Topic: Mobile - Engadget

By Jon Fingas posted May 2nd 2013 1:33PM 0

Instagram's new 'Photos of You' feature lets users tag each other (video) Mobile

It was just a matter of time, really. We're well acquainted with Facebook letting us tag friends in our photos, so it's no shock that a similar feature has just spread to the social network's mobile darling, Instagram. The Android and iOS apps will both hit version 3.5 today, letting users tag others in a shot (whether or not they're human). A new Photos of You section has also been added to members' profiles, where you can see any photo linked to that account. As you might imagine, Instagram is already trying to head off potential privacy issues -- account holders have until May 16th before their Photos of You sections become public, and settings will let them turn down connections to any revealing (or simply inaccurate) images. The update is already available through the iTunes App Store and should be landing soon in Google Play. Hit up the source links if you've ever wanted to see how other Instagrammers see you.

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By Mat Smith posted Feb 19th 2013 6:39AM 0

LG teases several new smartphones for MWC, is brought to you by the letters G, L, V and F Mobile

LG isn't done making vague hints at what it's got in store for us in Barcelona next week. While we admittedly missed it on our first viewing, the latest trailer flies past several red initials and vague glimpses of four handsets. There's an L (style?), a G (greatness), one V (view, or Vu) and a new one, F, that apparently stands for freedom. In short, it looks like LG might be bringing quite a few phones to the show. The short video also places plenty of emphasis on tags, which we're guessing will involve some NFC tech -- possibly expanding on those "Tag On" stickers we saw announced at CES last month. We just wish the message was as loud and clear as the music in the teaser. You've been warned.

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By Jon Fingas posted Jan 8th 2013 10:59PM 0

Hands-on with T-Mobile's HD Voice, Tap Tag app for NFC-ready Android phones Mobile

T-Mobile had more than just big updates at its CES event; it gave us opportunities to try both its newly national HD Voice service and a seemingly unknown carrier-specific NFC app, Tap Tag. The currently Android-only software is best described as a crossover between somewhat simpler existing NFC tag systems. like Samsung's Tectiles, and multi-step automation like Motorola's Smart Actions. Put a Tap Tag-equipped phone against a relevant marker and it will perform one or more customizable tasks, such as putting the phone in a do-not-disturb mode at the same time it sets an alarm for the morning. From our glance through the menus, it's surprisingly deep and flexible without being intimidating. There are pre-defined templates, but nothing's set in stone -- if your definition of an office mode involves launching YouTube and cranking the volume, you can make it happen.

More details, including HD Voice testing, await after the break.

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By Sharif Sakr posted Jan 8th 2013 10:30AM 0

Kensington wants you to be very afraid of losing your iPhone, buy its $60 Proximo system Mobile

A mobile phone is lost or stolen every 3.5 seconds, warns Kensington, handily quoting data from 2011. The company's solution is simple: a low-power wireless fob that stays in your pocket and sounds the alarm if you move too far away from your iPhone 5 or 4S. The idea has been around for a while, of course, and it's proving popular elsewhere at CES right now, but the $60 Proximo Starter Kit -- now available for pre-order -- adds a couple more components. As well as the fob, you also get a tag that can be attached to other valuables and an iOS app that allows the monitoring of up to four further tags (priced at $25 each) simultaneously. Each fob and tag lasts up to six months thanks to low-power Bluetooth 4.0, and the CR2032 battery should be easy enough to switch out. Calm your separation anxiety further with the press release after the break.

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By Sharif Sakr posted Jan 10th 2012 8:15AM 0

Sony Ericsson reveals SmartWatch and other Xperia goodies for Android accessorizing Mobile

The man in the phone shop says you're gonna need some accessories to go with that brand new smartphone and he has some fresh stock to choose from. Sony Ericsson's SmartTags use NFC to flip your handset into a specific pre-configured profile depending on its location: leave a tag near your dash, for example, and it'll switch your phone into sat nav mode, or leave one by your bed for alarm clock mode. Smart Wireless Headset Pro does slightly more than your average wireless cans, giving you access to calendar notifications and even acting as a standalone MP3 player and radio when detached from the phone. And here's the final head-turner: the Xperia SmartWatch, which uses Bluetooth to act as a secondary display, showing texts and other notifications while also letting you manage basic phone functions from your wrist. These Smart Extra accessories will actually work with any NFC- or Bluetooth-equipped Android phone, not just Sony's latest, which ought make the shop guy even happier. You'll find a lot more detail at the source link, although no pricing or availability just yet.

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By Daniel Cooper posted Oct 10th 2011 5:34PM 0

BlackBerry Tag: touch-to-share for... multimedia? Mobile

Research in Motion's Jim Balsillie's currently in Dubai, gassing about how amazing the latest update to BlackBerry 7 OS will be -- probably between trips to the beach. When it arrives, those crackberries equipped with NFC (Bold 9900 / 9930 and Curve 9350 / 9360 / 9370) will get BlackBerry Tag. You'll be able to tap two phones together to share contact details, multimedia content or add new friends to your BBM. RIM is planning to open up the relevant APIs so developers can use the facility in any number of interesting ways, like bringing touch-to-share to the system. Considering the speed constraints of NFC, it's difficult to believe that big files like images could be carried by the technology -- it's more likely that NFC will pair the devices and then send your files down a larger pipe, like Bluetooth. There's an enigmatic press release after the break, and hopefully the company will explain how this works in a little more detail before the update arrives.

