All posts tagged "phones"
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Posted by Chris Gohlke in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 06:00 AM
http://www.myxlink.com/index.aspx
"The XLink family of products makes it possible to send and receive cell phones calls using regular telephones. No more searching for your cell phones, just use regular phones at home or in the office. The XLink can simultaneously connect to three different cell phones, one for each family member! As many regular telephones as desired can be plugged into the back of the XLink. Whenever any of the connected cell phones ring, all the telephones ring also! XLink can be used with or without landline phone service. Now you can decide whether or not to keep your landline. Either way - all your telephones can keep functioning!"
I can't wait for the day that I can finally get rid of my land line, but alas that is not in the foreseeable future. But once that does happen, devices like this are a great way of maintaining the convenience and utility of the phones already in your home. At $120 for the multi-line model, this device would pay for itself in a little more than 4 months of eliminated local phone service.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Posted by Pete Paxton in "THOUGHT" @ 04:15 PM
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7007940574
"London, England (AHN) - A Japanese study has found that people are now becoming dependent on computers and mobile phones, resulting in our brains being understimulated, which can cause severe memory problems. The study, carried out by a team of researchers at a Japanese university, says that in today's world, people's reliance on electronic devices for even the simplest tasks is dulling our minds. A recently released report says that in the United Kingdom, one fourth of the population doesn't know their phone numbers at home and about one third only knows and memorizes important anniversaries and birthdates. According to the study, thanks to the increasing use of computers to store information, adults in their 50s and 60s have better memory capacity rather than people in their 30s and below, who have grown up with computers and other devices."
I'd love your opinion on this one. I'm on the computer often and I don't feel I've had a loss of um, what's it called again? Oh yea, memory. What do you all think? Are computers, cell phones and other electronics dulling our memory and other senses? Is it true that 50 and 60 year olds have a better memory than people in their 30's? Do we rely on technology more than we should? I guess I'm a little on the fence on this one. I can see where our reliance on computers has given us less reason to use our memory. Rather than memorizing phone numbers, appointments, movie show times, and tasks, I rely on my phone to give me the information or remind me. Is that such a bad thing? Is my um, what's it called again? Oh yea, memory less effective because I don't use it more often? Let me hear from you. Ooops, gotta go, my Dash just reminded me it's garbage night! :lol:
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Posted by Jerry Raia in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 12:00 PM
http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=3394
"Speaking from the JPMorgan Technology Conference on Monday, Kodak President Antonio Perez has stated that the company will be bringing a 5MP CMOS camera sensor to Motorola handsets by the end of the year. "Our CMOS sensors have been well advancing for many years. And now we will have the ability to embed the sensor in the phone with all the richness we have with our imaging software. It will allow us to make the sensor, the most important part of the camera, able to manage the light, color, and the like," said Perez."
I wonder at what point the MP's won't make much difference anymore. The optics on most phones leave a lot to be desired. When you consider that a good camera lens can cost thousands of dollars, the little piece of plastic in the phone is kind of lacking.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Posted by Mike Temporale in "THOUGHT" @ 06:00 AM
http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=435742
"It's a sad reality. When a brand reaches a level of success, others will want to use said brand to sell their products. Take a look at the 777 and 1688. Microsoft's Luna theme features prominently in the "Window XP and Window Mobile" (sic) boot screens, and the 1688 goes the extra mile to have the "Pocket PC" and "Windows Mobile" names slapped all over its plastic shell. But don't let first impressions fool you. Both devices deliver a user experience that is quite unlike that delivered by the real Windows Mobile."
Darius post this over at Pocket PC Thoughts this morning, and I have to admit that I'm more than a little surprised. There's a fair amount of work in creating these fakes. Just imagine the confusion and problems this is going to cause when someone thinks they bought a legitimate device and then they can't install the applications or find any support on it. 8O
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Posted by Pete Paxton in "ARTICLE" @ 07:00 AM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070420/tc_nm/mobile_search_dc_1
"Mobile, mobile, mobile" were the words of Google Inc. Chief Executive Eric Schmidt this week when asked what technologies are most intriguing to the computer Web search leader. Google, which generates billions of dollars from online advertising, is racing to bring consumer services like search to the phone. Its rivals in this field include Yahoo Inc., which has made strides in the fast-emerging mobile Web market, and Microsoft Corp., which bought voice-recognition technology company Tellme Networks Inc. last month. "The biggest growth areas are clearly within the mobile space," Schmidt said during a question-and-answer session at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco.
