Unlocking iPhone from AT&T gets easier, still a pain
EMOBILE launched the EM-ONE handset and flat-rate HSDPA Mobile Data Service in Japan
"EM-ONE" is the next-generation mobile broadband device, which is designed to deliver a high-speed, always-on broadband environment as an alternative to a personal computer. EM-ONE adopts Japan's first W-VGA (800 X 480) under Windows Mobile 5.0 environment, and is also equipped with a 4.1 inch liquid crystal large screen. Furthermore, EM-ONE is equipped with the same keyboard structure as PCs (QWERTY keyboard), and has only 18.9 mm in width, which is considered to be one of the most slim mobile terminals with QWERTY keyboard in Japan. EMOBILE, Sharp and Microsoft closely worked together from the basic planning stage, thus developing various functions that are released for the first time in Japan. The three companies plan to continue their alliance in the future to promote marketing in the growing mobile broadband market. Supported by the cutting-edge technology of Sharp, who is Japan's leading vendor in mobile device development, and Microsoft's technology, which combines Internet broadband communications and mobile device, EMOBILE launches its first strategic mobile handset EM-ONE. EM-ONE was named after EMOBILE as a new mobile handset, which satisfies the needs of mobile data communications for both private and business purposes. -Dual High-speed Data Communications: HSDPA and Wireless LAN, EM-ONE supports EMOBILE's HSDPA communications service with a maximum downlink speed of 3.6Mbps*1. In addition, EM-ONE has the built-in IEEE802.11b/g compliant wireless LAN feature. It can also be used as a high-speed communications modem for PCs when connected to a PC with a USB cable. -One-segment Broadcasting: EM-ONE supports one-segment broadcasting without any additional equipment. -Wide Display: EM-ONE incorporates the industry's first*2 4.1 inch W-VGA (800X480 dot) high definition ASV LCD*3. Most PC websites can be viewed without horizontal scrolling. One-segment broadcasting widescreen programs can also be viewed. -18.9mm-thin Mobile Device: Superior in mobility, EM-ONE is the first mobile communications terminal in Japan with QWERTY keyboard and has only 18.9mm in width. -Three-operation Style "Dual Slide": EM-ONE adopts the new-concept "Dual Slide Mechanism", by which the operation panel can be opened and closed either horizontally or vertically. Users can select three operation styles according to their usages: "Control Style", "Input Style", and "View Style". -Built-in Digital Camera: EM-ONE has the built-in CMOS digital camera (1.31 mega pixels). Close-up, photo and video features are available. QR and JAN codes are also supported. -Excellent Usability: EM-ONE has a mouse-like pointing device. With the newly developed "Net Walker", users can view their favorite websites by simple operations of the scroll wheel, such as rotating or stopping. Home menu is also provided to store favorite applications and operate them by one touch. -Touch Panel Operation: EM-ONE has "Touch Panel Operation", by which simple operations can be made using a stylus pen. Touch panel display also allows smooth display and improves usability. -PC Email Address: EM-ONE supports PC email addresses, by incorporating Microsoft OutlookMobile email software which uses POP, and SMTP*5. Users can send and receive email messages with attachments. In addition, EM-ONE installs Sharp's original email software "SH Mail", which improves the usability to send, receive and manage email. -PC Documents: EM-ONE installs Windows Mobile 5.0, which supports mouse, pointing devices, QWERTY keyboard, as well as data reading for Power Point, PDF files, and data editing for Exceland Word files. Internet browsing software, Internet ExploreMobile reinforces various software functions, such as enhancing operability and high-resolution display. EM-ONE also installs Opera Mobile Internet browser, which allows multiple page tab display. -USB Peripheral Devices: EM-ONE is equipped with USB port, which support USB peripheral devices for Windows Mobile, such as keyboard and mouse *6. -Presentation: EM-ONE displays presentations on a big screen, by connecting to an LCD projector using an (optional) RGB adapter. -Built-in BluetoothTM: EM-ONE has built-in Bluetooth, which allows wireless connection with other EM-ONE or Bluetooth compliant peripheral devices (such as keyboards) *7 within its 10m range. -Synchronization: EM-ONE allows users to synchronize their data with PCs by using the ActiveSync feature. Moreover, EM-ONE can simultaneously synchronize with PC and charge its battery pack, by using an optional cradle.