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The Seoulllll e-Traaaaain!
Ok, it's only a temporary gig but check out the "Sens e-train" offered to Seoul's subway jockeys over the next few days. The kids at Samsung and Korea Telecoms have fitted two cars from Seoul's number 2 line train with a dozen WiBro-enabled Samsung Q45 laptops and Q1 Ultra UMPCs. The hippest trip in S.Korea is operational (and free) from 1100 to 1700 daily until August 19th. We're just wondering what's more impressive: high-speed data while blasting along the underground rails or the lack of any visible organic excretions in a subway car. Either way, there's no chance in hell of this working in New York City.
LG lets loose WiBro-equipped LG-KC1 in Korea
We've known this gem was looming, but word on the street has the LG-KC1 finally hitting the hands of eager South Koreans. Amongst the niceties are a potent 806MHz Marvell Monahans CPU, 512MB of NAND Flash ROM, 128MB of SDRAM, WiBro connectivity, T-DMB mobile TV, integrated Bluetooth, a two-megapixel camera, and a 2.8-inch QVGA screen to boot. Unfortunately, it looks like this otherwise fantastically spec'd device is still running Windows Mobile 5 from yesteryear, and of course, the chances of it ever making it to US soil in the near future are essentially nil. Regardless, feel free to click on through for another picture if you enjoy the tease.
Posdata employee tried to sell WiBro secrets to US
While it may look easy (and astonishingly lucrative) to pull a case of high-stakes espionage, one South Korean and three US-based individuals are learning the hard way that crime doesn't pay. The Seoul Central Prosecutors Office is accusing an unnamed employee of Posdata Co., a developer of WiBro, "of sending email with proprietary information to three former employees who live in the US." Additionally, it was suggested that the trade secrets (which cost about $95 million to fully develop) were being offered up "for around $190 million" to an unnamed US company. All in all, four culprits were arrested in the ordeal, and while "some data" was transferred, the boys in blue caught on and stopped the gig before any major secrets were divulged. Should've tried the bag drop method, eh?
Samsung's Mobile WiMax MITs devices go live in S.Korea
As if you weren't already feeling cheated by your data plan, Samsung comes along and launches a few Mobile WiMax MITs (Mobile Intelligent Terminal) devices in S.Korea: their SPH-M8100 WinMo 6.0 cellphone and SPH-P9000 (pictured) all-out convergence thingamajig. That's right, 12Mbps or about 2-3Mbps when traveling up 120-KPH (75-MPH). While the Mobile WiMax (or WiBro as it's hailed in its Korean home) service isn't country-wide yet, Korea Telecom's offering does cover the 10M+ people scooting about Seoul and its southern suburbs including 17 universities and 4 subway lines. How S.Korea pulled a 19 ranking on the technology superpower list still has us scratching our heads.
Samsung's SPH-M8100: another hi-spec MITs WiBro handheld
This isn't the first time we've seen Samsung's SPH-M8100. Remember, this is that crazy WiBro (mobile WiMax) phone sporting a dedicated RSS key (upper-right button on that Korean keypad). Only now, it's been slightly retooled for its official Korean launch. Besides the facelift, it appears unchanged spec-wise as a member of Sammy's elite MITs (Mobile Intelligent Terminal) family of devices. So it still packs the latest CDMA and EV-DO radios and DMB mobile television only now wrapped up in a pretty Windows Mobile 6.0 interface. Bluetooth, 2.8-inch display, and 2 megapixel camera still come standard. With any luck, we might see this rollout on Sprint's WiMAX network someday, somewhere. Yeah, right.
Samsung Q2 UMPC revealed!
