Engadget

Samsung looks to patent two new gaming phone designs

by Brian White posted Aug 13th 2007 at 11:04PM

Samsung looks to move forward into the realm of mobile gaming with two new U.S. patents involving gameplay-oriented handsets. For starters, patent #1 (pictured above) describes a "portable communication terminal for games." The display on this design involves a hinged "flip" that unveils a dual-row numeric keypad complete with phone navigational array when opened, and a gaming d-pad when closed (we hope that hinge is solid); the 'A' and 'B' buttons are near the earpiece and always visible. More info on the second patent application after the break.

[via Unwired View]

Read - Patent 1
Read - Patent 2

Continue reading Samsung looks to patent two new gaming phone designs

Comprehensive iPhone bug list debuts, 68 and counting

by Brian White posted Jul 16th 2007 at 11:11AM

Many (hundreds) of thousands love the new iPhone, but with mass lovin' comes the obligatory list of bugs. As such, the first lengthy and comprehensive bug list from poking and prodding that iPhone screen into submission during the wee hours of the night has been released. There are 68 reproducible bugs on the list so far, with each bug having been confirmed on two separate iPhones. Of course, the list's 'reproducible' status for each bug comes with a disclaimer that some obscure steps normal iPhone users may never uncover were used in unearthing some of them. We're hard-pressed to find our favorite bugs (or bug categories), so check out the complete list here and if you dare, start mad-swiping that iPhone screen if you feel lucky.

[via Digg]

Falcom's MAMBO II worldphone brings the GPS, Bluetooth

by Brian White posted Jun 22nd 2007 at 5:57PM

Feeling paranoid and require the use of a personal GPS tracker? If so, dig this: Germany's Falcom Mambo II is a quad-band GSM worldphone with GPRS that sports a 20-channel GPS receiver for those detailed tracking needs you may be looking for. That bulge you see contains a helix GPS antenna and some features inside the unit include a SiRF Star III GPS chip (with GPS tracking using up to four satellites), a 3D motion detector, a decently large 1,200 mAH Li-ion battery and a standard mini-USB connection for charging and connection purposes. No pricing or availability is known yet.

Pandora's music streaming gets mobile with Sprint

by Brian White posted May 23rd 2007 at 11:36AM

Pandora's tumultuous penchant for locking out US-based listeners based on licensing messes (thanks, RIAA) has taken a back seat to its new over-the-air launch with Sprint. While AT&T customers have had MobiRadio for years, Sprint customers tired of streaming Sirius will have a new reason to use that wireless data for music, so if you've got an EV-DO handset, get that phone browser up and hit Pandora's site. What you'll get in return is a Java applet that gives you access to Pandora's streaming content catalog -- access is free for 30 days; past that is $3/month, naturally.

Sun shows iPhone-like Java Mobile FX platform

by Brian White posted May 10th 2007 at 1:31PM

Sun is again trumpeting Java from the top of its lungs -- and we're not talking about speweing coffee here here -- showing off what appeared to be flashy new cellphone software at the JavaOne conference this week. Not big news there, except that the Sun software apparently looked eerily like the Apple iPhone's software; in fact, the platform Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz showed off is already being dubbed "jPhone" based on the striking resemblance to Apple's goods. The actual product name is Java Mobile FX and it's based on code from SavaJe, a Java-centric mobile OS company Sun just completed acquiring last week. The required specs to run Java Mobile FX aren't too slouchy: 32 megabytes of RAM and a 200 megahertz ARM processor are in the spec, so forget those entry-level Nokia and Sammy handsets. Even Sun Chairman Scott McNealy alluded to the copying of Apple's modus operandi by wearing a black t-shirt (ala black turtleneck territory from Steve Jobs) and saying "we have our own shirtsleeve version of Steve Jobs announcing a phone." Har har.

NES-playin' Taiwanese smartphone comes gamepad-equipped

by Brian White posted May 8th 2007 at 4:22PM

Oh my -- we're fallin' in love. Our always-inventive pals in Taiwan have developed a "PDA Phone" called the Century Sutra 1688 that comes complete with a gamepad controller (not Bluetooth, darn) and an NES emulation system. If you're fond of "Super Mario Brothers" and "The Legend of Zelda" from the NES craziness of the 80s, you'd probably hand over a month's paycheck for one of these beauties just to take a trip down memory lane. We know we would. The gamepad for Windows Mobile isn't exactly a new concept, but add in NES emulation -- even though there are a ton of portable NES emulators out there -- and we're sold.