*8 -Comfortable and Stress-free Operating Environment: EM-ONE adopts "MarvellPXA270 application processor 520MHz"as its CPU. The processor has multimedia processing and low power consumption features for PDAs and mobile phones. EM-ONE also adopts Flash memory and RAM (512MB and 128MB), which enables a comfortable operating environment. *1 Numbers are theoretical maximum downlink speeds, and do not indicate actual transmission speeds. *2 As of February 19, 2007, Handsets with Windows Mobile within Japan *3 ASV - Advanced Super View, which is suitable for playback of animation and static pictures requiring high definition display, offering an excellent response with high contrast. *4 Computer keyboard setting. The name derives from the first six letters on the top row of letters on a keyboard. *5 POP is a protocol used to receive email messages from the server on which the messages are stored on the Internet or Intranet. SMTP is a protocol to send and/or forward email messages. These are currently the most widely used protocols. *6 Cable adapter is necessary, and not all USB equipment is supported. *7 Not all wireless connections with Bluetooth equipment are supported. *8 While the unit is being charged by its cradle, or while watching TV with it placed in its cradle, it is not possible to charge the battery pack and large capacity battery pack at the same time. 
EM-ONE Key Features:
Sony Ericsson K810i bestseller
Sony Ericsson K810i-stylish variation on last year's bestseller, Sony Ericsson K800i. Changes from the original small. Most notable are diminished thickness and the stronger door cameras. Of obvious minuses noted the lack of support EDGE and the average video-recording of the same ills suffered and K800i. Advantages of an updated model, however, inherited a much more - is a different camera, and excellent time work offline, and more.Remember that devices based on different hardware platforms, while nominally extremely close. K790i noteworthy that support EDGE, and the K800i focus on the use of third-generation networks. It is easy to guess index, the new K810i is still K800i, but supports 3G, which is not too important for the Russian market.
The most important innovation, which immediately striking is the new keyboard design. Keys original forms are grooved surface (something to recalls phone Mobiado, looks interesting). Unfortunately, as is often the case, stylish form requires compromise-in buttons for K810i less convenient than a K800i. This concerns and the lights-it only pieces keys, which is less comfortable. Changed to block navigation, even though there had been an evolutionary process, no losses. Now elements better segmented, which makes us they seemed more comfortable. This is not true of the joystick, which has been drowned too deep (even below the shell). However, the manufacturer promises to the entry of the final version completely correct all the deficiencies test sample and bring ergonomics K810i, as a minimum, to the K800i.
Another important difference in the appearance of fully-glossy front panel. Moment controversial, as now looks extremely phone brand, it has to be mopping, including keyboard area. This is very impractical and deeply disappointing, given the lack of Sony Ericsson plans to set K810i protective films (such as that provided by LG). The opening performance on screen was smaller and had lost protective grilles, which is not very pleasant. But nearby navigation keys have been increased and the symbol of its functionality, on the other hand, are encouraged.
Buy Sony Ericsson K810i is a matter of taste, since most of the changes in comparison with the K800i affects design. From our point of view would be interesting update K790i is still no EDGE embarrassing. There are also record video with a resolution of only 176 1800 (even Nokia 6233 camera at 2 Mpix QVGA- recorded video). Just need to be borne in mind that this time the manufacturer has chosen to modify the form, rather than content. The office serves as an alternative K800i, but not as a new product. Such an extension line for Sony Ericsson is not new. For example, the same course we have seen in recent W610i and W660i. The policy is effective is that the address and K810i. K800i change it is not quite accurate, innovation minimal. But when choosing a new vehicle is to look K810i, especially if you are attracted to design this system.
