Smartphone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

Sunday, March 4, 2007

PC World: Cell Phones from 3GSM - Best in Show

Posted by Kris Kumar in "ARTICLE" @ 05:30 PM

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,129362-page,1-c,cellphones/article.html

"Seeing the fancy new phones at last month's 3GSM trade show--one of the biggest mobile phone conferences in the world--was exciting, overwhelming, and exhausting. What's more, the show was held in Barcelona, where I could have spent days admiring Gaudi architecture, feasting on tapas, and sipping Cava. But the trip was all about business, so I quickly went to work checking out the latest wares from HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and many other players in the mobile phone industry. ... The HTC S710 (code-named Vox) has a secret: Beneath its simple, candybar-style facade is a handy, slide-out keyboard. For phone calls you hold the phone vertically, with the keyboard tucked in. When you want to use the keyboard, you slide out the bottom half of the phone and hold it horizontally. With the keyboard in use, the 2.4-inch screen automatically shifts to landscape mode."



PC World columnist Grace Aquino has put together an article describing the best and the most promising cell phones that she saw during her trip to the 3GSM conference. Among the models selected by the PC World columnist, I feel that the Moto Rizr Z8 has the most innovative and creative design but it is the HTC S710 (Vox) that has the most practical design. What do you think? I am sure by now, like me, you are sick and tired of praising the form-factor of this smart phone, and just want HTC to end the torture and release this (above) Standard device in the market. :)

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Sunday, February 18, 2007

3GSM LIVE: i-mate To Unwire Multimedia For Windows Mobile With i-mate Xstream

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "NEWS" @ 12:58 PM

http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=3639

"During the 3GSM World Congress, i-mate previewed its next product-line which unwires multimedia from the Windows Vista Media Center PC. This new service gives the i-mate Ultimate users access to the Windows Vista Media by either being connected through a home W-LAN or any other broadband connection. The new i-mate Ultimate devices can be enhanced with an i-mate self-developed server/client solution which gives full access to all media files on a compatible (i-mate) Media Center PC. If you know Orb or the Slingbox - you know the potential this solution has since it includes access to recorded TV shows as well as access to live TV, video and audio files as well as photos"



While there are no Windows Mobile Standard (Smartphone) devices in the i-mate Ultimate lineup, that could change in the future! Even if a Windows Mobile Standard device is never a part of the lineup, I still would like to take this time to point out that what i-mate is doing here is exactly what the industry needs! While there are still some of us that feel business and pleasure should be separated, I love the idea of having access to my media at all times! Personally, I'm surprised that Microsoft hasn't already developed their own software solution to let users tap into their media on the go.

