Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Photo2Lab for iPhone - Online photo printing service for the iPhone gets real

We’re not sure that many users will be taking advantage of an online photo-printing service for the iPhone. The iPhone’s camera isn’t anything special and the lack of a built-in flash turns night-shots into nightmare shots. But, that didn’t stop ECCE TERRAM from bringing an online photo-printing service to the iPhone.

ECCE TERRAM has announced that they will be launching an iPhone client that allows iPhone users to order prints of their pictures online, directly from their iPhone. It seems that the iPhone’s ability to store your digital picture album and multi-touch image manipulation makes the iPhone “the first attractive and user-friendly mobile phone photo print application that will be loved by its users.”

Users will be able to order picture-books and postcards printed from the image files on their iPhone - either taken with the iPhone’s camera or transferred from their computer.

A final version of the ECCE TERRAM iPhone picture-printing service should be available shortly after Apple releases the official iPhone SDK.

[Via: Macworld]

Leaked iPhone SDK key for third-party application authentication?

Did Apple (or someone with the right connections) leak the iPhone application SDK key?

Well, according to those that know more about iPhone development than us, the code you see below is the official iPhone application SDK key.

The key was apparently going to be used to authenticate official third-party applications that were developed using the official iPhone SDK. But, now that the key has hit the ‘nets, we’re sure that Apple will be coming up with a new key when the SDK launches - which is to say, next month.


Still, the discovery of this key suggests that iPhone hackers are close to developing third-party applications that are recognized and installable through iTunes. If iPhone developers are able to home-in on a solution to load third-party applications onto the iPhone, via iTunes, firmware jailbreaks may become a thing of the past.

Let’s see what happens next month.

Here’s the iPhone application SDK key:

18 84 58 A6 D1 50 34 DF E3 86 F2 3B 61 D4 37 74

[Via: zibree]

Video: ShakeSMS, a feature I want to see in every mobile device

Symbian Freak brings us a video demonstration of ShakeSMS, a new application that utilizes the accelerometer inside Nokia’s Nseries lineup to bring up your text messages in one easy motion.
Scenario: You get an sms. Take your phone out of your pocket (remember it is still locked), shake it, it brings up the text message you just received. Shake it again, phone goes back to the home screen and locks the keys. It will be interesting to see how it reacts if you have your device in your pocket, that is the only thing that worries me.



[via IntoMobile]

Motorola ROKR E8

Some phones struggle to find a unique selling proposition - something that differentiates it in the market from everything else. The Motorola ROKR E8 is not one of those phones - because the ROKR E8 comes with a very snazzy dynamic keypad that changes depending on which feature you are using.


If you are using it as a phone, then the ROKR E8 shows a conventional numeric keypad - if you're using the camera, then it shows camera controls, and for multimedia playback the ROKR E8 shows music keys. Motorola calls this technology ModeShift and in the case of the E8 is is combined with a speed sensitive "FastScroll" navigation wheel, which makes it easy for users to scroll through media libraries or menu options.

The virtual keypad is enhanced with Motorola's haptics technology - pressing the keys actually does result in some physical reaction, even though they're completely flat and motionless. When switched off, the ROKR E8's keypad is totally blank.

Motorola aren't saying exactly how the ROKR E8's ModeShift keypad works - looking at the positioning of the virtual keys, it does appear to be a logical extension of the fixed hidden controls that we first saw on the LG Chocolate, with each button in a unique position. This makes more sense than the expensive Optimus Maximus approach where everything is an individual active display.

Get past the clever keypad, and the Motorola ROKR E8 turns out to be a pretty capable multimedia phone. It can play back MP3, MIDI, AAC, WMA, WAV, AMR and RealAudio music formats, comes with 2GB of internal memory (expandable to 4GB with a microSD card) and it has a landscape format (wide) 2" 320 x 240 pixel display for video playback. The ROKR E8 can also be used with a variety of wired and wireless headsets and speakers. There's an FM radio too.

Somewhat disappointingly, there's no SDHC support for high-capacity memory cards, the camera is a basic 2 megapixel affair with no autofocus or flash and the ROKR E8 lacks 3G or WiFi. Of all these shortcomings, the memory is probably the most significant - 2GB or 4GB is less than even the Apple iPod Nano.

Motorola say that the ROKR E8 will be available during Q1 2008, although no pricing information is currently available.

Samsung L170 (SGH-L170)

Just in case you thought Samsung were getting a bit predictable, they come out with the rather unusual Samsung L170 - an ultra-lightweight 3G phone that looks like nothing else on the market.


Let's start with the SGH-L170's looks. There's a fashionable glossy finish with metal highlights, a discrete widescreen display, large navigation pad and an unusual touch-sensitive keypad. We say unusual, because most touch sensitive keypads are flat, but the one on the L170 is actually raised and looks quite conventional at first.

The display is unusual too - Samsung have opted for a widescreen 1.6" 220 x 176 pixel panel on the L170. Presumably Samsung have gone for this arrangement to try to make the most of what is a relatively small screen size.

