MySpace Mobile features, Cingular customers can still receive real time MySpace Mobile Alerts on their handsets which notify them, via a text message, when they receive postings to their MySpace page, such as updates or comments posted to their blog, friend invites, mail messages, comments to pictures, new bulletins and/or online status. MySpace Mobile Alerts have been available to Cingular customers since March 2006 and, to date, more than 75 million alerts have been received on Cingular handsets.

(c) www.mobiledia.com

Samsung Launches the Thinnest HSDPA Slider

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 23:19:00 +0000

Samsung today launched the SGH-Z720, the thinnest HSDPA slide-up mobile offering a 13.8 mm profile.

The Z720 enables mobile users to access more files and provides greater fidelity for streaming video content, powered by High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) for data transmission speeds at 1.8 Mbps - up to six times faster than 3G UMTS technology.
Integrating a 3.0-megapixel camera with auto focus for taking photos, the Z720 has wide dimension to allow for a 2.1-inch QVGA display. Utilizing 3G power, the Z720 also includes a second camera for video telephony. With a document viewer, voice memo and PIM features, users can also keep on top of their workload.
For convenience, the Z720 supports microSD external memory and is equipped with Bluetooth and USB connectivity. Also supporting Samsung's newest uGo and uTrack interfaces, the Z720 automatically responds to the user's environment and displays a city landmark of where they are located, adjusts the picture to represent day or night, and adjusts the time to reflect the location automatically. The uTrack interface sends an SMS message to a predetermined number to alert the consumer of changes in the mobile's SIM card, as well as the location to increases the chances of recovering a lost or stolen phone.
In addition, the Z720 is the first mobile handset from Samsung installed with Google mobile search and Gmail, which enables consumers to search for information, and manage their emails on the move. It includes a Google icon in the application menu, offering one-click access to Google search.
The Samsung Z720 has been launched in major European countries this month and will soon be available throughout Europe.
Samsung Z720 Specification
- Standard: GSM / GPRS (900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz) + EDGE + UMTS + HSDPA
- Camera: 3.0-Megapixel Camera + VGA Dual Camera (AF / 3x Zoom)
- Display: 2.1-inch 240 x 340 px 262K-Color TFT LCD
- Features: Video Recording & Messaging (MPEG4 / H.263)
- MP3 / AAC / AAC+ / e-AAC+ / WMA
- Digital Power Amp
- Bluetooth / USB
- Document Viewer / Google Search / Google Mail (Gmail)
- Speakerphone / Offline Mode / uTrack / uGo
- MicroSD external memory
- Size: 104.5 x 51.3 x 13.8 mm
- Weight: 80 g
- Samsung Launches the Thinnest HSDPA Slider Photo 1

(c) www.mobiledia.com

Cingular ups SMS fee to 15 cents

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 23:18:00 +0000

Cingular has announced a 50% price increase for the price for an SMS message. Starting January 21st SMS messages will cost 15 cents (this applies to both sending and receiving). Sprint made this same move back in October.

Despite the hefty price increase, Cingular customers will not be able to renig on their contracts. Sprint allowed users without a bulk rate SMS plan to cancel their contracts without an early termination free (usually around $200) after the price hike. Sprint did not reveal how many customers took advantage of that offer however.

Cingular will try to use this move as a way to get more customers to sign up for a bulk SMS plan. The base plan is $5 monthly for 200 messages and the top plan is $20 for 3,000. T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless still offer messages at 10 cents apiece.

(c) www.mobiletracker.net

Motorola 4th quarter lower than expected

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 23:15:00 +0000

Motorola has issued a restated estimate for 4th quarter sales and earnings because of lower than expected sales of mobile devices. The usually red hot holiday season ended up being not as KRZY as Motorola was hoping for:

"We are very disappointed with our fourth-quarter financial performance," said Ed Zander, chairman and CEO, "but we remain committed to the strategic direction and long-term financial targets we discussed at our annual analysts meeting in July 2006. We will discuss plans to improve operating profitability on January 19 when we announce fourth-quarter earnings."

Motorola estimates Q4 sales of mobile devices at 66 million and attributes the shortfall to, "an unfavorable geographical and product-tier mix of sales."