Of note competitors Nokia N73, partly Samsung U600. At Nokia side to the software is a full-fledged smartphone. Kozyr Samsung-subtle corps. Yes, and the price of both models below ... But apart from the merits of the original K810i K800i offers plus appearance, as the Finnish and Korean opponents watched paler.
Sony Ericsson Unveils K770i, and it's Slim
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At 14.5mm thick, the Sony Ericsson K770i features a 3.2-megapixel camera, 1.9-inch LCD screen, Bluetooth with A2DP, an M2 card slot, and USB 2.0.
The K770 is a GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 and UMTS 2100 phone that will be available in Truffle Brown in selected markets from autumn 2007
Details on new BlackBerry smartphones
In the Internet you can come across some data on the new RIM devices. We are likely to expect soon a version of the BlackBerry Curve with Wi-Fi onboard (index 8320). The BlackBerry Curve 8300 was announced this May and positioned as the most compact and lightweight BlackBerry smartphone with the QWERTY-keyboard. In addition there is some info on a BlackBerry Curve version with GPS (index 8310). This device has been recently introduced in Europe by Vodafone.
LG-SH150: slider for 3G
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LG Electronics has released its LG-SH150 phone on the Korean market. This is a slider supporting WCDMA/HSDPA networks (up to 7.2 Mbps data transfer speed). The device costs 500000 Won (approx. $540).
The specs of LG-SH150:
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Samsung SGH-C506: cheap and nice
Samsung Electronics has prepared an inexpensive, but stylish GSM phone for the Latin American market. It’s a folding phone under the Index SGH-C506. It features original design, which somehow differs from company’s traditional solutions. As for the extra functionality, I’d mention a VGA-camera only.
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The short technical specs of Samsung SGH-C506:
- Cell networks: GSM 850 / 1800 / 1900 MHz, GPRS Class 10
- Dimensions: 44x86.2x19.7 mm
- Weight: 76 g
- Display: TFT, 128x160 pixels, 65K colors
- Camera: VGA
- Messages: SMS, EMS, MMS, SOS
- WAP browser v1.2
- JAVA MIDP 2.0
- Misc: calendar, tasks, calculator, world time, alarm clock, timer, stopwatch
Samsung Blast (SGH-T729) QWERTY-slider available from T-Mobile
Today Samsung Telecommunications America officially announced the availability of its SGH-T729 phone codenamed Blast from the American operator T-Mobile. Its main advantage is a QWERTY-keyboard, so the users get the opportunity to enter lots of messages (text and e-mail) with more comfort.
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The short technical specs of Samsung Blast (SGH-T729):
- Cell networks: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, GPRS/EDGE Class 10
- Dimensions: 105.7x51.8x12.7 mm
- Weight: 79.4 g
- Display: 2.1” TFT, 176x220 pixels, 262K colors
- Camera: 1.3-megapixel with video capture
- Messages: SMS, MMS, E-Mail (IMAP4, POP3, SMTP), AOL, ICQ, Yahoo!, MSN Live
- Connectivity: Bluetooth Class 2.0 + EDR, A2DP (Стерео Bluetooth), USB, SynchML DS/DM-FOTA, WAP browser
- Memory: 11 MB, microSD cards (up to 2 GB)
- Sound: 64-tones, MP3-player, speakerphone, voice dial, voice independent recognition
- Misc: alarm clock, calculator, calendar, notes, built-in and downloadable games
Live pics of Stunning Samsung SGH-P520
Samsung SGH-P520 is equipped with a touchscreen display and doesn’t have a keypad, it might successfully compete with Apple iPhone and LG Prada. The device features GSM/EDGE networks, a 2.3” QVGA-display, 50 MB of internal memory, a microSD slot, a 3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless modules. At the same time the P520 stands out for a compact size: 88x54x8.9 mm.
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Official announcement of Nokia 7900 Prism and Nokia 7500 Prism
Nokia has officially announced the release of the Prism handsets: Nokia 7900 and Nokia 7500. Both models are peculiar for their unusual geometry design. They will be available in stores in 3Q 2007 at the approximate price of €400 for Nokia 7900 Prism and €210 for Nokia 7500 Prism (taxes not included).
