Unwired View

Rogers-branded BlackBerry Magnum shows up

Ilinca Nita — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:45:43 +0000

We’ve been hearing about this BlackBerry Magnum since April, but it’s only now that a proper image with it has appeared on the web.

It’s said that the Magnum will be RIM’s first smartphone to have both a hardware QWERTY keyboard and a touchscreen display (480 x 320 pixels). It should also feature 3G, and probably many other advanced capabilities.

Unfortunately, the person who took the picture of BlackBerry Magnum wanted to make a joke and literally put a Trojan Magnum condom over the smartphone’s display. So, yeah, we can’t actually see its display:

What we can see, though, is Rogers Wireless’ logo on the Magnum, which means that the largest Canadian carrier will soon release it, probably at about the same time with AT&T, which will obviously launch it in the US.

For the moment, we don’t know when exactly RIM wants to officially announce the BlackBerry Magnum, but let’s hope that it will happen this summer.

Via CrackBerry

Similar Posts:

HTC loves both Android and Windows Mobile, will focus on both

Ilinca Nita — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:48:08 +0000

As you may already know, HTC announced three new Android phones this year: HTC Dream (the non-T-Mobile version of G1), HTC Magic and HTC Hero.

The Taiwanese company has also introduced three Windows Mobile phones: HTC Touch Diamond2, HTC Touch Pro2 and HTC Snap.

Now, judging by the way Android was received around the world, one may think that HTC will soon concentrate more on Google’s open source OS than on Microsoft’s WM.

But this will not happen – at least not in the near future.

According to Mobile News CWP, Jon French, country manager at HTC UK and Ireland, said that the company will equally focus on both platforms, as they are targeted at different types of consumers.

(HTC Hero vs. HTC Touch Diamond2)

“We’ll be releasing more devices across both platforms until the end of the year. We’ll certainly move forward on the Android side but we’d be fools to just through away our heritage in being a leader of Windows Mobile devices,” said Mr. French.

Well, now all we can do is to wait and see how many Android and how many Windows Mobile devices will HTC release by the year’s end.

Similar Posts:

Amazon intros AmazonWireless – buy your phones rebate-free

Ilinca Nita — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:38:14 +0000

Amazon.com, America’s largest online retailer, has launched a new dedicated website that offers mobile phones and service plans.

Called AmazonWireless, the new online store is accessible at this address. It currently offers more than 120 phone models from AT&T and Verizon.

In the near future, Amazon will add more carriers and, obviously, more phones too.

One of the nicest features of AmazonWireless is that it sells the phones rebate-free. Also, you get free two-day shipping – probably anywhere in the US.

Even more, phone prices seem to be lower than on the carriers’ websites. For example, the Samsung Impression is as low as $49.99 at AmazonWireless, while costing $149.99 at AT&T’s online store.

“We’ve taken our eight years’ experience selling cell phones to create a new site that makes a potentially confusing transaction much easier for customers. The step-by-step purchase process on AmazonWireless makes it easy for customers who already have a plan to upgrade their phones. If you want to establish new cell phone service, we’ve made it simple to find the right phone, service plan and options for your needs. We’ve also eliminated the technical jargon and frustrating rebate paperwork that customers often face when buying a phone,” says Paul Ryder, vice president of Consumer Electronics for Amazon.com.

Now I wonder what the folk over at BestBuy will think about all this…

Via Press release

Similar Posts:

Pantech IM-R470S with unconverted video playback launched

Ilinca Nita — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:26:24 +0000

First seen last month, when Pantech announced its new TruEmotion 3D User Interface, the IM-R470S touchscreen phone is now available in South Korea, via SK Telecom.

Launched under Pantech’s Sky brand, the IM-R470S seems to be a great multimedia device.

It can play unconverted video files (H.264, MPEG4, DivX, XviD) and display them on the 3.2 inch WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) Sharp LCD screen, which has a 160 degree viewing angle.

The phone also features the already-mentioned TruEmotion 3D Cube UI, accelerometer, proximity sensor, DMB TV tuner, Back Ground Play, Picture in Picture, GPS, Bluetooth, a 3MP autofocus camera, and 4GB of internal memory.

The IM-R470S is a Korea-only handset, but let’s hope that Pantech will launch similar phones (with the TrueEmotion UI) outside its home country soon.

Via Press release

Similar Posts:

Orange UK exclusively launches the Toshiba TG01, free on select plans

Ilinca Nita — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:01:14 +0000

O2 UK may have smartphones like the iPhone 3G S and the Palm Pre, but Orange has got exclusivity on one of the coolest Windows Mobile handsets out there: the Toshiba TG01.

Orange announced that it will offer the TG01 across the UK starting tomorrow, July 10, for free on select plans.

Orange’s Toshiba TG01 comes with an 8GB MicroSD card, and it’s pre-loaded with a “GI Joe” trailer, which should make good use of the phone’s 4.1 inch WVGA display and its 1GHz Snapdragon chipset.

Part of Orange’s Signature Series, Toshiba TG01 features quick links and shortcuts to Orange TV & Video, Orange Maps and Orange World.

Naturally, the 9.9mm-thin handset also has all those specs that we’ve presented many times until now: HSDPA connectivity, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.2MP autofocus camera and so on.

A video preview of Orange’s Toshiba TG01 can be watched below:

Via Press release

Similar Posts:

Rugged Nokia 3720 classic now official, costs only €125

Ilinca Nita — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:02:02 +0000

Nokia 3720 classic, the company’s “most rugged mobile handset to date”, is now finally official, coming with entry-level features and a very attractive retail price.

According to Nokia, the 3720 classic will be available starting this summer, for only €125 (about $175).

As we previously said, the new phone is IP-54 certified, thus it can resist water, dust and shock. Its battery cover is locked with a screw, this bringing a plus of safety.

The main specs and features of Nokia 3720 classic include:

2.2 inch TFT display with 16 million colors and 240 x 320 pixels
S40 UI
Tri-band GSM connectivity (900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz)
Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP
Music & Video players
Stereo FM radio with RDS
2.5mm headset jack
2MP camera with LED flash
20MB of internal memory
1GB MicroSD card in the box
Talk time: up to 7 hours
Stand-by time: up to 408 hours
115 x 47 x 15.3 mm
94 grams

“Whether using it at the beach or in a dusty construction site, the Nokia 3720 classic has been specifically engineered to withstand the splashes, bumps and drops that come with the terrain. While the Nokia 3720 classic is tough on the outside, it is equally functional on the inside – a perfect choice for people who want a long-lasting and reliable mobile phone for any environment,” declared Markku Suomi, vice president, Nokia Connect devices.