On the back is a basic 2 megapixel camera, and the SGH-L170 has microSD expandable memory, Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0 connectivity. Inbuilt software includes a blogging application, RSS reader, web browser and a multimedia player. On top of all that, the Samsung L170 has an FM radio and video calling too.

We think that any 3G handset that comes in at less that 100 grams is pretty lightweight - and the Samsung L170 weighs just 86 grams, making it one of the lightest 3G handsets on the market. There are a few compromises to get it down to this weight - the display is a little on the small size, and maximum talktime is just 2.7 hours.

This is an attractive and unusual handset, and it looks ideal for anyone who wants a sleek and light 3G device. As far as we can tell, the L170 will be available during Q1 2008, although no pricing information is currently available.

Samsung L320 (SGH-L320)


Offering a broadly similar set of features to the L310, the Samsung L320 comes in a more rounded case.

Again, the SGH-L320 comes with a 176 x 220 pixel display, 2 megapixel camera, microSD expandable memory, a 3.5mm headphone socket, FM radio and MP3 player. There's a similar application suite too.

Samsung say that the design of the SGH-L320 is meant to be like a seashell, combined with decorative images on the front and back. We're not so sure - it looks a bit like some sort of beetle to us!

There's also a discretely hidden external display on the SGH-L320, just visible in the "camera stripe" on the case. Other than that, the exterior is quite minimalist.

Samsung haven't said exactly when the L310 and L320 models will become available, and at the moment only Russia has been announced as a marketplace, but we would guess that they will be out before the spring.

Samsung L310 (SGH-L310)


A clamshell phone, the Samsung L310 has what appears to be 176 x 220 pixel screen, a 2.0 megapixel camera and microSD expandable memory.

The SGH-L310 also supports stereo Bluetooth, it comes with an FM radio and MP3 player and it accepts a 3.5mm headphone connection. A concealed external indicator shows when a message has arrived.

The user interface is highly customisable, and the Samsung L310 comes with a variety of what Samsung think are "female friendly" applications, such as a calorie counter and shopping list function.

It's not a hugely sophisticated phone in terms of technical feaures, but the Samsung L310 will sell mostly on looks. It is more than just a standard clamshell with a pattern on it - the SGH-L310 also has an unusual S-shaped loop that incorporates the hinge, and even the camera lense has a decorative frame. The standard sales package includes a leather case to keep the L310 in.

The styling may not be to everyone's tastes, but it certainly a very striking handset to look at.

Samsung SGH-F700V

You can say what you like about Apple and its hoards of slavish, sheep-like devotees. You can criticise it for over hyping certain products, and you can moan about the fact it's so secretive. But you cannot deny that, regularly, it manages to churn out top class products.

The iPhone, for instance, may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I don't know a single hard-bitten hack who has used the device who hasn't fallen in love with its beautifully-designed GUI and almost perfectly executed touch-screen hardware interface.

Another indication of the popularity of a product is the number of companies and products attempting to copy its key ideas and use them. And the iPhone looks as if it's going to have a pretty powerful influence here too: 2008 is set to be the year of the touch-screen and Samsung's F700V is in the vanguard of products looking to knock Apple from its perch.

It's a product that has great potential. Unsurprisingly it's very similar in size and shape to the iPhone - it's thicker at 17mm but otherwise there's not too much in it. It looks pretty good too with its glossy, pinstriped front fascia and minimalist design. There's just a single button adorning the front of the phone - just like the Apple device - while a mere three controls sit along the long right-hand edge: the trigger for the F700V's three megapixel camera, a two-way volume rocker and a switch for locking and unlocking the device.

The F700V is, as you've probably already guessed, a touch-screen device, and one that you'd probably also expect to be inferior in quality to the iPhone, but the F700V has a couple of important advantages hidden up its tightly-tailored sleeve. The first of these is vibration feedback. Whenever you hit a button on the F700V's 3.2in 240 x 440 screen it responds with a quiet beep and a light buzz. It sounds frivolous, but this feature contributes so much to the feel and usability of the interface that I wonder why other manufacturers haven't done the same thing. It's like having the best of both worlds - the flexibility and adaptability of a touch-screen, but with the feedback of physical buttons.

The second weapon in the F700V's considerable armoury is its keyboard. It's hard to believe given how slim this phone is, but stashed away below that lovely screen is a full, QWERTY keyboard. And even more impressive than this is the fact that it's quite possibly the most practical small keyboard I've ever used. It's better than my TyTN II's keyboard by quite a considerable margin and the backlit, well-separated rectangular keys make it ridiculously easy to type at speed. I'm sure it's possible to type quickly with the iPhone's on-screen keyboard after some practice, but - and you'll have to trust me on this one - it's not a patch on this.