So check it: every so often we find a juicy tip in our inbox, and today we sure got a doozy. One of our faithful readers -- who prefers to remain anonymous -- has sent in several slides featuring Samsung's followup to the Q1 UMPC, the Q2. While some of the specs appear to be identical to the beefed-up Q1P -- like the 7-inch touchscreen, 1GB of RAM, and 60GB hard drive -- other features, along with a revised form factor, are completely new to a model that we expect to be unveiled almost a year to the day after its predecessor, at CeBIT 2007. According to the PowerPoint presentation which you can view in the gallery below, the Q2 will sport an unknown Intel (not Via) CPU running Vista Home Premium, a 1,024 x 600 WSVGA resolution (no 800 x 600 here), two digital cameras (1.3 megapixel for "photography" and 0.3 megapixel for videoconferencing), and a fingerprint scanner. Most exciting, though, are your connectivity and input options; the Q2 tacks on a much-needed, albeit split QWERTY keyboard and -- get this -- Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi (802.11b/g), HSDPA, and WiBro. Yes, you read that right: three completely separate ways to get your 'net on. So for those of you who had given up hope on the UMPC platform following a disappointing first round of devices, Samsung has returned with an even more compelling product -- and by the time we start seeing those Viennagami machines, we suspect they'll have gotten it just right.%Gallery-1955%
KT's iPlug brings WiBro / HSDPA to Korean USB ports
C'mon, you knew all those other telecommunications outfits in Korea wouldn't just sit around and let SK Telecom have all the WiBro fun, and while KT's WiBro-equipped NT-Q35 is fine and dandy for those needing a new machine, the company's latest offering is aimed at the ever-lucrative upgrader. The completely-not-DAP-related iPlug Premium will unsurprisingly offer up the same WiBro / HSDPA connectivity that existing alternatives already do, but the firm still insists on calling it the "world's first dual-mode USB modem." Of course, users lucky enough to be hovering in WiBro hotspots will enjoy even faster speeds than those poor souls that are forced to live with "just" HSDPA, and if all goes to plan, it'll be available for South Koreans on March 5th. Currently, the pricing structure looks to offer at least one flat-fee option and a based-on-usage plan as well, but potentially even more interesting than how much these luxuries will add to your monthly bill is the note that the company is already looking to kick out "various handsets" that simultaneously support NesPot and DMB after this. We dig the forward the forward thinking, KT. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]
Samsung WiBro handset sports RSS button?
We can't 100% guarantee this is for real, but Kosso over at NokLog snapped a pic at 3GSM this week of what appears to be a Samsung WiBro handset with a dedicated RSS button. Yeah, you read that right -- an RSS button. We're as crazy about this RSS stuff as you can get, but an entire button just for accessing your handset's feed reader? Then again, we are hitting the feeds these days as often as we check email, and we definitely don't mind having a phone with a dedicated email button. Anyone recognize this thing or know its model number?[Via Scripting News and kosso's braingarden]UPDATE: It's legit, the handset is the SPH-M8100.
Pantech's SKY IM-U170 goes official
Some of our readers might remember this high-style flip better as the W51PT for KDDI's au network in Japan; it looks like Pantech wisely took note that au runs CDMA just like the overwhelming majority of Korea, rebranding it as the IM-U170 for home turf. The spec sheet is typical Korean superphone fare: 2 megapixel cam, microSD slot, HSDPA for high-speed coverage outside of EV-DO territory, a front-facing cam for UMTS video calling, WiBro (!), and a crazy looking mirrored keypad that we'd kinda like to try. We'll look into it next time we're chilling in Seoul.
Hands-on with SPH-P9000 Deluxe MIT
The Samsung SPH-P9000 Deluxe MIT is just that: deluxe. We had the chance to go hands-on with this Korea-only device during one of those rare opportunities only CES can provide. With a mini Mobile WiMax network setup here at the show, we had the opportunity to test that (supposed) ultra-fast access for ourselves. More on that in a bit. Based on the pictures previously published, we had our doubts as to the rigidity of the unit. So we were easily impressed by the fact that it actually felt solid in our hands. However, without constant tender loving care, we're pretty sure we'd snap a hinge under sustained use. The keyboard is small, the touchpad is small, the power switch and screen are small -- everything that requires interaction is just really, really small. Still, it's usable and maybe with prolonged used, we'd get comfortable with it -- we doubt it though. Anyway, what you're really wondering about is the Mobile WiMax speed right? Well, sorry to say, it was slow. Like 56kbps dial-up slow. But this is day 3 of the show and well, everything is just a bit slower today. Besides, it's just on a demonstration network, Las Vegas is a long way from South Korea. All in all, it's an impressive piece of engineering that we can live without. Hands on with the SPH-P9000 Deluxe MIT
Samsung's SPH-P9000 Deluxe MITs landing in December
If you're just not feeling the typical, customary UMPC, Samsung has the ultimate mishmash of laptop and ultraportable machine that you've been dreaming up, and it should be ready to rock in just "two weeks." That snazzy (albeit cockamamie) SPH-9000 was originally announced as the first thing to get after the holiday rush in "Q1 2007," but in a very atypical turn of events, the company is now announcing that the WiBro-packin' foldable should be ready by "early December" for pickup in South Korea. While we can't wait to see how functional this three-pieced machine really is, and whether its battery life breaks away from the short-lived stereotype its brethren have unfortunately created, we suppose we'll have to wait for a hands-on from overseas -- but hey, at least it'll get here an awful lot quicker than previously assumed.[Via SlashGear]
KT intros NT-Q35 WiBro-equipped laptop
Korea Telecom has introduced what it claims to be the world's first WiBro-equipped laptop -- not manufactured by KT mind you (they're big, but not that big), but by Samsung. The model in question is an updated version of Sammy's well-received Q35, with DMB capabilities also added to the mix in addition to that high-speed WiBro goodness. We presume the rest of the specs remain the same, however, with a 12-inch widescreen display, Core Duo or Core 2 Duo processor, up to 1GB of RAM, and an 80GB hard drive in a lightweight four-pound package. Look for this one to come in between 1,600,000 and 2,000,000 won, or between $1,700 and $2,140 -- in Korea only, naturally.