BlackBerry 8830 World Edition announced for Verizon, Sprint

by Brian White posted Apr 25th 2007 at 10:41AM

We've been salivating a bit since hearing the BlackBerry 8830 would be released sometime in May on Verizon Wireless, and our dreams appear to be coming to fruition. Hey, a BlackBerry with 2GB microSD support and possible built-in iTunes got our heads rockin' -- what can we say? With word on the street that Telus (in Canada) and Verizon (U.S.) would be the first carriers to get the new 8830, this morning's news confirmed it. Both Verizon and RIM announced today that the CDMA / GSM worldphone is coming to Verizon Wireless on May 14. If you're into a full QWERTY BlackBerry with CDMA EV-DO support in addition to GSM / GPRS (900 and 1,800 MHz only), you're about to be rewarded for your patience. Sprint customers will have to wait until July -- but starting tomorrow, interested customers can pre-register at the carrier's site.

Read - Verizon press release
Read - Sprint pre-registration (starting April 26)

Ogo2.0 gets picked up by Revol Wireless in U.S.

by Brian White posted Mar 28th 2007 at 5:45PM

With Swiss folks getting the new Ogo2.0 recently, it's about time those across the pond get a crack at the new do-everything device. Revol Wireless will get the Ogo2.0 this summer, a perfect fit for the Ohio-based carrier. Revol Wireless prides itself on "unlimited" wireless services and has a target demographic of younger wireless users who, umm, tend to use thousands of text messages every month plus that slew of mobile IMs and a decent torrent of emails to boot. The Ogo2.0 device should fit Revol's strategy perfectly, as the CDMA device has onboard EV-DO (sigh, just Revision 0) and a full QWERTY keyboard for flexing those fingers and thumbs to the limit. Thirsty for more? Try this on for size (takes deep breath): QVGA, Bluetooth 2.0, RSS, Web 2.0 content interface, 2 megapixel cam, voice command, stereo speakers, microSD slot and quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE (for the GSM version announced for Swisscom earlier). Add in a healthy dose of OgoClips (like a bottle opener) and there's very little this pocketable beauty can't do. No word on Revol's pricing, but the Ogo2.0 should drop "this summer" according to the carrier. So, anytime from late June to early late September, eh Revol?

Cellphone-blocking Clarins Expertise 3P skin care wafts into the market

by Brian White posted Mar 20th 2007 at 7:10AM

We're always wanting that skin to glow around the virtual office here, but never would we suspect that "Artificial Electromagnetic Waves" could be hurting us. While the merits of studies that show radiation from wireless handsets harm or don't harm humans are far from final, it's pleasing to know that anti-cellphone skin care is close at hand. In addition to those cheaply made "anti-radiation" stickers that go for about 10 cents these days, the new Expertise 3P skin care product from Clarins will -- get this -- protect you from "Artificial Electromagnetic Waves." We're not sure how one determines if certain RF emissions are "artificial" or not, but nonetheless this new skin care product features a "Magnetic Defence Complex" that protects skin from the effects of "Artificial Electromagnetic Waves" and also has an "Anti-Pollution Complex" that contains White Tea and Succory Dock-Cress. Just spritz this spray right on yourself and watch those invisible cellphone rays bounce off your skin like stones across a pond.

[Via textually.org]

BluRing links your iPod to your handset

by Brian White posted Mar 8th 2007 at 5:52AM

This sounds like a half-completed statement, but bear with us here: "icube will begin marketing a Bluetooth peripheral called BluRing that links the Apple's iPod to a cell phone so calls can be received while listening to music without the need to take out the phone." Umm, okay. We're not sure how that could work, but let's assume that the BluRing product has some sort of microphone built-in. Yep, check. Ok, whew -- we feel better now. The icube BluRing will come with a remote control (with embedded mic) with a connection to the iPod's 3.5mm earphone connector found on all iPods to date. While we're not sure most customers will want to abandon the iPod's signature clickwheel for music navigation, the BluRing can also be used to "select songs and adjust volume on the iPod." Hmm -- seems like this product really (really) wants to marry an actual iPod and a Bluetooth accessory (with wires to boot). Seems kinda complicated to us, with all all tangly wired mess potential and everything.