Next consider the fact that the F700V has quicker Internet connectivity than the iPhone with HSDPA at up to 3.6Mb/sec, pretty good battery life at around two to three days normal use, POP3 and IMAP support, plus Vodafone's own £5 per month 'consumer push' email option, and it looks as if, surprisingly, we have a potential winner on our hands. The F700V also has Google Maps preinstalled and cocks a snook at the iPhone by including a proper 3.5mm headphone jack (hallelujah!) so you can use any decent set of headphones without needing an adaptor. The phone even comes with an adaptor in the box that turns your own headphones into a hands-free set, but unless you already have a decent pair, the Bose earphones supplied will be perfectly adequate.

What's slightly less surprising is to find that Samsung's software design puts a bit of a dent in its iPhone-killing ambitions. It does make a pretty good stab at making its very own touch-screen statement, and to a large extent the software works well - certainly better than the software I've used on Samsung phones before - but it's just not as elegant and intuitive as the iPhone's.

I liked the fact that clicking the single button on the front takes you to a simple shortcut menu where most main functions are located. It has the same sweep-your-finger scrolling method as the iPhone does both for lists of music and panning around web pages. And there are other nice touches - while playing music, just dragging a digit up and down the screen adjusts the volume.
But there are areas of inconsistency. Some buttons are single click while others need pressing twice; it's hard to get back to the main music screen from the album or track view; and in some views the button on the front doesn't work at all.

The biggest problem for the F700V is that it simply isn't as effortless to control as the iPhone. The web browser lets you view pages as they were meant to be seen, for example, but it simply runs too sluggishly to be of any practical use - zooming in and out is a painful affair - while scrolling through lists of options doesn't feel as precise either. You often over-shoot because you've been scrolling too quickly, while clicking links on web pages can be hit and miss.

There are other irritating quirks and shortcomings too. To sync the phone using the bundled Samsung PC Studio software, inexplicably you have to have the phone on its home screen or it won't connect, and that's aside from the fact that the software isn't as elegant as either ActiveSync or iTunes (though it will allow you to sync with Outlook and Outlook Express). The USB interface also makes it impractical to transfer music regularly in any kind of quantity to and from the F700V. The sound quality is solid and the music player on the phone is good, supporting a wide variety of formats (MP3, AAC, AAC+ and WMA), but it takes an astonishing 1min 40sec to transfer a simple 5.6MB MP3 file, and at that kind of speed it's going to get frustrating, fast.

Despite this appallingly sluggish performance, the microSD slot is hidden underneath the backplate, which makes the only practical way of transferring music just as annoying in its own right, and there's no Wi-Fi either, so that route's ruled out too. The music download options are reasonably well thought-out. You can either use the bundled MusicStation software to do this (unlimited downloads for £1.99 per week) or the Vodafone Music service (£5 per month for seven tracks) to download tracks and it all works pretty well. But there's virtually no space on the device to store music anyway - just 100MB is tiny compared to the 8GB iPhone.

The cost of owning the phone, at least while it's exclusive to Vodafone, is also a disappointment. The phone is free on £30 per month contracts and above - which is nice - but you have to pay £7.50 per month extra for Internet access and this gets you a measly 120MB per month. It's still £224 cheaper over 18 months than the iPhone, but the lack of an unlimited data deal leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Verdict
It's a shame about the irritations, because Samsung has a phone here with massive potential. Its keyboard is superb, it has HSDPA where the iPhone is limited to GPRS, its touch-screen works well most of the time, and the vibration feedback is a thing of genius.

There's no doubt that the F700V is a very, very good phone, and if it were available with a more generous data tariff I'd have no hesitation in recommending it as a great value for money alternative to the iPhone. But despite all of its plus points there are just too many buts and if-onlys right now to make it a truly compelling choice.

Sony Ericsson announces T270i, T280i, R300i and R306i


Today Sony Ericsson launched four new handsets that won't break the bank. The T270i and T280i are slim, simple mobile phones aimed at users who want the basics.

The two are almost identical, except for the T280i's 1.3-megapixel camera -- don't expect high quality shots, but it'll do for MMS.

Similar to the Sony Ericsson T650i, the T270i and T280i have two-tone cases that make them stand out from the rest of the budget crowd -- not very flashy, but then you don't always want to be.

Features-wise there isn't much to shout about -- there's an FM radio, WAP browser and Bluetooth, but these phones hopefully won't be very expensive.

The other pair of entry-level lovelies to be announced by Sony Ericsson were the R300i and R306i. Focusing on FM radio, these phones look a good deal more exciting than the T270i and T280i.

The Sony Ericsson R300i is a candybar phone that comes with an FM radio, a 1.3-megapixel camera, a loudspeaker with an enhanced mode for added volume, and an alarm clock that can play the radio when it goes off. As a budget phone, it'll play MP3 ringtones, but it doesn't have an MP3 player or a memory card slot.

Packing almost all the same features as the R300i, the R360i comes with the added bonus of stereo speakers, which should be loud enough to annoy people at the front of the bus even if you're sitting right at the back.

There's no word yet as to pricing or a firm release date in australia, however, we're not expecting to see these phones until Q2, 2008.
Source: CNet

Bang & Olufsen and Samsung Serenata



Looking at Bang & Olufsen and Samsung's joint venture, the Serenata, you might do a double take: "Hang on, is that a scroll-wheel?" Why, yes it is.