Nokia 7900 Prism is packed in a glossy black shell with an anodized aluminum back panel and laser-etched signature. The phone works in GSM (quad band) and 3G (dual band) networks, equipped with an OLED 16M color display, a 2-megapixel camera and 1 GB of onboard memory. In addition, the company marks 49 colors of display and keyboard backlight and “living wallpaper”, which changes during the day depending on the battery and signal level.
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O2 Cocoon - unboxing
When you just look at the box you instantly get the feeling that O2 has spent lots and lots of hours thinking through and designing all the details regarding the Cocoon and it’s packaging.
When you open up the package, you instantly see the ‘Cocoon‘ hanging down from a branch ready to hatch.
The accessories and manuals are hidden inside a box that slides out of the package from the side.
You get everything with the phone, even a dock and an earphone connector that will let give you an extra 3.5mm connection. Everything goes in white and black. Nice.
Loading up the phone with the SIM card and battery is really easy and…
Casio Adds A 5.1 MP Cameraphone To Its Exilim Line
Google Phone Prototypes, Software, Project Costing Hundreds of Millions of Dollars
Valleywag realizes that Google will not likely do phone hardware themselves. Whatever. As long as it supports the software, hopefully some shiny Mobile Google OS, we're interested. Either way, this is what the WSJ and Reuters said today:
•"Now it is drafting specifications for phones that can display all of Google's mobile applications at their best, and it is developing new software to run on them. The company is conducting much of the development work at a facility in Boston, and is working on a sophisticated new Web browser for cellphones."
•Google has invested hundreds of millions on the project.
•Google has also developed prototype phones, with partners like LG Electronics.
• "ads in the mobile phone is that they are twice as profitable or more than the nonmobile phone ads because they're more personal" says Eric Schmidt (from AllthingsD)
•In Europe, T-Mobile and Orange are believed to be partners. Verizon rejected their plans in the US because they wanted to share ad revenue.
•Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp to design a Linux software-based phone for launch in the first quarter of 2008
First Mac Chick of the Month to Use iPhone Is a Good Girl, Really
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Lauren Reeves is a former Alaskan ABC news reporter. Apparently she came to New York to find fortune as an actress, comedian and model and has fun posing on top of NYC's roofs. These are the times I wish I was Spider-Man for more than kicking Dr. Octopus's ass.
Toshiba fanfun 815T with Unlimited Skinning Fun
If you’re looking for a cell phone that is a bit more personalized this Toshiba fanfun 815T from the firm Softbank in Japan is just the phone. Especially for us girls, thre are a couple I could see some guys dealing with but frankly for the most part the styles are quite feminine. It features HSDPA and FeliCa. It also has a 2.4 inch clear screen liquid crstal, face recognition and IC card lock security functions. The phone will be coming out August 8th.
I wrote a review on the Pantech C3b a couple of months ago and was ecstatic to have three different covers to choose between. I couldn’t imagine have as many as this Toshiba offers. It has 12 case colors, 300 panel colors and 30 illumination schemes, meaning it has 240 million possible configurations. Now those are options. The body color comes in white, off white, grey, silver, baby pink, pearl pink, rose, champagne gold, brown, blue, and black.
ROKR Z6-new musical slider
O Rokr Pro: more Bluetooth-glasses by Motorola and Oakley
The FCC site has posted the documents on a newbie by Motorola and Oakley – O Rokr Pro Bluetooth-glasses. This isn’t a pioneer solution from both companies, earlier there were RAZRWire and O ROKR glasses. The O Rokr Pro sunglasses can be used as a Bluetooth-headset with a cell phone and also as headphones to listen to the music from the phone or a compact player.
The device supports A2DP stereo profile and AVRCP profile to operate the player with the arch buttons. There you can also find an answer button. According to the manual from the FCC site, O Rokr Pro ensure up to 5 hours of offline work. You can charge the device via a USB-port or a special charger. The manufacturer hasn’t unveiled the release date and the approximate price so far.
