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gps phone posts

Mio said to be prepping GPS-enabled 3.5G touchscreen handset for Q1 2009

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 1st 2008 at 1:05PM

Not that Mio hasn't pumped out a GPS phone or two before, but the rarely-heard-from handset maker is reportedly on its way to delivering its first 3.5G touchscreen-based GPS phone in Q1 2009. Undisclosed sources singled out at DigiTimes have it that the mobile will be powered by a 3.5G chipset from Qualcomm and will come loaded with Mitac's self-developed "Spirit" touch interface. Additionally, it'll pack a 3.2-megapixel camera and should launch ahead of Garmin's oft-delayed nüvifone. In related news, Mio is also scheduled to launch a GPS-packin' MID before Q1 2009 ends, though it's still unclear if it'll choose a 7- or 8-inch panel to accompany the 3G radio and Windows CE operating system. Riveting stuff, huh?

[Via GPSTracklog]

Airis T482 GPS phone prepares for French release

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 13th 2008 at 11:56PM

Don't lie -- you thought they buried that PDA acronym years ago, didn't you? Keeping the Personal Digital Assistant alive and well is Airis, which is readying its T482 GPS phone for release in France. The all black handset is set to be sold with or without navigation software and feature quad-band GSM support, GPRS / EDGE connectivity, a 416MHz Marvell PXA270 processor, 64MB of RAM, a 3.2-inch QVGA display, 2-megapixel camera and a microSD expansion slot. Furthermore, you'll find a SiRFStar III GPS receiver, Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11b/g WiFi, FM tuner and a rechargeable Li-ion, natch. Better get set to break open the piggy bank, as this one will demand €424 ($671) for French maps, €478 for coverage of Europe as a whole or €399 ($631) without pre-installed routing software.

[Via NaviGadget]

Montclair State mandates use of GPS-enabled phones

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 4th 2007 at 1:03AM

Nearly six months after Slippery Rock University introduced a RFID payment system for mobiles at its campus, we've learned that Montclair State University is requiring that all full-time undergraduates carry a school-issued mobile for their own safety. The handsets, which cost some $210 per semester, are already being carried by about 6,000 students, and feature a GPS function that can be activated to ensure campus police are alerted of their location if something goes awry. Aside from being able to send a request for help immediately, the phone will also call for assistance should the feature remain on for longer than a preset length of time. As it stands, the university has yet to see the Rave Guardian technology used in situations other than false alarms, but a 32-member police force is kept on staff in case any future calls prove legitimate.

[Image courtesy of WCBSTV]

Japan could keep tabs on defense officials via GPS phones

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 1st 2007 at 8:44AM

It's not like the Japanese government hasn't dabbled in GPS (and RFID, too) tracking before, but the nation's latest idea involving Big Brother is (unsurprisingly) catching a fair amount of criticism. Reportedly, Japan wants to equip senior defense officials with GPS-enabled mobiles, and it's making no bones about the reasoning behind it. Quite frankly, it's looking for ways to keep a more watchful eye on officials' whereabouts after a higher-up was recently "treated to hundreds of expensive rounds of golf by a defense contractor." Reportedly, the handsets would only be given out to senior staff "required to report for duty in the case of a security emergency," but a number of anonymous individuals have already expressed disdain for the plan through local news outlets. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear, right?

Pharos announces GPS Phone -- no really, that's the name

by Ryan Block, posted Jan 3rd 2007 at 9:39AM

Pharos, another up and coming gadget company has taken the next step for its GPS device lineup by jumping into the phone space, and rebadging that ETEN device (you know, the much discussed X500 glofiish, aka OX500). Dubbed GPS Phone (we really think calling it The GPS Phone would be much more potent), it's got all the specs we knew this phone was packing, including: SiRFStarIII GPS receiver (duh) with Pharos Ostia nav software, quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE (sigh), WiFi, Bluetooth, a 2 megapixel camera, FM radio (o rly!), and a friggin fat $699 price tag. Now, we're not necessarily saying $700 for a GPS-equipped Pocket PC is too much, but we really do wish they could have shaved $5 off the top of that margin and dropped in a damned UMTS / HSDPA radio, you know? Ah well, SIM unlocked and yours come February. More pics after the break.

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