Talking to Bang & Olufsen executives recently, there seemed to be a degree of regret in the B&O camp about the fact that Apple had beaten them to trademarking the scroll-wheel. If B&O had gotten there first, would the iPod even exist?

Upside

The Serenata scroll-wheel is the device's coup de grace -- forgive us our "la-de-da" description, this is a pretty posh phone after all. Unlike the iPod, the Serenata's wheel actually moves, and it feels pretty cool.

B&O are pushing this device as a music player first, phone second. And while this has been tried before by Sony Ericsson and Nokia, music always seemed to come off second best. But in the Serenata they may just have the mix right. We couldn't even tell it was a phone, even after playing with it briefly.

One plus is that it will play uncompressed music files -- in the form of Microsoft's proprietary but free WMA Lossless codec -- which means you won't have to compromise on sound quality while on the move.

The phone -- if we can call it that -- also includes a slide-out speaker for music listening, and it also doubles as a hands-free speaker.

Quoting specs at this point almost seems irrelevant, but for the pocket-protector in us all it boasts 4GB of storage, up to 280 hours of standby time and up to three hours of talk time.

Downside
People who complained about the US pricing of the iPhone may want to look away now. Though not set in stone, expect to pay around AU$1,500 once the phone is released in Australia.

Also, the device's predecessor, the
Serene, may have looked distinctive, but how many people do you know who actually bought one?

Outlook
With the combination of Bang & Olufsen's audiophile heritage and Samsung's know-how in both MP3 players and phones, the Serenata is sure to be a killer device. It's no bigger or heavier than an iPod Classic and will no doubt sound a lot better. But like all things from the Danish manufacturer, expect to pay a premium for it.

Source: CNet

Samsung E950 reviewed: distinctly average

A cruel individual might say that the Samsung E950 is only different by virtue of its touchpad-style control pad; otherwise it’s just the same old slider that the company has been rolling out for some time now. Thankfully, Live Chat Plaza is a little more forgiving than that: they’ve at least given the E950 a chance to shine in their review. Whether or not it makes the most of that opportunity is another thing.


The successor to the E900, the E950 seems to be a phone of half-fulfilled promises. Yes, there’s a 3-megapixel camera, but it lacks autofocus and produces only average photos; yes, there’s a clever touch-sensitive interface, but the response can be “dodgy at times”; yes, the web browser is good, but the Office documents viewer is slow, and Java apps can apparently only be installed via WAP.

Will that put people off? Probably not - it’s a reasonably attractive handset, and Samsung have a good reputation among many buyers. Would I pick it myself? After reading this review, no, I don’t think I would.
Source: Phonemag

NOKIA N81 8GB

N81 is an effort to bring about the popular N-Gage/N-Gage QD phones which were discontinued by Nokia some time back. It combines the best gaming experience along with good multimedia capabilities.


Design
The phone uses a slider mechanism but it is quite bulky without the slider open. A complete plastic body gives it a light feel, but takes away the ergonomic factor. The screen is 2.8inches big which is ideal for the gaming section for which this phone is made for. A 5-way Dpad clutters the phone area and is used mainly in gaming. The phone has the volume keys and camera keys on the right and the speaker quality is very nice, which suits the phone’s requirements.


Gaming and Multimedia
The phone scores well in gaming department, with the games available for play in landscape mode, and the N81 seems like a PSP in your hand. The phone has 8GB of memory, which is more than sufficient for the storage of games and multimedia data. The sound quality is the best that Nokia has to offer, but it still cannot match Walkman phones. Video viewing is a nice experience on this one, because of the 2.8 inch screen, but occasional framing can be observed even when the memory is empty. It has only a 2MP camera, whereas a 3.2MP should have been the ideal choice.


Conclusion
Overall a good phone, it could have done better if a better camera had been provided.


Source

Mobile Phone Software that Reads to the Blind developed

Day in and day out we keep reporting about innovative technologies. From groundbreaking mobile phones with fold-out displays to gigantic Plasma HDTVs to revolutionary contact lens, 2008 has witnessed a flurry of mind-blowing technologies just within a month’s time. But this time around that aptly define novel technology, and is truly for a good cause.

Technology futurist Ray Kurzweil and the National Federation of the Blind have got together to develop the “the smallest text-to-speech reading device in history.”

K-NFB Reading Technology is a joint initiative between Kurzweil Technologies Inc. of Wellesley Hills, Mass. and the Maryland-based National Federation of the Blind developing reading software for text-to-speech devices. The technology will be installed on the Nokia N82 mobile phone, which will most probably operate in a Symbian OS. This technology will give users the ability to take pictures of text and then convert the text into audible speech. In the past, the National Federation of the Blind has installed the technology on digital assistants, however this time the first time that it would be embedded in a mobile phone.