[Via textually.org]

Intel planning low-cost chip for iPhone competition

by Brian White posted Mar 7th 2007 at 9:24PM

With Apple scaring the heebie-jeebies out of most major wireless handset manufacturers (to a point) with the upcoming iPhone, some apparently think they can get a competing handset out to duke it out with Apple's new icon soon. With that notion, chip giant Intel wants iPhone competitors to feast at its house o'chips, as the chipmaker is readying a "low-power chip" that it is targeting at manufacturers that want to put out an iPhone competitor. Although Intel CEO Paul Otellini assumes that a power / performance angle on a new Intel chip would position an iPhone competitor's hardware cost to benefit ratio correctly, we suspect that it will take more than that to get under Apple's thick iPhone skin -- some sort of revolutionary UI for starters (and that cool, automatic orientation sensor can't hurt either). Any scrappy operations out there (put your hand down, Meizu) care to take a stab at it?

Is Creative serious about a possible "ZenPhone"?

by Brian White posted Mar 6th 2007 at 3:02PM

iPhone, ZunePhone and ZenPhone, oh my! With Apple's iPhone still causing seething "gotta have" mentality among its ardent fans way before release, the Microsoft "Zune phone" that is circling the rumor camps hard has nothing on the Creative ZenPhone. That joke aside, maybe all the top DAP makers and ODMs will design a functional cellphone / DAP unit soon, although we're not sure about the RF prowess of DAP makers. Anyhoo, this potential two-piece odd looking phone / easy chair massager controller device (the Xmod) is being chalked up as the Creative "ZenPhone" right now. Creative, who predicted they would attack Apple's DAP market share and fell off that wagon just a tad before settling, may indeed unveil a ZenPhone in the future. That being said, it's hard to say if this first peek is for real from Creative -- or some Singaporean's fantasy right now.

[Thanks, Vizion]

RIM boots Balsillie as Chairman, but he remains co-CEO

by Brian White posted Mar 5th 2007 at 5:31PM

It looks like RIM co-founder Jim Balsille is out as the company's chairman of the board, although he will remain on with RIM as co-CEO. The ~~crackberry~~ BlackBerry maker has had a little of a black eye recently (like many tech companies) with its handling of stock option accounting, which dates all the way back to 2004. As a result, RIM will have to lower its earnings by what seems like a nice chunk of change -- $250 million. Although we don't think RIM is going anywhere fast, its recent public missteps like this one have added to a long list of woes in recent years. Just promise us, RIM, that this isn't going to affect the release schedule for the 8820, mkay?

Sagem releases world's tiniest Bluetooth headset, the H4

by Brian White posted Feb 27th 2007 at 7:30PM

In the quest to continue driving down the size of cellphone handsets these days, the quest to make the tiniest (and hopefully most usable) Bluetooth headset is not far behind. Remember when the Nextlink Bluespoon was claimed to be the world's smallest Bluetooth headset? Those days are long gone and Sagem has announced that it now has the world's smallest Bluetooth headset. We better call the Guiness Book of World Records (at least for today), as the Sagem G4 claims that it "could be" the world's smallest (nice cop out), at 35 x 18 x 12.5mm -- and weighing just 8 grams as well. Performance, you ask? Sagem claims 5 hours of talktime and 100 hours of standby, and charging time is only 1.5 hours to boot. Cost? 53 British pounds, or about $103 greenbacks in U.S. currency, but right now, there's only a teaser at Sagem's website -- and it's supposed to be available some time this week.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Slim dual-hinged Samsung U740 now available from Verizon

by Brian White posted Feb 14th 2007 at 1:39PM

There are many phones that solicit the response as in "I want it now" -- and no handsets evoke that from many text-centric customers like a dual-hinge QWERTY email and text messaging experience. Well, if you're a fan (or subscriber) of Verizon Wireless and you paid attention to Samsung announcements at CES recently, you'll be glad to hear that the Samsung SCH-U740 is now available from that carrier (according to them). The U740 is not really a groundbreaker per se, but the dual-hinge design just took a large step further with the U740's slim body. If you run into the U740 at a Verizon store this week, drop us a comment and let us know if it's indeed in the wild. Until then, the absolute best quote from the Verizon release is this: "available in a stylish metallic champagne color with couture appeal and Ivy League brainpower." Harvard and Princeton grads -- this one's all yours.