LG Wave: a CDMA clamshell by Alltel Wireless
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The American operator Alltel Wireless has introduced a clamshell phone by LG called Wave (AX-380) designed for CDMA networks. It is already available from company’s online stores for $79.99 on a 2-years service plan (a $50 rebate). The specs of LG AX-380 Wave:
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Windows Mobile 6 for HTC TyTN and more
Nokia 5610: early info from profiles
At Nokia’s site you can come across a profile of a new phone marked 5610. According to the xml-file the device is based on S40 5th edition platform, equipped with a QVGA-display and Bluetooth 2.0 (A2DP) interface.
Currently there are no details on the specs of Nokia 5610. Probably, they will be cleared up at an event in London set for August 29. There we expect a number of big announcements.
ABI Research: mobile business services on the rise
ABI Research has held a survey of the market for mobile applications and services for business users, i.e. solutions for e-mail and Internet access, sales automation tools, cartographic services and applications and so on. Analysts foresee that income in the sphere will reach $100 billion by 2012.
The industry is said to be currently on peak. Despite that the major income flows from voice services (business users), the share of data transfer services will take 26% by 2012. ABI Research reports that income from business services of all categories (including voice communication) will amount to $242 billion in 2007 and $389 billion in 2012.
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR specification approved
Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has approved the specification of Bluetooth 2.1+EDR. The new version brings about some improvements. First of all, the company has simplified recognition and connection process with Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. Thus the connection gets set up through fewer steps, at the same time it is secure.
The devices on the new Bluetooth specification consume less power and last 5 times as longer (maximum) – they are for example, mice, keyboards, various sensors and medical equipment. We expect early Bluetooth 2.1+EDR solutions by Broadcom, CSR, Infineon and Texas Instruments to appear later this year.
LG-KC1 communicator debuted in Korea
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LG Electronics has made a Korean release of its LG-KC1 communicator supporting WiBro (the Korean analog of WiMax). The device was initially introduced at KIS (Korea IT Show) this April. LG-KC1 is based on Marvell Monahans 800 MHz processor running on Windows Mobile 5.0. The sales have already started in Korea at 700000 Won (approx. $760).
The specs of LG-KC1:
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Krusell’s Top 10 in July
Krusell, the maker of carrying cases for portable electronics, has released its traditional top 10 of popular cell phones. The list is based on sales figures received over the month. This time Krusell has summed up the rating of July (the previous position in the brackets).
Top 10 July by Krusell:
1. (2) Nokia 6300
2. (1) Sony Ericsson K790i/K800i/K810i
3. (3) Nokia N95
4. (4) Nokia N73
5. (8) Sony Ericsson W880
6. (-) Blackberry RIM 8300 Curve
7. (5) Blackberry Pearl 8100C/G/V
8. (9) Nokia 6233/6234
9. (6) Sony Ericsson K750i/W700i/W800i
10. (-) Nokia 5500 Sport
We don’t see any serious moves in the top July: Nokia 6300 and Sony Ericsson K790i/K800i/K810i are still highly popular, they just exchanged their positions. The only newcomers to Top 10 July are Blackberry RIM 8300 Curve and Nokia 5500 Sport. Next month Krusell expects Sony Ericsson P1i smartphone to jump up in the rating.
Nokia to hold a major announcement on August 29 in London
But the rumor has it that on August 29 we will see a bunch of new smartphones - N95 8Gb edition, N81 and N82, Nokia 5200/5300 XpressMusic feature phones in black and the company's very own new online service that will allow to buy and upload music content. Supposedly, Nokia's music library will feature over a million tracks. Again, no official statement is available as of today - undoubtedly they will be raining down on August 29.
Glofiish X800 passes FCC trial
The Glofiish X800, which is a communicator, has made it through the FCC chambers - the device was first showcased earlier this year, in March. Some time later it won the "Best Choice" award at Computex 2007. The Glofiish X800's release was slotted for Q2 2007.