This new piece of technology will not only enable the visually impaired to hear the content of the documents, but will also facilitate individuals with learning disabilities or dyslexia to enlarge, read, track, and highlight printed materials with the help of the handset’s large display, noted the National Federation of the Blind.Ray Kurzweil, President and CEO of K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc. said, “Technology that enlarges the printed word or converts it to speech has dramatically improved the lives of millions of Americans with many types of disabilities, enabling them to read and comprehend printed materials to which they never before had access.” Adding, “This innovation has created opportunities disabled people had never considered before due to the large amounts of reading required in certain occupations. The first machine of this type was the size of a washing machine. As optical character recognition technology is integrated into smaller and smaller devices, access to print becomes available almost instantaneously.”

In addition, the knfbREADER Mobile also incorporates all the other key features built into the N82, such as music playback, an integrated GPS receiver, wireless communication, an in-built 5MP autofocus camera, Web and email access. Calendaring and task management features are also packed in.

While the Nokia N82 mobile phone is priced at around $500, the software will cost around $1,595.

In the recent past companies have developed devices and services for the visually impaired that are sure to get them out of the constricted world of Braille on mere paper. While
Microsoft and Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) Consortium are in the works of rolling out a standards-based project that would allow visually impaired or print-disabled users to work on computer systems; Yahoo! India made services accessible to the visually disabled. IBM and Google are also not way behind. Apart from the leaders, several other companies have made life simpler for them by introducing things like “Seeing” shoes, special cameras etc.



Via gizmodo.com

Motorola EQ5 Portable Wireless Speaker Big On Sound

Sometimes, you don't want to bother holding your cell phone up to your head.

Sometimes, you don't want headphones to stick out of your ears for your music enjoyment experience. Addressing both of these desires is the recently revealed EQ5 Portable Wireless Speaker from the people at Motorola. It's certainly a little larger than some other Bluetooth headsets, but it also provides a heck of a lot more sound output.

On the one hand, you can pair it with a handset for the purpose of using it as a speakerphone, answering calls in a tele-conference kind of way. Aiding in this purpose are the echo-cancellation and noise-reduction features. On the other hand, you can do the A2DP Bluetooth pairing for musical enjoyment, thanks to the integrated media controls in the center.

Look for the Motorola EQ5 Portable Wireless Speaker to launch during Q2 2008. No word on price.

Via newlaunches.com

HTC loses ground to Motorola, Samsung, in Windows Mobile smartphone fight

According to internal data from Microsoft, HTC’s once enviable position as prime player in the Windows Mobile segment has shifted, with non-touchscreen models declining to below 30-percent market share. Competition by Motorola and Samsung is blamed for the change, with Motorola leading the pack by a small margin.

However touchscreen-based smartphones are still more likely to bear the HTC logo, with over 50-percent sold being their models. Palm follows behind at quite a distance, with a market share just over 10-percent.

The news follows reports by Opinion Research Corporation that 21-percent of smartphones (excluding Blackberry and iPhone models) were returned after the holiday season, making the cellphones the most-returned item.

“The inability to understand the product setup process was cited as the
primary reason consumers returned their Smartphone” Kevin Wood, VP and Senior Technology Analyst, Opinion Research Corporation".


Source: Phonemag

Nokia - The Godzilla of the Global Mobile Phone Business

It's appropriate that Nokia's mobile-handset products are featured prominently in the new film Cloverfield, in which a giant monster flattens New York while gobbling up cast members along the way. That's because in the real world, Nokia has emerged as the Godzilla of the global mobile-handset business, devastating the competition and dining on their market share on its way to dominance.

In the fourth quarter of 2007, Nokia's global mobile-handset shipments amounted to 133.5 million units, up 19.5 percent from 111.7 million in the third quarter of the year, giving the Finnish wireless behemoth a 39.5 percent share of the market.

Putting Nokia's performance into perspective:
  • No.1 ranked Nokia achieved the highest rate of sequential growth among the Top-5 mobile-handset suppliers in the fourth quarter of 2007, even beating the impressive 18.9 percent rise by No.4 supplier Sony Ericsson.
  • Nokia's unit shipments rose by 21.8 million sequentially in the fourth quarter, 1.6 times the combined increase of 14.1 million units for the other Top-5 mobile-handset brands.
  • With a 19.5 percent sequential increase in unit shipments in the fourth quarter, Nokia outgrew the global mobile-handset market's rise of 15.4 percent by 4.2 percentage points, when accounting for rounding.
  • Nokia's 39.5 percent market share in the fourth quarter almost equaled the 41.9 percent combined shares of the four other Top-5 mobile-phone makers.
"With its mammoth market share and gargantuan growth, Nokia truly is the monster of the mobile-handset business," said Tina Teng, analyst, wireless communications, for iSuppli.

For the full year of 2007, Nokia shipped 437.1 million mobile phones and attained a commanding 38 percent market share. This was nearly three times the 14 percent share of Nokia's closest competitor for the year: Samsung Electronics. The Finnish company outperformed the mobile-handset industry in 2007 with 26.5 percent annual growth, compared to 16.5 percent for the entire industry.