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Friday, February 16, 2007

The 3GSM Roundup

Posted by Darius Wey in "NEWS" @ 06:00 AM

This year's 3GSM was definitely a special one. We witnessed the public unveiling of Windows Mobile 6, along with a dozen or so devices running it - and it was a lot to digest in one sitting. So to help you stay on top of the announcements, we've rounded them up and packaged them into some link love available after the break. Windows Mobile 6 and Windows Live for Windows MobilePocket PC Thoughts | Smartphone Thoughts - Microsoft Unveils Windows Mobile 6Pocket PC Thoughts | Smartphone Thoughts - Windows Mobile 6 ScreenshotsPocket PC Thoughts | Smartphone Thoughts - Windows Mobile 6 Conference Call NotesPocket PC Thoughts - Windows Mobile 6 Review RoundupPocket PC Thoughts - WM6's New Versions: Classic, Standard and ProfessionalPocket PC Thoughts - WM6's Much-Improved Remote Desktop MobilePocket PC Thoughts - Microsoft Officially Unveils WM6, With New Portal Page and PRSmartphone Thoughts - Microsoft Officially Announces Windows Mobile 6 and Good News for the Dash OwnersPocket PC Thoughts - Jason Langridge on Windows Mobile 6Pocket PC Thoughts | Smartphone Thoughts - on10.net: Derek Snyder Talks Windows Mobile 6Pocket PC Thoughts | Smartphone Thoughts - Video of Windows Mobile 6 Business User FeaturesPocket PC Thoughts | Smartphone Thoughts - Crunchgear's Windows Mobile 6 VideoPocket PC Thoughts - Microsoft Releases Live Search for MobileSmartphone Thoughts - Windows Live for Smartphone ReleasedPocket PC Thoughts | Smartphone Thoughts - Microsoft Announces Windows Live for Windows MobileAsusPocket PC Thoughts - Asus P526 Runs Windows Mobile 6Pocket PC Thoughts - Asus P735 Greets Windows Mobile 6Smartphone Thoughts - Asus Joins Smartphone Ranks with Aries QWERTY SmartphoneBenQ-SiemensSmartphone Thoughts - BenQ & Siemens Display Stylish Windows Mobile SmartphoneGigabytePocket PC Thoughts - Gigabyte Announces the GSmart q60 and t600Pocket PC Thoughts - More on the Gigabyte GSmart q60 and t600HPSmartphone Thoughts - HP Announces iPAQ Voice Messenger SmartphoneSmartphone Thoughts - HP iPAQ 510 Voice Messenger Reviewed by LAPTOP MagazineHTCSmartphone Thoughts - HTC Makes Vox Smartphone OfficialPocket PC Thoughts | Smartphone Thoughts - HTC Reveals Q1 2007 Lineupi-matePocket PC Thoughts - i-mate Announces Ultimate Series; Geeks Cry Tears of JoyPocket PC Thoughts - All Five i-mate Ultimate Devices RevealedPocket PC Thoughts - But Wait, There's More: i-mate Ultimate In Bed with VistaPocket PC Thoughts - More JAQ Than We Can Handle: i-mate Announces the JAQ4Pocket PC Thoughts - i-Mate JAQ3 To Get WM6 UpgradeSmartphone Thoughts - i-mate Adds a Colorful Splash to SPL SmartphonesLenovoPocket PC Thoughts - Lenovo Unveils New Windows Mobile Devices at 3GSMSmartphone Thoughts - Lenovo Joins the Windows Mobile WorldLGPocket PC Thoughts - LG Electronics To Introduce Windows Mobile DevicesPocket PC Thoughts - Photos of LG Prada / LG KE850 Running Windows Mobile 6MotorolaSmartphone Thoughts - Motorola Makes it a Double with Q9 and Q GSMSmartphone Thoughts - MobileBurn Gets Hands On with Motorola Q q9PalmPocket PC Thoughts - Palm Treo 750 Spotted Running Windows Mobile 6ToshibaSmartphone Thoughts - Toshiba Shows Off Slider SmartphonePocket PC Thoughts - Toshiba Returning With A Bang!Pocket PC Thoughts - Toshiba G900's WVGA Display in PicturesPocket PC Thoughts - More Details and Pics of the Toshiba G9003GSMPocket PC Thoughts - Tune In: Microsoft Press Conference Webcast (3GSM)Phone Scoop - 3GSM 2007

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Thursday, February 15, 2007

3GSM 2007: Part 1

Posted by Rocco Augusto in "NEWS" @ 10:00 AM

http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/3gsm_2007/

"Motorola made a dizzying number of announcements here at 3GSM this year, although the only new phone clearly headed for US shores is the awkwardly-named "MOTOQ q9". Since it is so awkwardly named, we're just going to call it the "Q9", Motorola brand police(TM) be damned. Since we are talking about the successor to the original Q, (the Q1, if you will,) Q2 would have probably been the most sensible name. Perhaps Motorola thought it would be too freaky to say 'the Q2 is coming in Q2.'"



Phone Scoop has some fantastic photos that were taken during their coverage of 3GSM this year. During Part 1 of their coverage we get a glimpse of two upcoming Windows Mobile Standard handsets, the HTC Vox and Motorola Q q9. Phone Scoop was also nice enough to give us a 5:18 video preview of Windows Mobile 6 in action! It is times like these that I almost wish I owned a T-Mobile Dash. ;)

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Monday, February 12, 2007

3GSM - Lenovo Joins the Windows Mobile World

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 09:00 AM

Lenovo made a name for themselves when they purchased IBMs hardware line and it appears they�re not going to just sit back and ride on that one move. Lenovo has announced a couple of Windows Mobile devices. The Smartphone is dressed much like the popular ThinkPad line � all black. It�s a pretty nice look, if you ask me. I haven�t been able to locate any specs on this guy yet, but I will let you know as soon as we get more info. :mrgreen:

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3GSM � Motorola Makes it a Double with Q9 and Q GSM

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 08:45 AM

Motorola makes a move to prevent being left behind in the exploding QWERTY market for Windows Mobile Smartphones. They have announced the GSM Q, which we knew about for a long time now, and the Q9 � a smaller, tighter packed version of the Q. The Q9 sports HSDPA, a USB2 connection and 256MB of onboard memory! Finally you�ll be able to transfer music to your phone quickly and easily. The Q GSM is pretty much a clone of the CDMA version from what I can tell. I�ll update this shortly with more info and press release links. Update: You can read all the details in Motorola's press releaseUpdate 2: Sorry - it looks like I got the name wrong. It's actually called Q q9 and not just Q9 as I had stated. Me thinks someone needs to talk with Moto about cool names and version numbers. :roll:

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3GSM � Asus Joins Smartphone Ranks with Aries QWERTY Smartphone

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 08:15 AM

Another new player in the Smartphone arena � Asus has announced a QWERTY based Windows Mobile Smartphone. It looks to be a little thicker than some of the other keyboard devices on the market today. Hopefully it will make up for that when we see more info on the specs of the device. I like the keypad layout and the space between the keys. There are a number of pictures below, including a comparison photo with some of the new Pocket PCs that Asus has also announced.