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By Darren Murph posted Apr 16th 2009 11:41AM 0

Keepin' it real fake, part CXCVIII: TAG Heuer Meridiist gets way-too-low MSRP Mobile

You know how we know this here TAG Heuer Meridiist isn't the real deal? Not because it isn't sexy, and not because we don't really, really want to believe. No -- it's because the authentic handset can't be found for under five or six grand, while this little impostor can be had for the unfathomably low price of just $290. So yeah, you'll miss out on the fancy box and veritable bragging rights, but you will get twin SIM slots and a choice of black or red "leather." You know, come to think of it, maybe we would be willing to deal with a fake in order to save a few mortgage payments...

[Via Tehnozona]

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By Darren Murph posted Aug 4th 2008 12:54PM 0

TAG Heuer's ritzy Meridiist handset gets unboxed Mobile

All but the most affluent among us have likely purged the pricey Meridiist from our memories, but if you've ever wondered what exactly a £2,650 ($5,162) cellphone looks like (and really, who hasn't?), you'll definitely want to check this out. The fine folks over at Stuff were able to point their camera at TAG Heuer's exquisite handset ever-so-briefly, and while the images tell half the story, the folks handling it told the other. The chunky phone reportedly reeked of unnecessary luxury and was built solidly, but we didn't get the impression that they were champing at the bit to call this a bargain. At any rate, there are a few more shots where this one came from (that would be the read link, for the uninitiated).

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By Darren Murph posted Apr 16th 2008 3:29PM 0

TAG Heuer's ?3,400 Meridiist handset gets official Mobile

Surely those rumored shots of TAG Heuer's luxurious first handset from last week are still stuck in your head, right? Go on and purge those puppies right on out, as we've got the very first press shots (more in the read link) of the now-official Meridiist to focus our attention on. Reportedly, the handset was indeed developed in partnership with Modelabs, and beyond the all-metal casing, you can also expect a sapphire crystal screen, 2-megapixel camera, multimedia player, 1.9-inch QVGA display, Bluetooth and a battery good for 7-hours of yappin' aimlessly about how pricey your new mobile is. Speaking of which, did we mention this prized piece will run you between €3,400 ($5,420) and €3,900 ($6,216), depending on customizations, when it sashays onto the scene in Q2? Yeah, ouch.

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By Darren Murph posted Jun 8th 2007 2:35AM 0

Rakuten exploits cameraphone craze for advertising purposes Mobile

Although this certainly won't go down as the first attempt to integrate cellphones into discrete marketing, Japan's largest online shopping mall operator is apparently taking advantage of the country's oh-so-superior handsets and offering up tantalizing "promotional videos" for consumers who snap pictures of ads. Rakuten is reportedly set to hand out thousands of pilot issues of a magazine, Zero90, in hopes that mobile-wielding readers will snap photos of certain articles in exchange for a ~~free commercial~~ intellectually stimulating media clip. While this sounds an awful lot like QR codes, the actual technology used in the pages isn't mentioned, but we do know that Japan-based Clementec is behind it -- and you thought print media had too many plugs as is.

[Via Physorg]

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By Darren Murph posted Jan 18th 2007 4:45PM 0

First Tag Heuer cellphone mockups surface Mobile

As we suspected, it looks like Tag Heuer will indeed be joining the ranks of D&G, Prada, Aston Martin, McLaren, and the host of other brands out there who are joining the cellphone craze. Dial-a-Phone is reporting that the forthcoming handset should be "a completely new design," unlike the D&G RAZR which was devoid of originality save for the branding, gold finish, and dangerously high pricetag. Additionally, the Paris-based ModeLabs will indeed be crafting the design, and if all goes as planned, should be launching in undisclosed locales "within a few months." Currently, all they know is that it should be "made of stainless steel" and closely resemble many of Tag's unmistakable timepieces, and while chances are slim that the phone will actually be in a watch, be sure to hit the read link for the first wave of mockups.

[Thanks, Stokelake]

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By Darren Murph posted Jan 2nd 2007 11:40AM 0

TAG Heuer to partner with ModeLabs on luxury handset? Mobile

It looks like the competition in the luxury phone market is heating up, as folks still trying to choose between Gresso, Vertu, GoldVish, the D&G RAZR, or the ridiculously pricey Black Diamond could see one more alternative in addition to the recently-unveiled LG Prada. According to Sybarites, TAG Heuer -- the folks responsible for Jeff Gordon and Tiger Woods' sumptuous wristwatches -- is teaming up with ModeLabs to introduce "a completely new phone" for deep-pocketed talkers. While details (including a sneak peek) are scant, the phone is "expected to be made of stainless steel and have many similarities to TAG watches," but it seems we'll just have to wait this one out before making any other far-reaching predictions.

[Thanks, James]

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