To explain Nokia's success, Teng cited the company's sales leadership in most global regions and its dominant position in shipments of mobile handsets using 3G W-CDMA technology.

American exceptionalism
While Nokia appears to be invincible, the mobile-phone goliath still faces some challenges.


"Nokia has acknowledged its relatively weak position in CDMA technology - and the fact it doesn't dominate the North American market," Teng said. "However, the company is planning on introducing new appealing models for the U.S. market and is engaging in a more active marketing campaign in North America in 2008, which was kicked off by the ubiquitous product placement in the movie Cloverfield."
...continued

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Sony Ericsson Adds 5 Million Songs To Mobile PlayNow Service

Sony Ericsson announced the expansion of their PlayNow arena app today at the MidemNet conference in Cannes, France. Mark Wilson of Gizmodo relayed news this afternoon that the “over-the-air”(OTA) music service has signed with 10 major record labels such as Sony BMG, Warner Music Group, EMI, and more to add 5 million music tracks to its library.

The service is also adding a new feature named TrackID to PlayNow arena, allowing users to identify songs they hear on the radio or in a coffee shop, and subsequently purchase the songs from online catalog wirelessly. They will also be able to browse charts of songs that PlayNow users have searched for. Specific searches as to one’s location will be possible.

For the mobile gamers amongst Sony Ericsson’s customer base, 250 new games have also been added to the service from companies such as EA Games, Gameloft, and THQ. This gives Play Now arena one of the largest catalogs of mobile gaming in the industry.

Residents of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland can expect the new service in May 2008, with more European markets by the end of June. Americans and Asians will have to wait until the last half of the year to enjoy the newest perks of the service.

Source: Mashable

YouTube for Mobile Update Brings Happiness to Millions of Users

By Daniel Nicholas

The update Google’s popular video sharing web site made to its Mobile service brought much joy and happiness to millions of mobile phone users, as now YouTube for Mobile can be used on handsets that can run video streaming and are supported by any 3G operator.

YouTube announced the big thing on Thursday; this update of its mobile applications will significantly expand the number of supported mobile phone technologies that can allow the viewing of the popular web sites’ millions of videos.

Until now, YouTube for Mobile was available only through deals with Verizon, Apple and Helio; but from now on, any user that owns a mobile phone running video streaming is able to access YouTube on his or her handset, as the service is supported by any 3G operator. According to YouTube, about 100 million devices will be able to access YouTube for Mobile thanks to this recent update.

In addition to this important improvement, new YouTube for Mobile features will allow users to personalize their use of the videos; they can access YouTube Favorites, Videos and Channels, as well as their accounts on their mobile phones, for example. Furthermore, from now on people will be able to upload video directly from their mobile devices, as they will also be able to rate and comment on videos directly from their phones.

The new mobile offerings will be available in 11 languages, in 17 countries.

© 2007 - 2008 - eNews 2.0 All Rights Reserved

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Loads of live pics of the Pink Nokia N95


You hear that? That’s the crooning of (probably) all the women that are looking at this Nokia N95 clad in a nice, soft shade of Pink. Ok, we admit it, we like the Pink Nokia N95 too - just don’t tell anyone.

Thankfully, the Pink-ness is limited to just the rear battery-cover area of the Nokia N95. Nokia has decided to tastefully leave the face of the Pink Nokia N95 untouched - the Pink/Silver combo is attractive indeed (especially compared to that fugly Pink and Gold Sony Ericsson T650).

[Via: JustAMP]

Sony Ericsson's New Superphone To Be Called 'Xperia'

We can't help but think that cell phone makers are starting to get a little too cutesy for their own good when it comes to naming their phones. Seemingly gone are the days of the good 'ol model number, replaced by exciting or mysterious sounding names meant to individualize phones. Motorola has long had the four-letter "we hate vowls" thing going with their line. Palm has branched out from endless Treo model numbers by calling the Centro just "Centro," and LG seems to really like the idea, going a little crazy with phones named after everything from edibles to Roman goddesses. Sony Ericsson meanwhile has stuck with somewhat less endearing names like W910 and W960, but that's apparently about to change with the company trademarking the name "Xperia," a label set to be applied to their upcoming P5i smartphone.The P5i ... err ... Xperia is said to have the ability to "function in any number of extra ways beyond just as a phone."

This includes a long list of tools including the ability to:

...function as a camera; perform instant messaging; access and communicate with
e-mail; access and communicate with the Internet; function as a radio, to
record, play, transmit, receive, and/or manage music; record, play, transmit,
receive, edit, and/or manage video; create, view, transmit, receive, edit,
and/or manage photographs; play electronic games; upload photographs and text
onto online journals or web logs; function as a personal digital assistant
(PDA); function as walkie-talkies; perform satellite navigation; function as a
remote control for computers and run multimedia presentations...

It's unclear whether Xperia will be the single name for this phone or will be instead applied to a range of extra-smartphones, something that we'll surely find out ahead of the mobile's release sometime this summer. It's not exactly the most distinctive sounding name we've ever heard, but if you're a Sony marketing rep we do expect it's a lot easier to drive up excitement for something you can pronounce, rather than something called two letters and a number.