Nokia 3720 classic will have two color versions: grey and grey/yellow.

Via Press release

Similar Posts:

Next in your iPhone OS: live object identification, face recognition, text filtering, smarter messaging, voice alteration

Staska — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:45:57 +0000

Apple guys do keep themselves busy thinking up new ways how to improve their iPhone OS software. And Apple’s patent applications give us a glimpse of how they may go about it.

Last we told you about event based modes, intelligent and scheduled communications that could come with your new iPhone 4.0 or 5.0 OS.

Today a new batch of Apple’s patent apps surfaced, showing us some more interesting things that may come with your next major iPhone OS update.

Real world object identification

The idea in the patent app is somewhat similar to Nokia’s Point & Find service being tested right now in some countries – point your iPhone to a real world object, your handset will recognize what it is and then provide relevant additional info about it.

The object identification could be done via camera/image recognition technologies, RFID tags, barcode scanning, etc;). The user can set different location and context based modes to make the object recognition easier (e.g. Museum, Restaurant, Electronics shop, etc;), or an iPhone can to it itself based on location and other parameters.

The user also can create logs/albums of recognized objects for future reference.

Face detection and recognition

This one is pretty obvious. In a patent app Apple decribes the techniques how to incorporate face detection and recognition technologies into an iPhone, iMac and other devices.

After implementation, face recognition capabilities can be used to control the operation of the device – controlling access privileges and restrictions, deciding whether to put a device into a sleep mode, etc;

Text Message Filtering

In this patent app Apple describes methods for filtering and controlling various text based communications via your iPhone.

This filtering can be applied to outgoing and incoming e-mails, text, MMS, IM and other messages. The text control app can be set up alter the objectionable text (e.g – swear words in an e-mail app), or to help your kid lean foreign language, by making him send e-mails in it:

control application includes an instructional tool or study aid where the administrator sets one or more modes, such as language, vocabulary, grammar, spelling, punctuation and/or other content of a text-based communication based on, for example, a user’s age or grade level. This can be especially useful, for example, such as when a child’s grades go down. A parent can then institute a condition to improve a child’s grades. For example, the control application may require a user during specified time periods to send messages in a designated foreign language, to include certain designated vocabulary words, or to use proper designated spelling, designated grammar and designated punctuation and like designated language forms based on the user’s defined skill level and/or designated language skill rating. If the text-based communication fails to include the required language or format, the control application may alert the user and/or the administrator/parent of the absence of such text.

Smarter messaging interface

There are also couple of patent apps that describe the ways to make your overall messaging/communication experience easier.

One of them is related to multiple recipient messages. E.g. You send a message to your work team and not all the messages get delivered. After a preset time interval the messaging app checks the status of message delivery. If some messages have not been delivered, it alerts you and then provides an interface to easily resend a message to those who did not get it via the same or different means.

Another app is designed to help you deal better with unread messages.

Apple thinks that if you have some unread messages from a person you are about to contact (call or send a message to him), you might want to at least look at them before initiating contact. And that’s exactly what this app does – compares your unread messages, e-mails, voicemails, etc; to the info of a person you are about to contact and informs you if you have some unread messages from him sitting on your phone.

In addition to checking the contact info, the message app can also check for certain keywords – e.g. the name of a project you are writing about and alert that you have some unread messages relating to it.

This one sounds like one of those obvious (“Darn, how come I didn’t think of that..”) cool little things that Apple is especially good at.

Changes voice output in your iPhone

And then there’s a patent app that describes the possibility of altering audio output from your iPhone.

There may be a multiple reasons you’d want to do this. Some of them, described in a patent app are:

Despite the restrictions involved in playing back audio files, users of media devices may wish to change the audio output of audio files. A mother, for example, might wish to change the narrator’s voice in a pre-recorded, commercially available audiobook to her own voice, so that her child can listen to the audiobook as narrated in the mother’s voice in her absence. In another scenario, a student listening to a lecture as a podcast file might want to change the audio of certain sections of the lecture to sound like someone else’s voice, so as to emphasize important parts of the lecture.

Well, that’s about it for today. Let’s see what Apple will try to patent next week.

Similar Posts:

T-Mobile myTouch 3G now on pre-order; lots of accessories will be available

Ilinca Nita — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:27:48 +0000

As promised by T-Mobile USA, the myTouch 3G can now be pre-ordered by the carrier’s current customers.

All those who pre-order the new Android smartphone between July 8 and July 28 are qualified to receive it before its nationwide availability.

You can pre-order the myTouch 3G at this address – its price is of $199.99 with a 2-yr contract agreement.

Already available in Europe and Asia (as HTC Magic), the myTouch 3G will be offered by T-Mobile USA together with a wide variety of accessories: from customized or pre-designed shells, to charging docks and lively-colored cases.

T-Mobile myTouch 3G will be available across the US starting August 5, both online and in T-Mo’s retail locations and partner stores.

Via Press release

Similar Posts:

White Samsung Elite Preston and Elite C3050 limited editions

Ilinca Nita — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:25:36 +0000

Samsung has partnered with T-Mobile Europe and the Elite Model Management agency in order to launch two special edition phones: Samsung Elite Preston S5600, and Samsung Elite C3050.

Both handsets will be soon available in the Netherlands, coming in exclusive white versions.

The Samsung Elite Preston S5600 is offered together with a Charming by Ti Sento bracelet, while Samsung Elite C3050 comes with a Charming by Ti Sento phone strap.

This being said, it’s obvious that the phones are targeted at women and girls.

It’s not clear yet what prices the Elite Samsung phones will have. Also, we don’t know if Samsung and T-Mobile will offer them in other European countries except the Netherlands.

But worry not, you’ll probably be able to get the regular Preston 5600 anyway.

Via Samsung Netherlands

Similar Posts:

Sony Ericsson Rachael’s Android UI demoed on video

Ilinca Nita — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:58:12 +0000

Unveiled last week, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Rachael might be one of SE’s hottest devices of 2009 – assuming that the company will release it before the year’s end.