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3GSM � BENQ & Siemens Display Stylish Windows Mobile Smartphone

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 07:40 AM

Here�s an announcement that I�m sure not many of us expected. In fact, I didn�t even see this one coming. BENQ & Siemens managed to keep their lips tied on this Smartphone. I wonder why other companies can�t manage to do that? ;) Anyway, it�s all good. Check out this style on this Smartphone � nice and slim, sporting a cool red strip. What�s not to like? Once we get some more details on the specs we�ll post it here for everyone to enjoy.

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3GSM � HTC Makes Vox Smartphone Official

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 07:00 AM

It very well may be the worst kept secret from HTC in a while. The Vox Smartphone that we�ve seen so much about for the last couple months has been officially announced by HTC at 3GSM. I�m really surprised to see how thin this device actually is. I was expecting it to be considerably larger � like the Wizard is. Check out the images below and you�ll see a couple of comparison shots with the Dash. Let us know if you�re still onboard for this device. Or are your hanging on for one of the other cool Smartphones that have been announced?

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3GSM � Toshiba Shows Off Slider Smartphone

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 01:15 AM

Shown beside it�s Pocket PC brother, Toshiba shows off it�s hot new Slider styled Smartphone at 3GSM. This is the first Smartphone device from Toshiba and you have to admit, it�s a great start! I think we�ve all been asking for some fresh new designs and Toshiba has certainly answered that with this device. I don�t have the exact specs at this time, but we�ll add them once we know some more. Click on the pictures to see a larger image and don�t forget to share your thoughts with us! I know that I�m very interested to see how this device stacks up. :D

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Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Boingo Wireless and Partners Showcase Dual Mode Smartphone at 3GSM

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 10:16 AM

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Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Ballmer Announces New Live TV Service with BT and Virgin Mobile at 3GSM Keynote

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 07:30 AM

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/feb06/02-143GSMKeyNotePR.mspx

" Unveiling a new TV service for mobile phones and a new unified communications solution for mobile devices, Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer today introduced several innovative solutions and strategies that will generate more revenue opportunities for mobile operators and provide compelling benefits for subscribers. ...He also showed off a new live TV service introduced by Virgin Mobile and BT Movio powered by Microsoft for Windows Mobile � -based Smartphones, and the new sync center for mobile devices in Windows Vista�, the new Windows � operating system debuting later this year. Ballmer also shared the first public demonstration of how Windows Live�, the recently introduced set of personal Internet services and software, will extend from the PC and Internet to mobile devices, and highlighted how leading mobile operators are using other innovative mobile services to attract new customers and build subscriber loyalty."


Figure 1: The new Smartphone for Virgin Mobile and the BT Movio service.

I watched today's keynote via Microsoft's webcast and unfortunately, the video was pretty bad. Sorry, I wasn't able to get a better screen capture. :(
Steve Ballmer made many announcements this morning at 3GSM, including a new ad campaign for Windows Mobile, a new live TV service from Virgin and BT Movio for mobile devices. The picture above is the phone Virgin will be using for this service. I didn't catch who manufactured the device, but it's running Windows Mobile 5 and has a dedicated button on the right that launches the live TV service.


Figure 2: The Hump twins show off Microsofts new Blue Rendezvous technology

Blue Rendezvous is a new Bluetooth management tool that allows you to quickly and easily setup Bluetooth connections. They did a quick little demo and it was pretty cool to see how quickly the phones found each other and transfered files.

Steve also talked about the licensing of ActiveSync protocols to Sony Ericsson and Nokia to allow those devices to connect to the PC and sync with Outlook and Exchange even though they don't run Windows Mobile.

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Sunday, February 12, 2006

3GSM 2006: Microsoft Announces Global Partner Support for its Mobile Messaging Solutions

Posted by Kris Kumar in "NEWS" @ 10:05 PM

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/feb06/02-12GlobalPartnerSupportPR.mspx

"Today at 3GSM World Congress 2006, Microsoft Corp. and its mobile operator and device-maker partners announced a broad range of services and Windows Mobile�-based devices for business customers to cost-effectively deploy mobile messaging solutions. Leveraging the integration between Direct Push technology in Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 and Microsoft� Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2), businesses can mobilize their employees on a unified infrastructure without the requirement to pay for additional and costly e-mail servers. This same technology is now available for Microsoft Windows� Small Business Server and is also offered as a hosted service by a number of mobile operators around the world."