Source: Switched

NOKIA Launches Greener Cell Phone: 3310 Evolve


While certain objects seem to be making big strides in sustainability, the humble cell phone is lagging a bit behind the curve - what with the lead, cadmium and other toxic chemicals, as well as the relentless consumption, upgrading and disposable on which the entire industry is based. But Nokia has recently launched a new, more environmentally friendly cellphone called the
3310 Evolve. The Evolve is a great example of a greener device, made from biomaterials and 60% recycled packaging. Right now these phones are only available in Europe (what Nokia - you don’t think there is a market for this in the US??), so if you want to check out this cute little eco phone in action, come by the Greener Gadgets Conference on February 1st! But don’t get too attached — we haven’t heard of any launch date set for the US yet.

The 3310 Evolve boasts bio-covers/faceplates made from upwards of 50% renewable material. One of the other unique green features is the charger, which is Nokia’s most efficient, using 94% less energy than the Energy Star requirements.

Nokia as a company has shown real commitments to sustainability in the recent future- they were the first manufacturer to use alerts to tell users when their phones were charged (telling them to unplug their chargers- remaining plugged in after a full charge is a huge energy drain). They also launched a cell phone recycling program in New York, and they’re one of the sponsors of our Greener Gadgets Conference!

Source: Nokia

Nokia Internet Tablet N810 Now Available in Canada

Canadians are left with the short end of the stick on a lot of things. The price for wireless data, for example, is astronomical, and we're among the last people to get our hands on the hottest new cell phones. If you're a Canuck who has been waiting for the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, your wait is now over. The sliding QWERTY device is now available north of the 49th parallel.

As you recall, the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet is the successor to the N800. It's new and improved, rocking a 4.13-inch touchscreen display (800x640), TI OMAP 2420 processor (400MHz), and 128MB DDR2 RAM. The web surfer also comes equipped with a handy supply of wireless radios, including 802.11g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, and GPS. The only radio missing is cellular, but you probably wouldn't want to pay for data in Canada anyways.

Canadians can now have the Internet in their pocket with the Nokia N810. Look for it on Nokia.ca for $485.00.

Source: MobileMag

Nokia E90 Long Term Test

We've had the flagship Nokia E-Series device for five months now, and we felt that it was time to revisit the latest Communicator series device. Our original review covered the E90's more unusual capabilities, but how would it stand up to the real world?

Nokia E90 Microphone Fault
Early versions of the Nokia E90 suffered from two major microphone faults. One of them was a buzzing noise that could sometimes be heard while in call, the other more serious fault was a complete failure of the microphone. Our Nokia E90 worked fine for five months, but then the microphone failed completely and Vodafone replaced the E90 under warranty (they didn't even try to repair it). Our understanding is that the return rate on the early E90s is as high as three out of four units. This problem has apparently been resolved in later models.

If you are having problems with the microphone on your E90, then you should ask for a completely new unit under warranty rather than a repair. The problem appears to be a design defect.

How to tell early E90s from later models
It is very difficult to tell early E90s apart from later ones. There are very few clues on the E90s themselves to indicate that they are different.


A very careful examination of the handsets does show that there is a different board, just visible through the casing. The newer E90 has part of the board marked "NR_14", the older one is marked "12".

Note that the IMEI sequence has also been updated, the original phone had an IMEI of 35365901105xxxx, the newer one is IMEI 35365901377xxxx. Higher IMEI numbers usually indicate a later manufacture date

Creaky Casing and Keyboard Problems
Early E90s suffered from creaky casing. Our original E90 did have some creaky panels, the replacement E90 did appear to have a slightly better construction.

Also, early on early E90s, the keyboard would press slightly against the screen when closed which would transfer greasy fingerprints, and sometimes even damage the screen. We have seen reports that this can be fixed at a Nokia Service Centre. They keyboard can also be a bit fiddly to use.

Software Bugs
Perhaps the most troublesome application on the E90 is the mapping / navigation tool. This takes a very long time to get a fix, has a number of annoying bugs and most seriously seems to crash after using it for an hour or so. This application received a significant upgrade in the new firmware version 07.38.0.2, but at the time of writing that is only available from Nokia Service Centres.

Battery Life
The battery life can be hugely variable. Often, we found that the battery was significantly depleted after a couple of days of light use. The problem with a highly sophisticated handset such as the E90 is that there are so many features that can drain the battery such as 3G, WiFi, GPS and leaving applications running.

One annoying feature is that the E90 cannot be charged via a USB cable - and connecting the E90 to a PC seems to drain the battery very quickly. All-in-all, you will probably want to make sure you have access to a Nokia charger to make sure that your E90 will keep running.

So is it a good phone?
Despite its flaws, the E90 has some very strong points. In particular, the 800 pixel wide display is excellent for web browsing and other applications. The camera is good, video quality is excellent, and multimedia playback is good enough for most people. If in a business or home environement, it is very easy to take the E90 out of your pocket, connect to the local WiFi network and then connect to the internet.