The Rachael is Sony Ericsson’s first Android smartphone, so it will probably draw an impressive amount of attention when officially announced.

Until then, though, we’ve got a video preview with the handset’s User Interface, found via USEB.

Apparently, Sony Ericsson has developed its own new UI to run on top of Android – and, well, it all looks pretty cool:

Feature-wise, Sony Ericsson Xperia Rachael should come with a wide touchscreen display and an 8MP autofocus camera. There are probably many other high-end specs included, since the device is built on the Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon chipset, but these are not known at the moment.

We’ll bring more on Sony Ericsson’s first Android smartphone as soon as new details emerge.

Similar Posts:

KZ-Opera 4.0 mobile browser launched in China

Ilinca Nita — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:51:06 +0000

Almost one year after the introduction of KongZhong Opera 3.0, now Opera Software has launched KZ-Opera 4.0, the new mobile browser for Chinese users.

Based on Opera Mini 4.2, KZ-Opera 4.0 was developed in collaboration with Kong.net and it comes to provide “a 3G-like experience even in a 2G environment.”

The new mobile browser has a redesigned UI and it was optimized to offer a faster loading speed, plus an enhanced rendering quality.

Reportedly, KZ-Opera 4.0 can save your “consumption of data up to 90%”.

Other new features included in KZ-Opera 4.0:

Automatic update of startpage
Advanced night mode
Improved monthly data statistics report
Optimized cmwap/cmnet connection
Digital-key navigation support
Preload support
Changeable skin

Opera doesn’t say where you can download KZ-Opera 4.0 from, but the browser is probably available through Kong.net.

Via Press release

Similar Posts:

LG GC990 Louvre – LG’s first 12MP camera phone

Ilinca Nita — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:37:43 +0000

We already knew that LG is getting ready to unveil a 12MP camera phone this year, but we thought we’ll only see it sometime towards the year’s end.

Well, no. The phone was already showcased by LG during the Korea Products Exhibition, in Warsaw, Poland.

The new handset is called LG GC990 Louvre, but its final name may be different. That is, if LG decides to commercialize it – because it looks like the phone is only a concept for now.

Anyway, let’s see what the LG GC990 Louvre has to offer.

Its 12.1MP camera obviously features autofocus, plus:

Schneider Kreuznach lens
ISO up to 3200
Xenon flash
Intellizoom and Touch Focus
HD (1280 x 720 pixels) video recording at 30fps

Camera aside, the specs of LG GC990 include:

3.2 inch touchscreen display with 16 million colors and unknown resolution
S-Class Touch UI
Accelerometer
Wi-Fi with DLNA
GPS and A-GPS
Bluetooth

As I said, it’s not clear yet when and if the LG GC990 Louvre will be launched.

Via GSM Arena

Similar Posts:

Pink HTC Hero to be available in the UK this month

Ilinca Nita — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:50:06 +0000

Announced by HTC in only two color version, HTC Hero (the company’s third Android smartphone) will have a pink version too.

The pink Hero was spotted at The Carphone Warehouse, and it looks like it will be available in the UK starting this month.

The retailer doesn’t say how much the handset costs, but interested customers can pre-register here to find out when it will be available.

Most probably, Carphone will sell the HTC Hero unlocked, so you should expect to pay about €500 for it.

In case you don’t know yet, the Hero is HTC’s most advanced Android device.

Its features include: 3.2 inch WQVGA touchscreen display (fingerprint-resistant), 5MP autofocus camera, HSDPA, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm headset jack, and the brand new HTC Sense User Interface.

Via Pocket-lint

Similar Posts:

Opera Mini coming to Verizon or AT&T phones?

Ilinca Nita — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:35:34 +0000

Opera already has deals with two US mobile carriers (Virgin Mobile and Sprint), but it looks like the Norwegian software company wants more.

According to PC World, the company plans to distribute its popular Opera Mini browser to a larger number of phones in the US. Jon von Tetzchner, Opera’s CEO, said so himself: “We are working to provide an Opera Mini-based solution with a major operator in the U.S.”

He also added that the deal is bigger than the ones with Virgin Mobile and Sprint.

Which probably means that Opera is in talks with either Verizon, or AT&T – especially since the deal will be completed with the help of Motricity, which provides a mobile platform for all major US carriers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile).

An Opera spokesmen said that, although the partnership will involve the use of Opera Mini, it may not carry the Opera brand.

Exact details should be announced by Opera in the next two weeks.

Similar Posts:

Motorola ROKR ZN50 full touch music slider for Korea

Staska — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:27:52 +0000

Motorola may be panning its revival hopes on the upcoming Android smartphones, but it still manages to launch a new phone once in a while.

Most of new Moto phones look pretty dated, low end and do not generate much interest. But sometimes even Motorola can surprise us.

Case in point is the new Motorola ROKR ZN50 music phone.

Moto ROKR ZN50 is a full touchscreen music slider, strangely being launched in Korea only.

It comes with new Motorola panorama user interface, which “supports three separate screens, allowing more widgets and shortcuts to be arranged according to usage patterns”.

MotoROKR ZN50 specs include:

WCDMA 2100, GSM 900/1800/1900, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps connectivity
3.2”, 240×427px 262k TFT color display
3.2 mpx camera
SRS WOW HD sound system, built-in EQ
Built in GPS
microSD slot for up to 16GB of memory
T-DMB2 TV tuner
Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0 (HS), 3.5 mm headphone jack
950 mAh battery
Dimensions: 54 (W) x 108.9 (H) x 14.34(T) mm
Weight: 143g

Except for the camera, spec and design wise Motorola ROKR ZN50 looks pretty good, if a bit on the thick side for my taste.

And it’s interesting to see that Motorola has it’s very own full touch interface in the works. I wonder whether it will stay only on its feature phones, or will be improved and ported on Motorola Android devices too?

Similar Posts:

LG GW300 – cheap QWERTY phone for Facebook and e-mail

Staska — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:48:31 +0000

In addition to teasing us with their high end Black Label Series 4 new Chocolate phone, LG today has pre-announced another, low end, messaging handset – LG GW300.