It will be interesting to see where Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft are heading in the mobile search market. I already use Google for my internet searches, Yahoo for movie look ups and reviews, and Microsoft for directions using Live Search. The article states that the pace of innovations on the mobile phone was five to 10 times faster than the computer, and that these companies are in the earliest stages of upcoming search techniques. So what search tools do you use for your mobile phone and what do you think the future of "search" holds?
Monday, April 16, 2007
Posted by Rocco Augusto in "NEWS" @ 04:59 PM
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/04/16/rh_compo_i600/
"To enter the Reg Hardware Samsung i600 Competition, simply fill in the form below in full and click Send. The winners will be notified by email, so make sure you submit a legitimate email address. Multiple entries on any given day will be disqualified, but you're free to have a go on as many of the five days as you wish."
If you do not own a Samsung i600 or its Northern American sibling, the Samsung Blackjack, then this is your chance to pick one up! Entering the contest is simple and all you have to do is answer a couple of easy questions. If any members from our site happen to win one of these drool worthy devices, be sure to let us know! :)
Monday, March 26, 2007
Posted by Mike Temporale in "NEWS" @ 01:30 PM
"Here is the latest information regarding windows mobile 6.0 and the BlackJack. Samsung and Microsoft are submitting 6.0 software version to Cingular on May 26th. At that time Cingular has 8 weeks to review the OS and give approval. Given the approval all BlackJack from late July time frame going forward will come from the factory with the new 6.0 OS. Also at that time there will be a download for existing BlackJack users who want to upgrade via an Cingular/AT&T hosted website. So yes , given Cingular approval the BlackJack will support windows 6.0 OS."
Smartphone Thoughts reader, Foxbat121 has posted a copy of a letter sent from Samsungs National Accounts Manager that talks about the possibility of Cingular releasing a Windows Mobile 6 update for their 3 top selling phones. If you're questioning the validity of this post, then you might want to read a recent post over on Engadget Mobile that has the exact same information. It's starting to look very promising. I hope I can wait until July. :mrgreen:
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Posted by Kris Kumar in "ARTICLE" @ 10:30 AM
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/technology/12wireless.html?ex=1331352000&en=47357e14b56068aa&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
"Two operating systems run more than 95 percent of the world�s computers, but dozens of systems are behind the 2.5 billion mobile phones in circulation, a situation that has hampered the growth of new services, industry executives and independent specialists say. �There are too many operating systems already and more are coming on stream, making things complicated for smaller software companies,� said Tony Cripps, a senior analyst with the telecommunications consulting firm Ovum in London. Mobile phone carriers are watching with more than passing interest because the new applications they are counting on to increase revenue and profit may make it to only a limited number of phones as software developers struggle to keep up with the different operating systems. Having multiple systems is also time-consuming and costly for the carriers, which must configure the phones they sell."
New York Times has an interesting article [free subscription required] on how the carriers are trying to reduce the number of mobile operating systems they have to support on their networks. Vodafone has already narrowed it down to Microsoft�s Windows Mobile, Symbian Series 60 and Linux. The biggest benefit in doing so is the reduced support costs for the carriers, and the added advantage is that a fixed set of operating system choices encourages developers to add content and services. While I like the concept on paper, I am not so sure if the carriers will be able to pull it off. They may be able to accelerate the process of elimination of the weaklings, but don't you think that the operating systems need to fight it out in the market-space and get eliminated as part of the normal process of evolution of the mobile technology. I do not want the carriers to make the decision, I want the market to make the decision. What are your thoughts?