The communicator runs on Windows Mobile 6 Professional, supports four GSM/EDGE bands, as well as three WCDMA/HSDPA. Among its specifications are 2,8-inch touch-screen with VGA resolution, 0,3 Mpix camera for videoconferencing, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR wireless connectivity, FM-receiver and GPS-module powered by SiRF Star III chipset.
iTunes Store breaks the 3 billion mark
Apple has announced that its online iTunes Store has made it to the 3 billion sold-downloaded tracks watermark. According to the company's data, today the media library of iTunes features over 5 mln tracks, 550 TV shows and 500 movies.
Apart from that, as Apple claims, iTunes has recently outrun Amazon and Target, moving up to the place of the third largest music retailer in the US. The company assumes that podcasts, integration with the iPod and the iPhone, as well as price cuts for album purchases and other amenities have made for such stellar sales.
CES 2007 award winner BlueAnt Z9 released
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As the manufacturer claims, the Z9 is the skinniest headset available - weighing in at only 10 grams and measuring a diminutive 38 mm tall, it can also be clipped onto your clothes, when not in use. The BlueAnt Z9 provides up to 5,5 hours talk time and up to 200 hours standby time. Recommended retail price - 99,95 USD.
Samsung SGH-i620 to hit Europe in August
More details have been reported on the slider-type thumbboard-equipped smartphone - the Samsung SGH-i620. This device already made several appearances in our news block - for those who missed them, this is the successor to the SGH-i600. And now another bit of information on it - its European release is scheduled for August. It is already available for preorder from Expansys (online store) for 339,95 pounds (around 690 USD).
Here is the recently published spec sheet of the Samsung SGH-i620:
- GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900 MHz and UTMS/HSDPA connectivity
- Windows Mobile 6 Standard operating system
- 320x240-pixel display
- 64 Mb RAM, 128 Mb ROM
- microSD-slot
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0
- 2 Mpix camera
- Forward-facing VGA-camera
- Dimensions - 94,9x59,3x15,9 mm
- Weight - 105 g
GSA: six-fold increase in HSDPA-capable devices year on year
The GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association) survey, published on July 26th, 2007 confirms that 311 HSDPA-capable devices are launched in the market, which is over 6 times the number reported in a similar GSA survey one year ago (50 HSDPA devices, July 31, 2006). The number of suppliers increased from 16 to 71 in the same period.
The range of devices identified in GSA's survey addresses all market segments: 137 mobile phones 64 PC datacards (PC cards and embedded modules) 51 notebooks 32 Wireless Routers 23 USB modems 3 Personal Media Players with HSDPA-connectivity 1 camera with HSDPA-connectivity63 HSDPA devices support, or can be upgraded to, a high-speed downlink capability of 3.6 Mbps peak. 42 devices support, or can be upgraded to, a high-speed downlink capability of 7.2 Mbps peak. And at least 24 devices support, or can be upgraded for, HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), initially delivering 2.1 Mbps (peak) for the uplink direction.
Also, GSA recently reported that over half of all commercially launched HSDPA networks have also commercially launched GSM/EDGE for service continuity and the best user experience of mobile broadband services. Manufacturers are supporting this requirement, and the GSA survey confirms over 70% of HSDPA devices are multi-mode, supporting the GSM/EDGE functionality.
Nokia 52005300 XpressMusic
Justamp has unveiled images of Nokia 5200/5300 XpressMusic in a new color - unlike the original editions, these two are clad in black plastic. No word on the European release date as yet, however if this is a real deal, then Nokia might launched them on August 29, supposedly along with some additions to the N-series: 8-Gb N95, N81, N82 and others.
As you remember, Nokia 5200 and 5300 XpressMusic were inaugurated last fall - these are music-drive slider-type phones, originally offered in white casings with colour-accentuated insets.
More entry-level from Motorola
Motorola has put up images of six new entry-level phones on its official site, all coming from the W-series in candybar-type form-factor. Since there are no official technical specifications of these models given by Motorola, apart from the six photos, we can assume only one thing - three of them might well have bundled radio, while the other three handsets match their brothers in arms functionality-wise, yet have no radio module onboard..