Samsung's SPH-8100 WinMo Pocket PC with Mobile WiMax, IMS, and DMB
It's not the dual-mode WiMax / GSM handset we're waiting for, but Samsung's SPH-M8100 Mobile WiMAX slider should force an optical interrupt nevertheless. Like the SPH-P9000 introduced yesterday, this device is part of Sammy's Mobile WiMAX MITs lineup only this time in a dedicated IMS lovin' handset. Come on, you remember IMS right? It's the IP Multimedia Subsystem we saw under global trial back in February which even Cingular has been known to dabble around with. IMS support means this not-a-cellphone handset will not only provide access to content over high-speed Mobile WiMAX (WiBro as it's known in Korea), but it'll also feature such SIP-based services as VoIP calls, video conferencing, and "Push-to-All" which we assume is just the push-to-talk, walkie-talkie service as it's known 'round here. The handset runs Windows Mobile 5.0 PocketPC and features a 2.8-inch 65k color, 240x320 touch-screen TFT display, MMCmicro expansion, and 2 megapixel camera with another 0.3 megapixel shooter up front for video conferences. It also features T-DMB mobile TV with both the antenna and stylus tucked neatly away in the case. Oh, and this handset will pull double-duty as a Mobile WiMAX modem for your laptop too. Now pardon us, we have to get back to banging our rocks together, there's mammoth for dinner tonight! Lots more pics after the break.
Samsung's SPH-P9000 Deluxe MITs: Windows XP at 75 MPH
Ultra-portable XP devices have been getting a whole lot of interesting lately. Now Samsung just upped the ante with this -- the SPH-P9000 Deluxe MITs -- at the Mobile WiMax Summit 2006 in South Korea. Measuring in at chubby 143 × 94.3 × 29.75-mm / 580-g (5.6 × 3.7 × 1.17-inches / 1.28-pounds) when folded, this Windows XP device unfolds (dare we say) origami-like to reveal a 1GHz Transmeta CPU and both Mobile WiMAX (AKA, WiBro which is already launched in Korea) and EV-DO for data connectivity. No WiFi apparently, this all about Mobile WiMAX kids, with Internet speeds of 2-3 Mbps even when travelling up 120-KPH (75-MPH). The SPH-P9000 packs a 5-inch 854x480 (WVGA) LCD, 30GB disk, 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and apparently ships with both an internal 2980mAh and 7200mAh external extended-battery. People who have played with a prototype on display at the show complained about the screen being too small (in DMB-cellphone crazed Korea!?) and of excessive heating. Well, they can at least work on the latter before the scheduled Korean launch in the first half of 2007. No pricing yet but we've got plenty more pics after the break. [Via AVING and The Korea Herald]
LG goes crazy small with new A1 and C1 XNotes
If we recall correctly, the last time we attempted a romantic romp with our laptop in a picturesque field of flowers and greenery, we got some killer allergies and ended up tripping over some hidden crap in the grass and busting up our computer -- but we're willing to give it all another go for a chance to hang out with these sexy new A1 and C1 XNote ultraportables from LG. We're unfortunately short on details, but both laptops sport 1.2GHz Core Duo processors, 64MB GeForce 7300 Go graphics, 10.6-inch 1,366 x 768 displays (with some swivel action on the C1), along with WiBro, HSDPA and DMB. The C1 version on the left weighs a mere 2.8 pounds, and does the Tablet PC, swivel screen thing, while the A1 goes for uber-svelte at 2.2 pounds. There's no info on anything crazy like price or availability, but now that these are out in the open, LG better not be keeping their ultralight goodness -- with a yummy, WWAN/DTV center -- away from us for long.