Fortunately, this time LG does not bother with teasers, and gives us most of the relevant details of the new handset straight.

LG GW300 is a low end messaging featurephone with built in Facebook and e-mail clients, plus a full QWERTY keypad. It comes equipped 2.4” 240×320 QVGA display, stereo Bluetooth, USB 2.0, weights 95 gr and supports only on 2.5G GSM, GPRS/EDGE networks.

The only specs that I’m missing are for camera. It certainly has one, but I cannot tell what it is from the available pics. Looking at the other specs, I’d say it’s 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus. But it’s just my guestimate.

No pricing or availability info just yet, but it’s obvious that LG GW300 will be on the really cheap side of things.

Similar Posts:

Rugged Nokia 3720 tortured on video

Ilinca Nita — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:51:52 +0000

Nokia 3720, the unannounced rugged phone that we saw a couple of weeks ago, has appeared in a series of videos, which means that Nokia will probably introduce it pretty soon – although it’s said that the phone will only be available starting September, via T-Mobile Europe.

The folks over at Nokia Conversations already have the 3720, so they wanted to see just how rugged it is.

The result? Five videos which show the Nokia 3720 still working after being hit with a golf club, sunk into a pint of beer, or dropped from a considerable height:

Details about the features of Nokia 3720 are not known, but the phone is probably a mid-end one. Here’s hoping that it will have a decent price.

Similar Posts:

How to win a Samsung Jet and a trip to Samsung’s headquarters

Ilinca Nita — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:34:19 +0000

Samsung and the Financial Times have recently launched a pretty interesting competition that offers participants the chance to win a trip to Sammy’s headquarters in South Korea, and a brand new Samsung Jet phone.

Unlike many other competitions, this one is open to anyone who is over the age of 18, regardless of his or her country.

To enter the competition, you must write a short paragraph (of 200 to 300 words) about “the key features of the phone of the future”.

You can send the paragraph alongside your name and contact details by e-mail, to digitalbusiness@ft.com (with “FT-Samsung Competition” in the subject field), or by post – to FT-Samsung Competition, Digital Business, Financial Times, One Southwark Bridge, London SE1 9HL.

The first prize consists of a Samsung Jet phone plus a 4-day trip to Seoul, South Korea – including a visit to Samsung’s headquarters and 4 nights accommodation in a 4 star hotel. There are also two runner-up prizes: a Samsung Jet each.

Unfortunately, the entries must be received before Wednesday, July 8, 2009, 5PM GMT (that’s tomorrow), so you’ll have to hurry if you want to participate.

The Terms & Conditions of the competition can be found on Financial Times’ website.

Similar Posts:

Samsung Galaxy i7500 coming to France’s Bouygues Telecom for 99 EUR

Ilinca Nita — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:43:12 +0000

Bouygues Telecom, France’s third largest mobile carrier, will launch the Samsung Galaxy i7500 next week, on July 16.

Bouygues will thus become the third French operator to offer an Android smartphone, after Orange (selling the HTC Dream) and SFR (selling the HTC Magic).

The Galaxy i7500 – Samsung’s first Android handset – will be available from Bouygues for as low as €99 ($139) with a 2-yr contract agreement.

Apart from the already-known features (320 x 480 pixels AMOLED display, 5MP camera, Wi-Fi, GPS and so on), Bouygues Telecom’s Samsung Galaxy i7500 will also come with access to a Mobile TV portal.

Via Mobinaute

Similar Posts:

New LG BL40 Chocolate Black Label Series 4 to come with 21:9 AR widescreen cinema display

Staska — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:16:26 +0000

Well, it didn’t take long since the pre-announcement of a new LG Chocolate, for at least some details about it to hit the net.

Turns out that LG already has UA Profile for the new handset sitting quietly on it’s site. With some interesting tidbits of information about the new phone.

First we get a model number – LG BL40 (for “Black Label Series 4”, following the first 3 – Chocolate, Shine and Secret).

And then, you know that teaser line about “disruptive force in conventional mobile screens”? Now we know what it means. It’s a new 21:9 (Cinema widescreen) aspect ratio display, that even normal LCD TV’s are only getting just now. The display resolution is 345×800px, and the size is 3”+, though we can not tell you exactly big now.

Which is confirmed by a pretty narrow overall form factor of the new phone that we can see in this teaser pic:

Other specs that I could deduce from the UA Profile is the camera – 5 megapixel (though I’m not 100% sure that it’s max resolution, since the profile refers to supported MMS image size and it is quite often, though not always, identical to camera resolution), GPRS, UMTS and HSDPA connectivity, proprietary LG OS, Obigo Q7.3 browser with full HTML suuport.

Stay tuned for mo details about New LG BL40 Chocolate phone.

Via Tweakers.net

Similar Posts:

AIM for Windows Mobile 2.0 Beta now available for download

Ilinca Nita — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:57:15 +0000

AOL has introduced a new version of AIM (AOL Instant Messaging) for Windows Mobile, namely the 2.0 beta.

AIM for Windows Mobile 2.0 Beta comes with both major and minor improvements (including bug fixes).

First of all, the new version comes with a “Lifestream” tab added to the Buddy List. This enables you to “get AIM activities like status updates”, as well as to add your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Delicious accounts.

There’s also a “Me” tab that lets users know when someone leaves a comment or likes their updates.

To download AIM for Windows Mobile 2.0 Beta head on over to the AOL website – you can download the program via your PC, or directly to your WM phone.

Via AOL Beta Central

Similar Posts:

Remote input sleeve from Nokia

Staska — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:51:07 +0000

Nokia seems to be a bit behind the competitors in figuring out how to make full touch user interface work on it’s smartphones.

But they are getting better at this and should eventually figure things out.

In the meantime Nokia R&D labs aren’t sitting still too, and are looking for a new ways to control your mobile device that goes beyond today’s traqditional UI’s.

We’ve already told you about the haptics tactile feetback methods that are being tried there, or ultrasonic 3D gesture based touchless device control.

Well, here’s one more interesting approach to control your mobile device with the help of some wearable electronics.

The basic idea is pretty simple. Create a comfortable sleeve, with embedded sensors that react to the stretching and relaxation of the human skin.

As the skin stretches differently when you move your fingers and/or hand, the input device can figure out the different gestures and transmit them as commands to a mobile device wirelessly.