Sunday, March 4, 2007
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. :)
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Posted by Jerry Raia in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 12:00 PM
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/biz/200702/kt2007022618503411870.htm
"Samsung SDI has developed the slimmest liquid crystal display (LCD) for mobile phones, breaking the record set by its sister firm Samsung Electronics only three months ago. The display maker said the new prototype module is only 0.74 millimeters thick, while Samsung Electronics� product is 0.82 millimeters. SDI also said it will start mass-producing a 1.9-millimeter-thick LCD module from the second quarter of the year, which is also the slimmest among commercially available ones. The 1.9-millimeter module will fit into Samsung Electronics� ``Ultra Edition II�� series which is scheduled to hit the market this spring. The 0.74-millimeter version is to be equipped in Samsung�s next-generation phones, the company said."
I wonder at what point the phones get so slim that they become too fragile. Imagine trying to tuck a folded piece of paper between your ear and your shoulder. :lol:
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Posted by Kris Kumar in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 06:30 AM
http://mphone-pr.blogspot.com/2007/02/chocolate-perfume-champagne-and-mobile.html
"New research suggests that, while women think mobiles are good gifts, woe betide the man that gives one on February 14. Research produced by online mobile phone retailer mPhone.co.uk has shown that women value a mobile phone as gift a more highly than men do. The research shows that this is true on birthdays, at Christmas and on most other occasions, but just not on Valentine�s Day! Although the survey says that 54% of women think a phone is a good gift for a partner at any time of year, only 16.7% of women believe a mobile is a good gift on February 14. However, more than twice as many separated people than married people think a partner might like to un-wrap a mobile on Valentine�s Day."
This is a must read article for everyone who is planning for Valentine's day. This day created by the greeting card companies creates a major havoc for guys and girls around the world. There is not much time left for this year and I haven't planned anything yet. :oops: What about you? Got any tips? I know you wouldn't want to spill the beans on any surprises you are planning but I am sure you wouldn't mind telling us
what not to do. :lol:
Monday, January 29, 2007
Posted by Jerry Raia in "NEWS" @ 07:30 AM
http://www.mobilitysite.com/2007/01/one_billion_mobile_phones_shipped_in_200.php
"Can you really imagine one billion mobile phones shipped? According to the IDC (IDC is owned by International Data Group, which also owns Computerworld.), 2006 was a record year for mobile phone shipments in which for the first time over 1 billion units were shipped! Amazing! This was largely due to a strong 4th quarter where 294.4 million units were shipped. That's a lot of RAZR's for Christmas! But the truth of the growth is coming from developing nations in Asia. China alone fueled a great deal of the growth by contributing over "461.1 million mobile phone subscribers, adding 67.7 million new users during the year"."
I wonder how many of them were pink. :lol:
Friday, January 5, 2007
Posted by Jerry Raia in "NEWS" @ 03:00 PM
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/01/05/mobile-phones-to-adopt-smaller-micro-usb-connector/
"Just when you think another protocol change couldn't possibly surface and force you to purchase more adapters in order to operate your gadgets, it does. Sure enough, the USB Implementers Forum has recently announced that we loyal consumers will all be shelling out a few extra bucks as new mobile handsets, PDAs, and digital cameras adopt a new, smaller "micro-USB" adapter for syncing / charging."
Apparently this is not the adapter we have already seen on the likes of the 3125 but I'm not sure. From the article it looks like something we are going to see. There is no point lamenting this. Even though the three (so far) SD card formats made us huff and puff, we all ran out and bought them anyway. I have dealt the music buttons. Together we will get through this!
Friday, December 15, 2006
Posted by Jerry Raia in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 12:00 PM
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20061213PR201.html
"Mobile phones have emerged as the single largest market for image sensors, surpassing the entire consumer electronics segment to become the main application for both charge-coupled device (CCD) and CMOS image sensors, according to iSuppli...In 2005, 199 million image sensors were sold for all other applications outside of mobile phones, including digital still cameras. By 2010, this disparity will grow more, with nearly 1.2 billion sensors shipped for mobile handsets and slightly less than 350 million shipped for other applications."
Even though they keep putting the cameras in the phones, the usage isn't all that high. The article points out lower usage because of image quality and ease of use. I find ease of use to be the big one in my book. Usually the camera in my phone gets activated by accident because the button is usually located in a ridiculous place. Once you have the picture taken, if you really wanted to take one, you then have to figure out how to get it someplace. I have found myself fumbling though menus and finally just looking for the "exit" on the menu. You are all laughing now because there is no "exit" in any phone camera menu is there?