The most significant competition comes from Nokia itself with the N810 Internet Tablet. The N810 has a larger, touch-sensitive screen and a much better web browser.. but it isn't a phone, and it isn't compatible with standard Nokia S60 applications.

The E90 is likely to be phased out by Q3 2008, and quite what Nokia will replace it with is unknown. We know that Nokia will introduce touchscreen phones this year, and a touchscreen Communicator would be very welcome. The Communicator range has always been a bit of a niche product, we certainly find it to be a useful device.. but it's not for everybody.

Motorola S9-HD Bluetooth Headphones



At the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show last week, Motorola announced the S9-HD, an update to its popular S9 stereo Bluetooth headphones. This new version adds 3D surround sound and high-definition audio - compliments of SRS WOW HD technology. The ear buds on the S9-HD have also been redesigned to reduce background noise and maximize comfort.

The Motorola S9-HD stereo Bluetooth headset weighs a mere 32g (1oz) so that they are hardly noticeable when worn. With up to 6 hours of music playback and dedicated music playback controls, the Motorola S9-HD is sure to be a hit. These sleek headphones should be available in Q2 2008, though pricing is not currently available.
Source: Mobileburn

Apple Delivers iPhone software update 1.1.3

Apple today announced a free software update for its iPhone that allows users to automatically find their location using the redesigned Maps application; text message multiple people in one message; create Web Clips for their favorite websites; customize their home screen; and watch movies rented from the new iTunes Movie Rentals right on their iPhone.

New iPhone products shipping from the factory will include the software update and existing iPhone customers will automatically get the update for free when they sync their iPhone with iTunes (http://www.itunes.com/).


Maps, one of the most popular and helpful applications on iPhone, has a new interface that is simpler and easier to use and adds incredible new features such as the ability to find your location automatically. With just the tap of a button, iPhone can now triangulate your position using nearby Wi-Fi base stations or cellular towers. You can use this as a starting or ending point for directions or to find local points of interest. The new hybrid map view combines map view and satellite view so you can see major street names overlaid on satellite imagery.

Users can now create Web Clips - icons on the home screen that take you directly to your favorite websites, including to the exact spot you have zoomed into. Web Clips are a great way to easily track websites that you frequently check such as news, blogs, sports sites and movie listings. In addition, users can now customize their home screen by repositioning any of the icons, and even create up to nine different home screens that they can easily flick between.

iPhone’s new software update also adds the ability to send the same SMS text message to multiple people, and iPhone saves a history of your text messages, so with one tap you can send a new message to the same group.

With Apple's new iTunes Movie Rentals, movie fans can rent movies on their computer, easily and quickly transfer them to their iPhone, and watch them anywhere on iPhone's gorgeous 3.5 inch screen. Users can also now navigate forward or backward through their movies by chapters, select alternate language tracks and view subtitles, if available.

The iPhone software update 1.1.3 is available immediately for free via iTunes 7.5 or later for all existing iPhone customers in the US, UK, Germany and France.

Source: Slashphone

Helio Mysto Available Now

Helio today released Mysto, an ultra-thin slider featuring a large, reflective mirror-like screen, a svelte, sapphire blue body and electrostatic keys that make the device shiver when pressed.


Mysto debuts two new Helio GPS search services, WHERE and Tellme. Based on the U600 that was released in Europe and Korea this past year , Mysto has been customized and made exclusively for Helio for the U.S. market by Samsung. Mysto boasts a 2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, night mode and built-in Photo Studio, a large mirror-like 2.2 inch QVGA display, 100MB of available internal memory expandable via microSD to 4GB, an HTML browser, stereo Bluetooth and support for an array of audio and video formats including MP3 and AAC audio, and MPEG-4 and H.264 video.

Mysto also has external electrostatic keys that vibrate with "haptic feedback" with the tap of a finger, giving users the look of touch sensitive controls and the tactile sensation they want while using one-click search to jump onto the Web from the device idle screen, navigating through Helio's ultimate inbox messaging hub made famous on Ocean, or playing a favorite song or video downloaded from Helio Player.

Tellme, the first one-touch voice search application for mobile in the U.S., lets users simply press one button and say a word to receive local search results, no need to know your location or spend time typing, just say what you want and get it. Tellme returns local listings containing phone numbers, maps, turn-by-turn directions and the ability to SMS the listing to friends.
Now, Helio members don't have to worry about saving restaurants, theaters or other business listings in their address books and finding a late night snack is a snap.

WHERE, a service of uLocate Communications, is a mobile GPS widget platform that gives users access to a library of location-enabled applications. WHERE provides information on things like local weather and events based on the user's current location. WHERE is accessible on Mysto through its location-aware mobile browser and is a free service for Helio members.
Mysto is now available at Helio retail locations,
http://www.helio.com/, by calling 888-88-HELIO and at thousands of retail locations nationwide for $149.
Source: Slashphone