The input device can be used to intuitively control a wide range of mobile gadgets , including your phone, game console, media player, laptop, near eye-display and many others.

This kind of controller may not seem too practical and looks pretty far fetched, but, if wearable electronics will become as popular as some are predicting, it might come in quite handy in a few years.

You can download a patent app here (*.pdf, 1.5 MB) : Nokia input sleeve

Similar Posts:

New LG Chocolate – next generation “Black Label” series phone preannounced

Staska — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:25:51 +0000

Last week we told you that LG is working on the next generation “Black Label” series device.

Well, today LG made it official, and dubbed this new device “Next generation Chocolate”.

Unfortunately, LG did not provide any more details about the new Chocolate, only saying that the new phone is “expected to be unveiled in August”.

LG also released some teaser pictures of the device, which do not tell us much, except for some hints that the new Chocolate should look pretty good.

To further wet our appetite, LG press release also teases us with:

“…the new phone will showcase a highly distinctive design that takes optimal advantage of the device’s features and performance. The new Chocolate will be a disruptive force in conventional mobile screens in an effort to maximize usability yet carry on the minimalist-inspired style and iconic design of its predecessor…”

And you can read anything you want from that. Though the part about “disruptive force in conventional mobile screens” sounds pretty interesting.

Anyway, we’ll be on the lookout for the new details about the new Chocolate phone, and report back as we learn more.

Stay tuned

Via: Korea NewsWire

Similar Posts:

NEC to re-launch phones outside Japan, probably in Europe

Ilinca Nita — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:17:57 +0000

NEC, the third-largest Japanese phone manufacturer, plans to re-launch its handsets outside Japan, as early as 2010.

The company sold phones in Europe and China until 2007, when losses made it re-think its strategy. Since then, NEC phones are only commercialized in Japan. However, since the demand in Japan fell 29% this year, NEC now wants to try its luck abroad once again.

It’s not clear yet in what markets NEC will start shipping phones, but, according to Reuters, a company spokesman said that Europe is a possibility.

The Japanese manufacturer plans to sell at least 1 million handsets overseas, for an average price of $300.

(NEC N-01A, a phone sold only in Japan)

Sharp, one of NEC’s main competitors, also intends to release smartphones in Europe – its goal is to sell 4 million devices outside Japan this year.

Similar Posts:

O2, Movistar officially launching the GSM Palm Pre in Europe

Ilinca Nita — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:30:03 +0000

Palm has just announced that Telefonica’s subsidiaries O2 and Movistar will be the exclusive Palm Pre carriers in four European countries.

More exactly, O2 will sell the Pre in the UK, Ireland and Germany, while Movistar will offer it in Spain.

This confirms all the rumors that we’ve heard until now regarding O2 UK’s Pre exclusivity.

Palm didn’t say when exactly the Pre will hit Europe, but this should happen “in time for the holidays”. Most probably, that means sometime in the fourth quarter of 2009, so it looks like there won’t be any GSM Pre released this summer.

No word yet about the launch of Palm Pre in other European markets than the ones mentioned above. However, it’s highly probable that the WebOS smartphone will reach most of Europe’s countries before the end of 2009.

Source: Palm via Engadget

Similar Posts:

Vodafone UK launches International Super SIM plan

Ilinca Nita — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:03:40 +0000

Vodafone UK has introduced a new international plan, called International Super SIM and offering international calls for as low as 5p (£0.05) per minute.

The new SIM-only plan is available with a 30-day contract and it does not feature roaming fees for the summer in more than 35 countries.

Reportedly, the plan allows customers to save “up to 97% on standard international rates.”

You can buy an International Super SIM for £15 or for £20. The first option gives you 200 UK minutes and unlimited SMS, while the second includes 500 UK minutes and unlimited SMS.

To find out more about the International Super SIM plan, head on over to the official Vodafone UK website.

Via Pocket-lint

Similar Posts:

Live pics with Samsung Highlight for T-Mobile USA

Ilinca Nita — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:05:27 +0000

Remember the Samsung Highlight that appeared several weeks ago on its way to T-Mobile USA?

Well, the phone is still on its way – meaning that it’s not yet released or officially announced – but now we have a set of live pictures of it.

As previously reported, the Highlight is a mid-end touchscreen phone that should come with features like GPS, a 3.1MP camera without flash, and microSD card support.

Most of the photos below show the Samsung Highlight next to other handsets that T-Mo will launch soon, namely the Android-powered MyTouch 3G and the Dash 3G (aka HTC Snap):

Reportedly, T-Mobile USA will launch the Highlight on July 15, for a price that is currently not known.

Via TmoNews

Similar Posts:

The price of Samsung i7500 Galaxy unlocked: about $800

Ilinca Nita — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:32:50 +0000

Only few hours after we found out that the Samsung i7500 Galaxy will be launched by O2 in the UK, we’re now hearing that the Android smartphone will also be available across the UK in an unlocked version.

Naturally, the price of the unlocked i7500 Galaxy is quite a high one: British customers will have to pay £499 for it – about $808, or €580.

Most probably, the Galaxy will have a similar unlocked price when launched in other countries. We don’t know when this will happen, but it shouldn’t take long anyway.

For the moment, it looks like there’s only one retailer to sell the new Samsung Android phone unlocked: King of Gadgets. Too bad that the handset is currently out of stock.

Via TechRadar

Similar Posts:

LG GT500 exclusively launched by T-Mobile UK

Ilinca Nita — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:07:52 +0000

While O2 UK has exclusivity on handsets like the iPhone 3G S and the Palm Pre, T-Mobile UK has managed to snag the LG GT500.

Marketed as an affordable touchscreen phone, the LG GT500 has an elegant design, as well as some pretty nice features.

For example, the phone comes with a 5MP autofocus camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, push email, HSDPA connectivity, and a 3 inch, 240 x 400 pixels touchscreen display. Moreover, LG has preinstalled links to popular social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter.

The new LG GT500 should be available as of now via T-Mobile UK, for free on plans of at least £25 per month.

Via Mobile News CWP

Similar Posts:

Sony Ericsson opens online store in France; plans international roll-out

Ilinca Nita — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:25:14 +0000

Sony Ericsson has recently launched its own online store in France, and it intends to do the same in many other countries around the world.