I have summarized the key points mentioned in this press release:
� Palm Inc., i-Mate, Cingular Wireless, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone will provide free upgrades to the MSFP for all their Windows Mobile 5.0 customers, enabling Direct Push functionality and providing enhanced device management and security for messaging applications.
� The HP iPAQ hw6900 Mobile Messenger, the Gigabyte Communications g-Smart, the ASUS P305 3G-enabled Smartphone, and the Fujitsu Siemens FS Pocket Loox will ship with the MSFP. :-)
� HTC Corp. has unveiled a new product portfolio of Windows Mobile-based devices that are Direct Push-enabled and will be made available globally to T-Mobile and other operators beginning in the second quarter of this year.
� The Cingular 2125 Smartphone and 8100 series Pocket PCs will receive the MSFP update in the first half of this year.
� T-Mobile has announced upgrades to MSFP for Windows Mobile 5.0-based devices in its European network portfolio. Folks in the Netherlands should check this related press release.
� Associated Press has published a nice write-up on why this partnership between Microsoft, and the carriers and the device manufacturers spells trouble for BlackBerry.

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Asus P305 Smartphone has been Sighted at the 3GSM World Congress 2006

Posted by Kris Kumar in "HARDWARE" @ 06:00 PM

Earlier while reporting the Asus P305 press release we were not sure if it is a Smartphone or a Pocket PC Phone edition. Our readers will be happy to know that the Asus P305 is a Smartphone and the folks who have been waiting for a new clam-shell Smartphone will be very pleased to see this one. :) Asus P305 a Smartphone that supports 3G. Click on the image for the hi-res version (359KB) of the photograph.Check out the keypad, it looks like there are some dedicated buttons for the pIE browser, IM and possibly contacts. I like the layout of buttons on the keypad. What are your thoughts?

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Asus P305 Smartphone has been Sighted at the 3GSM World Congress 2006

Posted by Kris Kumar in "HARDWARE" @ 06:00 PM

Earlier while reporting the Asus P305 press release we were not sure if it is a Smartphone or a Pocket PC Phone edition. Our readers will be happy to know that the Asus P305 is a Smartphone and the folks who have been waiting for a new clam-shell Smartphone will be very pleased to see this one. :) Asus P305 a Smartphone that supports 3G. Click on the image for the hi-res version (359KB) of the photograph.Check out the keypad, it looks like there are some dedicated buttons for the pIE browser, IM and possibly contacts. I like the layout of buttons on the keypad. What are your thoughts?

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Friday, February 18, 2005

Laptop Magazine: 3GSM World Conference Coverage

Posted by Mike Temporale in "ARTICLE" @ 06:30 AM

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Wednesday, February 16, 2005

3GSM Pictures From Engadget

Posted by Mike Temporale in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 07:00 AM

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000150031804/

Engadget has posted some pictures from the 3GSM conference. I think the most interesting picture is this rear view mirror. It has Bluetooth speaker phone built right in! :D

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Thursday, February 3, 2005

Take The Action Engine Challenge At 3GSM World Conference

Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 12:15 PM

http://www.actionengine.com/News/releaseDetails.asp?prID=92

"Shattering the mobile usability barrier, Action Engine Corporation, the mobile application platform leader, today announced the Action Engine Challenge and free smartphone giveaways among several promotions to be offered at the 3GSM World Congress being held in Cannes, France from February 14-17, 2005. The no-risk promotions are intended to make it easier than ever for mobile device users to test drive the Action Engine Mobile Application Platform(tm) and its Brand-n-Go(tm) applications. "Action Engine makes bold claims regarding the highly intuitive, responsive, and personalized mobile applications running on our platform," said Scott G. Silk, president and CEO of Action Engine. "This show is our opportunity to prove our speed and ease of use to some of the world's most sophisticated mobile users.""



Action Engine is also giving away 20 Smartphones over the course of the 3GSM conference. You must be wearing an Action Engine sticker, and of course, be at the conference. :wink: Is anyone here planning to attend?

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Tuesday, March 9, 2004

The Feature's 3GSM Wrap-Up

Posted by Jason Dunn in "ARTICLE" @ 11:24 AM

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Sunday, February 22, 2004

3GSM Photo Blog

Posted by Robert Levy in "SITES & RESOURCES" @ 10:24 AM

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