SK Telecom launches T Login service for mobile broadband
SK Telecom is pulling out all the stops to get people hooked on their 3G and 4G data services, and have launched the T Login service and a new USB modem to get the ball rolling. The new (and incredibly clunky) USB modem looks to be able to provide HSDPA and EV-DO service to laptops and desktops, with a HSDPA / WiBro version due later this year. SK Telecom is even planning two PMPs and a digital camera to take advantage of the wireless broadband, and high-speed phones will be pulled under the T Login umbrella as well. We're hearing all sorts of conflicting launch dates right now, but all of the above should be launched in some combination of now, October, December and/or January.
WiBro a go in South Korea
Seemingly always at the forefront of the latest and greatest technologies, little South Korea has once again trumped almost the entire rest of the world by rolling out commercial versions of the long-range wireless networking standard known as WiBro. Based on Intel's version of WiMax, the services offered by both SK Telecom and KT Corp will provide broadband speeds to users in and around Seoul from base stations with one kilometer ranges, allowing subscribers to maintain their connections even while traveling at speeds up to 74MPH. Although a slew of WiBro-enabled devices are on the verge of release, currently that Samsung PCMCIA card we saw last month is one of the few ways to go for getting your mobile WiBro on. Initially SK will be charging around $31.50 per month for its service, while KT's is significantly cheaper at less than $17, although both carriers are planning on introducing tiered pricing based on usage, as well as subsidies up to $105 on compatible gear.
Samsung prepping dual-mode WiMax handset for 2007
It looks like Samsung might be gunning to put another "world's first _____" title under their belt, announcing at CommunicAsia last week that a dual-mode WiMax / GSM handset is in the works for a H1 2007 release. The flavor of WiMax in question here is presumably 802.16e which Samsung says will presently haul 10.2Mb down to you each and every second, with a boost to roughly 40Mb/s in Q3 2007. Of course, Korea generally loves them some WiBro, but WiBro holds the promise of 802.16e compatibility so there may be no conflict of interest here. Samsung has said they expect their dual-mode phone to go on sale worldwide, so we can likely (read: hopefully) expect quad-band GSM in the box -- but whether any substantial population outside Korea will have access to an 802.16e network by 1H 2007 is another question entirely.[Via Mobile Magazine]
SODIFF shows off new QWERTY WiBro handheld
If the recent flurry of UMPCs and other such devices hasn't quite hit the sweet spot for your mobile lifestyle, SODIFF has a new WiBro device in the works with a 4.3-inch screen and a slide-out keyboard that just might do the trick. We're a bit low on deets, but while we don't know what kind of OS this thing'll run (there's a Windows key on the keyboard, for what it's worth), it does boast Internet browsing, instant messaging and email. Media capabilities are also here in force, with the included video conferencing, PMP functions, FM radio, 2 megapixel camera and IPTV. We're spotting at least SD expansion, but we don't expect too much more than WiBro connectivity with the slimness of this device -- though we'd love to be proved wrong. SODIFF is hoping for a November release, for Korea of course.
China, Intel, and the WiMAX agenda
Wireless gaming will be getting a boost over the next few years, thanks to broadband technologies such as WiBro and WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access). WiMAX was created to enable cheap and easy wireless Internet access over ranges spanning 50 km (31 miles), and Intel has been working to deploy WiMAX networks worldwide. Through their Asian Broadband Campaign, the world's leading chip maker is building wireless broadband networks in Taiwan and across Southeast Asia. South Korea is also on board and has pledged to make their WiBro (Wireless Broadband) standard compatible with WiMAX.Chinese gamers, however, might be late to the party. Despite having their WAPI national standard dismissed by the International Standards Organization (ISO) last year, China still figures to have a hand in the evolution of wireless networking protocols. The Chinese government has not only filed an appeal to ISO alleging unfair play by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), but a group of Chinese corporations and academic institutions have drafted a proprietary WiMAX specification to counter the recently adopted IEEE 802.16d and 802.16e standards. This will make life difficult for PC manufacturers such as Lenovo, Sony, and Toshiba who have a strong presence in the booming Chinese market, as they wait to see which standard prevails in the People's Republic.See also: Muni Wi-Fi/WiMAX great for gaming Intel will ship WiMAX cards this year Mobile WiMAX standard gets IEEE seal of approval