Accessible at this address, the Sony Ericsson store allows French customers to buy the latest SE mobile phones, plus accessories and other products.

All the phones sold via the online store are unlocked, so you’ll have to pay serious cash for the high-end ones – for example, the Xperia X1 costs €649 (about $903), while the W995 Walkman costs €489 ($680).

Sony Ericsson didn’t make any official announcement on when its online store will reach other countries. However, we’ll probably see the store launched in many other markets pretty soon.

Via MobiFrance

Similar Posts:

Leaked: Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 blueprints

Ilinca Nita — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:53:04 +0000

It’s certainly not the first time that we see the Sony Ericsson Xperia X2, but now we’ve got what seem to be the blueprints of its final and official design.

As expected, the Xperia X2 from these blueprints looks quite similar to the device that was spotted in the previously-leaked live pictures. So we’ve got that wide touchscreen display, the full QWERTY keyboard, and the arc-slider design.

There’s also a camera on the back (possibly an 8MP one), a LED flash, and probably a 3.5mm headset jack on the top.

Sadly, we still don’t know when Sony Ericsson Xperia X2 will be officially unveiled – that rumored June 17 date turned out not to be accurate.

Via Mobil.nu

Similar Posts:

Sony Ericsson Bao flip phone shows up

Ilinca Nita — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:24:55 +0000

We saw the Sony Ericsson Xperia Rachael and Kiki over the week-end, and now it’s time for yet another new, unannounced SE phone: the Sony Ericsson Bao.

The Bao is a clamshell that has an interesting design, looking a bit like a handset from Nokia’s Prism line-up.

Details about the features of Sony Ericsson Bao are completely inexistent, but we can see that the phone has a photo camera – and probably a hidden external display too.

Here’s the new handset in all its glory – if we can call it like this (images found at the Esato Forum):

No word yet on when Sony Ericsson intends to officially announce the Bao, but it will probably not be long until this happens.

Via Mobile-review

Similar Posts:

Samsung Galaxy i7500 from O2 UK in August

Ilinca Nita — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:19:52 +0000

Samsung Galaxy i7500, the first Android phone announced by Samsung, will be available next month (August) in the UK via O2.

It’s not clear yet if O2 will be the only British mobile operator to offer the Galaxy i7500, but one thing’s certain: the carrier will have an impressive line-up of smartphones this summer, including the iPhone 3G S, the Palm Pre and possibly the Toshiba TG01 too.

Coming with Android 1.5 OS on board, Samsung Galaxy has a nice set of features, including: a 3.2 inch AMOLED touchscreen display with 320 x 480 pixels, quad-band GSM and tri-band HSPA connectivity, GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm headset jack, a 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash, 8GB of internal memory and MicroSD card support.

The price of Samsung Galaxy i7500 from O2 is not known, but the carrier might offer it even for free on select plans.

Via TechRadar

Similar Posts:

Telus to launch the HTC Snap and the HTC Touch Pro2

Ilinca Nita — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:23:03 +0000

If you’re a Telus customer, you should know that the Canadian carrier will soon release some pretty cool smartphones.

Apart from the BlackBerry Tour 9630, which should be available in Canada starting July 15, Telus will also introduce two new Windows Mobile handsets: HTC Snap and HTC Touch Pro2.

Reportedly, HTC Snap will be sold for $449.99, while HTC Touch Pro2 will cost a bit more, namely $549.99 – both prices are free of contract, of course.

With a contract agreement, the two smartphones will be available for much less, but we don’t know the exact prices.

No details yet on the release dates of Telus’ HTC Snap and HTC Touch Pro2, but they might both be launched before the end of July – apparently via Best Buy.

Via Mobile Syrup

Similar Posts:

First Sony Ericsson Xperia (X5?) Android phone “Rachael”, and strange “Kiki” with transparent display

Staska — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:24:29 +0000

It is no secret that Sony Ericsson is working on at least one Android phone to be released later this year.

They told us about it themselves. And now the details start trickling out.

The first Sony Ericsson Android smartphone is codenamed “Rachael“, has got a big touchscreen display, and is built on Qualcomm QSD8250 Snapdragon platform.

Snapdragon has some pretty amazing amazing specs – up to 1 GHz CPU, HD video decoding ,12mpx camera, GPS, broadcast TV and Wi-Fi support. Though it remains to be seen which of them make it into a new SE Android handset. Probably not all of them, since we already know that SE opted for a lower resolution – 8.1 megapixel camera on this phone.

They have decided to market their new smartphone under the Xperia brand. And since Xperia X2 is already reserved for their next WinMo smartphone, could this be Sony Ericsson Xperia X5 we’ve been hearing about?

And we’ve also got some info on another Sony Ericsson phone codenamed “Kiki”, which I’ll put into an “interesting/strange” category.

Sony Ericsson “Kiki” comes with a transparent glasslike display. The images are projected on this display and, it seems, can be viewed from both sides of the handset. It also has a smooth surface keypad on the front, where the numbers should appear when the phone is on. Though I have no idea how tactile it would be and whether the symbols on it are fixed or adaptable. Could go both ways.

Anyway, we’ll be watching developments on both of these handsets and will bring you the news as they come along. Stay tuned.

Via Mobil.nu

Similar Posts:

Samsung Glyde 2 for Verizon spotted in the wild

Ilinca Nita — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:02:56 +0000

It’s been more than a year since Verizon launched the Samsung Glyde, and now it looks like the giant US carrier is getting ready to introduce the Glyde 2.

Like the original Glyde, Samsung Glyde 2 (possible model name: U960) has a touchscreen display and a sliding QWERTY keyboard.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any other details about it at the moment. However, the new Glyde may have an AMOLED screen, just like the Samsung Impression released earlier this year by AT&T.

Let’s hope that it won’t take long until Verizon and Samsung officially announce the Glyde 2 – because, as you can see in the pictures above, the handset looks pretty sleek.

Via Howard Forums, Phone Arena

Similar Posts:

iPhone 3G S purplera1n jailbreak released and available for download

Ilinca Nita — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:32:12 +0000

Great news for all those who have an iPhone 3G S and want to jailbreak it: a jailbreak for the brand new smartphone has just been released today by an independent developer named George Hotz.