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Posted by Rocco Augusto in "NEWS" @ 03:05 PM
http://www.mobilewhack.com/reviews/movidity_announces_movytv_-_youtube_for_cell_phones.html
"Say hello to YouTube for mobiles. Movidity announced movy.tv, the world's first mobile video sharing site. Streaming of on-demand media will be made available to compatible mobile devices across the globe through the website."
Now we can all watch the blind folded pianist on the go! :lol:
Thursday, November 9, 2006
Posted by Jerry Raia in "ARTICLE" @ 02:00 PM
http://news.com.com/2300-1041_3-6133409-1.html?tag=ne.gall.pg
"If the BlackBerry debacle taught us anything, it's how much we depend on devices to stay in touch with the office, get work done on the road, obtain news and more. Smart phones have changed the way we work, so no longer are we slaves to our desks. So which models make the best business associates? A number of qualified candidates are out there, but these are our six favorites."
Well if this article illustrates nothing else it's that no one yet knows what a Smartphone is. There are only two Smartphones amongst the six. By the way, for all you Dash drooling types, yes it made it on the list. :wink:
Thursday, November 2, 2006
Posted by Kris Kumar in "ARTICLE" @ 07:15 AM
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/0,39050603,39302577,00.htm
"Smart phones--they're a great concept. Combined are the powers of a cell phone and a PDA in one unit, letting you make calls, send e-mail, and work on documents without myriad gadgets; yet, these devices haven't exactly taken off. Why? Form factor may be one of the main reasons. To date, smart phones typically have been clunky and heavy, making them unattractive substitutes for your primary cell phone. However, things are looking up. Take these five smart phones, which are compact and pocketable yet don't sacrifice important features, such as wireless connectivity and PIM functionality. Read our reviews to see if one of these compact and light smart phones is right for you."
I agree with CNET Asia that Smartphones used to be bulky and the form-factor was not consumer friendly, but that has now changed. Check out this article by CNET Asia that is comparing five compact smart phones and included in the list is Dopod S300 aka HTC Star Trek.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Posted by Rocco Augusto in "NEWS" @ 11:40 AM
http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2006/10/013857.htm
"
According to Cellular News, jeans clothing firm, Levi Strauss has announced plans to launch a range of branded mobile phones and accessories, under the Levi's brand label in 2007. 'The company says that, drawing its inspiration from the iconic roots of the Levi's brand, the collection will be a youthful and sexy take on the brand heritage: denim, rivets and the arcuate...' Back in 2002, Levi Strauss launched "a pair of jeans which came with a radiation shield in the pockets to 'protect" cellphone owners should they put their phone in the pockets.'"
I'm still trying to get over the fact that they released a pair of jeans with a radiation shield built in. :lol:
Friday, September 22, 2006
Posted by Jerry Raia in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 10:00 AM
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/09/21/microsoft-hooks-up-nokia-phones-with-live-search/
"We, of course, can't speak for Yahoo -- but if we had to guess, we'd imagine they're at least a little bit perturbed at Nokia right about now. Just under two weeks after announcing a partnership with the search company to include Yahoo! Search in its Mobile Search application, Nokia's now announced a similar deal with Microsoft, which'll see Windows Live Search find a home alongside Yahoo in the mobile search platform."
They are talking here about a built in application as opposed to a web browser search. This is supposedly faster than using a web browser search. I have said this a few times, Windows Live is going to show up everywhere. I could swear I saw it in my cereal this morning. :)
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Posted by Jerry Raia in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 07:00 PM
http://www.msmobilenews.com/page/1446/
"Sandisk have announced a 4GB, that's right, 4GB miniSDHC memory card, the HC stands for High Capacity. With memory cards expanding in size all of the time Windows Mobile Pocket PCs and Smartphones truly are becoming the convergance device of choice! Now for a device that supports the format...!"
I never get jaded by these things. Many years ago I paid about $2000 for a 40mb hard drive from HP. OK it was many many years ago. It was as big as two shoe boxes taped together. Look at where we are now! I love this stuff. :)
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