Modu mystery unravelled, look ma, a modular handset
By Sean Cooper 
posted Feb 7th 2008 12:01AM
posted Feb 7th 2008 12:01AM
Mystery solved, modu is of course, a modular cellular handset -- the answer was in the name the whole time, clever. The fun begins with the idea that the actual handset can be slipped into "modu jackets" which let users completely change the look of their handset without having to replace it -- we see the potential for way too much glittery gem-encrusted foolishness here. The other half of the deal is slapping the modu into different modu-enabled consumer electronics, or "modu mates" -- think car stereos, photo frames, DAPs, and whatever else you can dream up. If we were betting types, we think modu is on to something pretty interesting here, and it seems with likes of Blaupunkt, Universal Music, and SanDisk already onboard, the Q4 launch might prove to be something special. We don't have any pics showing detail or any technical specs handy just now, but rest assured, we're going to be all over them at Mobile World Congress for more info.
Tic-Tac-Toe anyone ?
The only winning move is not to play.
More like Merlin...
http://www.handheldmuseum.com/ParkerBros/Merlin.htm
It's already obsolete.
Is not.
How many adapters is this thing going to need? The video is just a mockup that looks like it could use the mini usb, but who knows? You'll have to buy new everything just to get full functionality. New car, new computer, new alarm clock, new stereo, etc... Day 0 adopters will end up with an obsolete model and form factor inside a month when the company sees it got in over its head. I'm all for swappability, but this thing is not that.
Nuh uhh.
"The other half of the deal is slapping the modu into different modu-enabled consumer electronics, or "modu mates" -- think car stereos, photo frames, DAPs, and whatever else you can dream up."
This is really cool, I just hope that it's used to its' full potential. I've been making designs in my head for a last.fm car client for the past year or so, this could actually pull it off well.
BTW, this device is made by the same guy who invented thumb drives before they were sold to SanDisk.
You can already 'plug' phones into different devices... it's called Bluetooth, I think...
bluetooth is different to this, bluetooth just connects them together, like with the music player or car kit. but if this actually plugs into your car radio then you wont have to worry about pairing them, you can get different covers for the phone which we have now so nothing new, but if you could add different functions to the phone eg gps for when your driving, or an improved camera as they get better then that would be sweet
Owning a single device that contains all my important data and goes with me from the car to the home to the office is fantastic Idea. I need that convergence, plus it's backed by some of the biggest names in the business!
So, this is something like transformer kind of things? However, unless modu could do its design in a more creative and innovative way, it could be just another China-made products.
I love this idea, and I've recently given away almost all of my tech, so this would be PERFECT for me. Only thing I ask is that they make a phone module that has a querty keyboard...
they do check their website to see some concept jackets
www.modumobile.com
What this allows for, for better or worse, is for high end fashion designers to take off the shelf parts and make their own phones.
Phones are, in the end, as much a fashion accessory as they are communication devices. If the modu devices work decently, then why wouldn't you want a different cellphone to match every purse.
This may not be hot with any of you, but to the 9th graders, this is going to be mad hot.
So rather than buying a new phone every couple years as technology evolves I just need ot buy a new car, computer, toaster over... to play nice with this thing.
I think that this is brilliant, except that you would have to carry around the jackets with it. I would just get the bike GPS, media mate, and modu executive shown on http://www.modumobile.com and be fine with that. Much easier then having to haul around a full laptop everywhere. This phone was designed so that you wouldn't have 400 features that you don't need, just put in a jacket with the features you need right then. I would give it a 4/5