Dubbed purplera1n, the iPhone 3G S jailbreak can be downloaded from this address.

Note that you’ll need a Windows PC (Windows 7 and Mac are not supported for the moment), an iPhone 3GS with 3.0 firmware and the latest version of iTunes in order to install the jailbreak.

Also, keep in mind that the jailbreak is a beta version, so be sure to back up all your data before running it.

To read more about how exactly to run the iPhone 3G S purplera1n jailbreak, head on over to George Hotz’s blog.

Similar Posts:

Samsung MBP200 micro-projector available now in Europe

Ilinca Nita — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:18:21 +0000

Unveiled in March this year, at about the same time with the Samsung i7410 projector phone, the Samsung MBP200 micro-projector is only now available (in Germany at least) – although it was initially slated for a May release.

Measuring 110 x 49 x 19 millimeters, the new mobile projector can project bright images at a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels.

It features a 2.2 inch QVGA display, a touch-sensitive keypad, music player, video player, image viewer, file viewer, a 3.5mm headset jack and MicroSD card support, up to 16GB.

(Samsung MBP200 on the left)

In Germany, the Samsung MBP200 costs €499 (about $700).

Via Press release

Similar Posts:

Facebook for iPhone 3.0 is almost completed

Ilinca Nita — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:01:49 +0000

The folks over at Facebook have recently announced that Facebook for iPhone 3.0 is close to being completed and thus it will be soon released and available for download (probably via the App Store).

The new version of Facebook for iPhone will obviously bring many improvements and additions. These include: new homescreen, News Feed, Notes, Pages, Events (with the ability to RSVP) and enhanced notifications.

Furthermore, Facebook for iPhone 3.0 lets you: create photo albums, upload photos, easily tag photos, zoom into photos, add favorite profiles/pages to the homescreen.

Push Notifications, a feature that many users have asked for, is still not available, but it looks like it will be in Facebook for iPhone 3.1, which should be out “later this summer”.

Source: Facebook via Phone Arena

Similar Posts:

Samsung Omnia II to cost EUR 549, available in August; Omnia Pro – EUR 499, ships in July

Staska — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:30:29 +0000

Few days ago we told you that Samsung Omnia II is coming this September with WinMo 6.5 preinstalled.

Well, that’s a bit of a wait for those eager fanboys that want to get their hands on this latest and greatest Samsung gadget RIGHT NOW!

Worry not, we have some good news about the new Samsung Omnia family, at least in some European countries.

Samsung has just announced the availability dates and prices for Samsung Omnia II and Omnia Pro devices in Belgium, and they are better then we reported earlier.

According to Samsung Belgium, Omnia II will start shipping in August, with a suggested retail price of EUR 549. Samsung Omnia Pro will become available even earlier – in July - for a suggested retail price of EUR 499. (The prices include VAT tax)

Of course, if you want to get one of new Omnias that early, you’ll have to settle for Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro OS for a while. But free upgrade to WinMo 6.5 will be offered on both handsets as soon as it becomes available.

Similar Posts:

Samsung S3030 Eco launched by T-Mobile in the Netherlands

Ilinca Nita — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:56:45 +0000

Samsung and T-Mobile have announced a new eco phone, dubbed Samsung S3030 Eco and available as of yesterday (July 2) in the Netherlands.

The S3030 Eco is a remake of the Samsung S3030 Tobi slider, which was announced by Sammy back in November 2008 as a phone for kids.

Made out of bio-plastic, the S3030 Eco is free of BFR (brominated flame retardants) and PVC. Its charger is an eco-friendly one, while its packaging is 100% made from recyclable materials.

The new phone features MP3 player, FM radio, photo camera (probably a 1.3MP one), and MicroSD card support, up to 8 GB.

T-Mobile Netherlands is offering the Samsung S3030 Eco for €89.95 on pre-pay. No word yet if the phone will be available in other countries – although it probably will be.

Via Press release

Similar Posts:

Samsung Link QWERTY smartphone to hit Bell Canada

Ilinca Nita — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:13:46 +0000

Bell Canada is getting ready to expand its Windows Mobile line-up with the addition of Samsung Link, an unannounced smartphone that features a full QWERTY keyboard.

By the way it looks, the Link might be a modified CDMA version of Samsung C6625 (aka C6620), a handset that’s already available in Europe.

If so, then Canadian mobile users should expect the device to have features like: a QVGA non-touchscreen display, GPS, Bluetooth and a 2MP camera.

Bell’s Samsung Link may come to replace the Samsung Ace, currently offered for only $29.95 with a 3-yr contract agreement.

The release of Samsung Link is scheduled for July 15 – at about the same time with the new BlackBerry Tour. Pricing details are currently not known.

Via Mobile Syrup

Similar Posts:

Archos Android Tablet confirmed for September?

Ilinca Nita — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:36:04 +0000

Remember that promised Archos Internet Multimedia Tablet (IMT)?

Well, according to Tony Limrick, Managing Director of Archos Northern Europe, the French company will be ready to launch it on September 15.

In fact, Archos readies more than one Android device, but it’s not clear yet when it will introduce them.

Anyway, RegHardware says that the devices were described as “Android-based with phone, email, Google apps and Android Apps” – which kind of confirms what we previously heard about Archos’ first Android IMT.

One of the upcoming Archos Android devices has a 5 inch screen, and HSDPA connectivity (7.2Mbps).

(this is just a mock-up, not a real device)

The price of Archos’ first Android tablet is not known, but we’ll probably find it out pretty soon.

Via Phandroid

Similar Posts:

Palm Pre to be exclusively sold by O2 in the UK

Ilinca Nita — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:46:50 +0000

The mighty Palm Pre will be announced in the UK next week, as previously reported. And, surprisingly or not, it will be sold exclusively through O2, the carrier that reportedly managed to get exclusivity on the smartphone for several other markets.

According to The Guardian, O2 fought for the GSM Pre with Orange, and eventually won – it probably promised Palm a higher revenue share. Or something like that.

For the moment, it’s not clear yet what price O2 will ask for the Pre, but the carrier probably wants to offer it even for free, on select and expensive plans.

O2 is also the exclusive iPhone 3G S carrier for the UK, and the launch of Palm Pre should consolidate its position as the leading British mobile operator.