Motorola W156: |
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Motorola W206: |
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Rumors: new HP offerings
The guys over at Ppcreviews have released some bits of information on the upcoming additions to HP's portfolio. The resource reports that new PDA, smartphones and communicators will run Windows Mobile 6, and supposedly arrive in the market in September. Earlier this year, in February, the company introduced its first 500-series offspring - HP iPAQ Voice Messenger smartphone.
As Ppcreviews puts it, the new range of HP-branded offerings includes:
- 100-series: replacement for the iPAQ rz1710, entry-level PDA that ditches phone functionality, offered at a very affordable price.
- 200-series: PDA with inbuilt GPS-receiver, comes in to replace the iPAQ rx57/59.
- 300-series: PDA, target mainly at mobile professionals, comes with VGA-display, replaces the iPAQ hx4700.
- 500-series: mid-range smartphones.
- 600-series: 3G-enabled communicators, coming with keypad and GPS functionality.
- 900-series: replaces the iPAQ hw6915, jam-packed with features - keyboard, Wi-Fi, GPS etc.
Nevertheless these are only rumors, no official confirmation has followed as of today.
First looks at Apple’s bluetooth headset…
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The Nokia BH-701 Bluetooth Headset
Is fairly unique when it comes to the norm of what bluetooth headsets look now days. The Nokia BH-701 features a stainless steel ear loop, and easy-to-use call handling features. The new Nokia Bluetooth Headset BH-701 also has a LED indicator which will indicate headset status with blue, gree and red colors. Check out a couple picture after the jump as well as its specifications.
Specifications:
Weight: 13.3 grams Dimensions: 55 x 14 x 10.7 mm Interfaces: Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR. Hands-free 1.5 (HFP) and Headset 1.1 (HSP) profiles. Talk time: Up to 6 hours Standby time: Up to 160 hours Battery: 75 mAh, Lithium-Ion Polymer
Future iPhones could share data over non-GSM channels
Future iPhones could utilize technology that converts text to voice messages and do so over voice channels instead of GSM. Such a system is described in a recently-published patent filed by Apple called "Multimedia data transfer for a personal communication device," which would essentially turn the mobile devices into walkie talkies for multimedia data. It could also serve to benefit users who are visually impaired by providing vocalized versions of the data being sent.
The patent specifies that the vocalization of the multimedia data wouldn't be done with the help of a backend server. Instead, it would be done locally on the sending device itself and then transmitted to the receiving device through a voice channel. This means that the devices could "talk" to each other without having to utilize cell minutes, like the walkie-talkie-like functionality (also known as "Push to Talk") already built into some cell phones. Once received, the data can then be converted into an audio signal, which the patent says would then be output through something like a speaker or headphones.
However, for those who prefer sending SMSes instead of making phone calls, a system that translates all text and multimedia data into voice output could be quite the turnoff. That's why Apple has specified that the receiving device can perform processing on the data once it's received, translating it back into a text or multimedia message if that's what the user specifies. The patent also says that the user can choose to receive "simple text messages" that would cause the full, vocalized message to be stored on the voicemail server with a simple notification of having received the data displayed on screen.
Apple notes that adding these options to cell phones or other communication devices would be "particularly well suited for people having visual problems or in those situations where viewing the data on a small display screen (typical of most personal communication devices) is problematic." Although cell phone screen readers already exist for the visually impaired, they are costly (several hundred dollars apiece) and the functionality doesn't come built into the devices themselves. Such a system would, at the very least, streamline the process of receiving text or multimedia data and translating it into vocalized form, and would (hopefully) cost significantly less.
However, the system would prove much more useful for that purpose if it could be utilized on all incoming data—not just data sent and received over the voice channel. Visually impaired people need to read their text messages that come through the cell network too, you know. And for the visually blessed among us, forget visual voicemail: how cool would it be to receive text message or e-mailed transcriptions of voicemail left on the server? Apple's patent opens up lots of possibilities for future iterations of the iPhone, but we're left to speculate on whether or not we will actually see them materialize.
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