Sandisk follows Kingmax; announces 4GB microSD card

by Brian White posted Feb 12th 2007 at 11:19PM

Just like its buddies over at Kingmax, Sandisk has just announced a 4GB microSD card for use in that spiffy new multimedia-centric phone of yours. That's right -- no need to carry around that 4GB USB key if you've got 4GB residing in your phone -- right? Well, anyway, Sandisk's new SDHC (SD High Capacity) card -- announced at 3GSM just a little while ago -- has no official launch details at the moment outside of Sandisk's testing with OEMs to ensure phones don't freak out over such large memory cards being stuffed behind those batteries and in those side slots.

Boingo launches worldwide WiFi service -- just for mobile phones

by Brian White posted Feb 12th 2007 at 3:47PM

3GSM is cranking along and so are the carrier and manufacturer announcements. Among one of the brightest ones today has been the announcement that Boingo Wireless -- the world's leading wholesale network aggregator (fancy term for WiFi ISP) -- will soon unveil the "Boingo Mobile" service to provide what appears to be the first global WiFi Internet service. Sounds rather solid -- but it gets even better because Boingo Mobile is specifically designed for WiFi phones and devices as opposed to dedicated computers and computing devices (not that there's anything wrong with the 802.11n lappy). So, you have a feast for that newer UMA handset and have looked for a solution that goes beyond that slower-than-I'll-get-out HSDPA access? If you're near on of the thousands of Boingo WiFi hotspots around the world, you can tap into the Boingo Mobile network at the flat rate of USD $7.95 per month by visting mobile.boingo.com/download to get Boingo's free software and to check for mobile handset / device compatibility (hint -- WM5 is all for now). It's great to see a global WiFi operator differentiate -- and treat -- two different uses of WiFi at separate and appropriate price levels, since, ya know, not many are BitTorrenting from their handsets these days.

HP iPaq 510 Voice Messenger handset gets reviewed

by Brian White posted Feb 12th 2007 at 1:22PM

Ready for HP's latest iPaq -- that does not even resemble a traditional iPaq? HP's new "iPaq Voice Messenger" device is, well, just that -- a newer cellphone with a traditional numeric keypad. Normal features from "smarter" phones are in there, like the new Windows Mobile 6 and of course built-in WiFi. What is new about this baby, according to HP's marketing machine? The 510 has HP's "Voice Commander" so that it can read emails through the loudspeaker and respond to voice commands that control just about anything on the unit itself -- like those in cars that can't stop working even while they are driving. Now that's multitasking -- and it's more safe than navigating to your Outlook server while driving, even with the best d-pad there is. You can even compose an "audio email" via voice control (sweet, we think). EDGE comes standard (wha -- no HSDPA?) and Laptop Review has a pretty good impression of the device with all it has onboard (like HTML email). Will it fly off shelves?

Sony Ericsson's Walkman W880 reviewed

by Brian White posted Feb 7th 2007 at 1:50PM

Sony Ericsson's venerable Walkman line just received a good dose of cool with the announcement and (pending?) release of the W880. Sony Ericsson has joined the thin-is-in crowd with this one, as the W880 comes in at a skinny and svelte 9.4mm thick -- pretty dainty for a candybar unit. This is one of the newest Sony Ericsson handsets we've been pleased to view and gawk at. Slim, trim, and comes in fightin' with such features like 2 cams (a VGA one for front-facing video calls), Bluetooth 2.0 A2DP and Memory Stick M2 support (alas, Sony's proprietary format) and...we'll say it again -- an ultra-slim shape that's more Samsung-ian than from the SE boys. A few things that stood out in the GSM Arena review was the inclusion of "multitasking" support (we can guess at the meaning there), EDGE being absent and the inclusion of a standard 3.5mm audio adapter for using your own high-end headphones with the W880. We wish all handset makers would do this -- since using those sweet Shure earphones are, well, worth it. GSM Arena's verdict with the in-depth review? This is one sweet candybar.

[Thanks, Simon]

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