Similar Posts:

HTC Hero approved by FCC, AT&T 3G bands included

Ilinca Nita — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:04:45 +0000

Last week, when HTC announced its brand new Hero Android smartphone, the Taiwanese company said nothing about a North American release.

However, it’s highly probable that the Hero will be launched both in the US and in Canada. For this to happen, the smartphone first needs the FCC’s approval – and it just got it, with 850/1900 MHz 3G bands, hence the bands that AT&T operates on.

Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Hero will be launched by AT&T – but at least we know that it can happen.

In Europe, HTC Hero will be available starting this month, but it might take a wile until it hits North America.

If we’re to believe some recent rumors, Sprint could also launch the Hero, but HTC needs to make a CDMA version of it first.

Until then, US mobile users should wait for the MyTouch 3G, T-Mobile’s second Android phone, which should be available in late July / early August for $199.99 on contract.

Via Engadget

Similar Posts:

The European Union drops plans for new cell phone taxes

Ilinca Nita — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:13:21 +0000

In December last year, the EU Commission proposed the introduction of a new tax that would have raised the price of navigation-enabled phones with 3.7%, and the price of mobile TV-enabled phones with 14%.

Luckily, Reuters reports that the European Union dropped the plans for the new taxes, as member countries voted against it today.

Nordic countries, alongside Europe’s two giant phone makers (Nokia and Sony Ericsson), have opposed the introduction of the new tax from the beginning.

“We need more products and businesses free of tariffs, not less, and therefore today’s decision and the backing that was achieved is a very positive signal,” declared Ewa Bjorling, Sweden’s Trade Minister.

The higher prices would have probably slowed down the cell phone demand in Europe, where phone makers are already under pressure because of the economic downturn.

Similar Posts:

Nokia Ovi Maps 3.0 out of beta; Ovi Contacts now supporting touch phones

Ilinca Nita — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:40:03 +0000

We’ve got two announcements coming from Nokia today, regarding Ovi Maps and Ovi Contacts.

First, Nokia has released the final version of Ovi Maps 3.0 for mobile.

We don’t know what’s new in Ovi Maps 3.0 – other than the fact that it’s not a Beta application anymore. But you can download it from this address and see for yourself.

Maps aside, Nokia Ovi Contacts now supports Symbian S60 5th Edition – hence Nokia’s touchscreen phones (N97 and 5800 XpressMusic).

Ovi Contacts for touchscreen handsets has the same features found in the version for S60 3rd Edition. However, on the Nokia N97, users have something new – the “ability to integrate your instant messaging friends with the contact cards in your traditional contact list.”

Moreover, if you have an N97 and use the Favorite Contacts feature, you should be able to see when contacts are online, directly from the smartphone’s home screen.

If you don’t have Ovi Contacts on your Nokia handset, you can download it from here.

Via Nokia Beta Labs Blog

Similar Posts:

LG aims for #2 spot by 2012, plans new “Black label” iPhone competitor, Prada III phone and extreme premium brand

Staska — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:09:35 +0000

LG has made some pretty impressive strides in a cellphone market during these last few years. With the demise of Motorola and the problems ailing Sony Ericsson last year, they’ve even managed to become #3 cellphone maker in the world.

And LG does not plan to stop here. In an interview to Yonhap News Agency, Ahn Seung-kwon, president for LG’s mobile business, said that they plan to become #2 cellphone maker in the world by 2012. Which means that they plan to overtake Samsung in the next 3 years.

There were also some other interesting tidbits that Mr. Ahn let drop during the interview. Among them are:

in Q4 LG will launch a new “Black label” series phone, which will be positioned to compete with the iPhone
LG is pretty happy with their luxury “Prada” phone line and is working on another Prada handset
LG also has a plan to move even deeper into a luxury cellphone market, by creating it’s own extreme premium brand, “similar to Toyota’s Lexus and Nokia’s Vertu”

Well, sounds pretty ambitious and interesting to me.

Will LG succeed to get to a #2 spot in worldwide cellphone vendor rankings? Unless Samsung or Nokia screws up in some major way, I strongly doubt that.

On the other hand, #3 spot is LG’s to keep now. They seem to have a pretty strong product line-up, smart business strategy and keep executing on it very well. While LG’s closest competitors – Motorola and Sony Ericsson keep sliding into irrelevance. So I expect the gap between them to widen further.

Similar Posts:

NTT DOCOMO launches PayPal-like service for mobile phones

Ilinca Nita — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:24:47 +0000

NTT DOCOMO, Japan’s leading mobile carrier, has announced the upcoming availability of a new PayPal-like service that will offer customers an easy and quick way of sending money to other DOCOMO subscribers, via a DOCOMO phone.

The new mobile remittance service will be available starting July 21. It will allow users to remit up to 20,000 yen ($207) per transfer and up to 200,000 yen ($2,070) per month.

The service will only be compatible with phones that use the DoCoMo i-mode mobile Internet service on the carrier’s FOMA 3G network, and it will not be offered to corporate subscribers.

(N-04A, one of DOCOMO’s latest phones)

Operating “as a bank agent on behalf of Mizuho Bank, Ltd.”, DOCOMO’s new service will charge users as follows: 105 yen per transfer for the payer and 65 yen per transfer for the payee. However, if the remittance is credited to a monthly DOCOMO bill, or it’s deposited into a Mizuho Bank account, the payee will not be charged.

Via Press release

Similar Posts:

Microsoft selects agency to create ad campaign for the WM7 Pink phone

Ilinca Nita — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:58:35 +0000

It looks like that rumored Microsoft Pink phone is a real device after all.

According to AdWeek, McCann’s T.A.G. ad agency was selected by Microsoft to create a marketing campaign for the Pink phone.

“Pink” is only a codename for the moment, but it’s said that the device behind this codename will feature Windows Mobile 7, high-end features, and it will be the very first Microsoft-branded smartphone.

Windows Mobile 7 should be ready as early as the fall of 2009, but the Pink phone will probably not be out before 2010.

Reportedly, the Pink handset will feature a new UI on top of WM 7, called Purple. This might be developed by Danger, the company that makes software for T-Mobile’s Sidekick series.

Well, now we have to wait for Microsoft to confirm all this, right?

Via ZDNet

Similar Posts: