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Jokiusoft releases JoikuSpot Premium, S60 phones turn into enterprise hotspots
The original (and free) JoikuSpot has risen through the ranks to become one of the more popular S60 apps around, and for good reason -- it turns your WiFi-equipped S60 device into a go-anywhere hotspot -- and when you add 3G into the mix, the result is truly magic. The Premium version of the same app is now available, adding VPN support for the corporate types out there and removing the forced Joiku-branded landing page that would-be users of your makeshift hotspot see the first time they connect. If you need the extra horsepower over the free version (which is still available), you can grab it now for €15 (about $24).[Via Slashphone]
O2 Xda Vista coming to China? What happened to MWg?
Last we'd heard, O2 was well out of Asia with remnants of the firm regrouping as MWg to forge ahead with some of O2's remaining projects and start blazing a new trail. Be that as it may, IT168 appears to have details of a clearly O2-branded "Xda Vista" with a WVGA display, NVIDIA graphics chipset, Windows Mobile 6.1, GPS, and pretty much every other feature a Windows Mobile power user is clamoring for these days. Those are downright modern specs, which means this thing was likely crafted after MWg came into existence -- or at the very least, after it was known that O2 Asia would go away -- so we're not sure what's going on here. Is it a fake? If not, will it end up getting rebranded as a MWg model by the time it's released? Then again, with a WVGA display and HSDPA, do we really care what it's called?[Via Slashphone]
MWg releasing Windows Mobile 7 gear before the year's out?
Not long after spinning off from former corporate parent O2, Windows Mobile purveyor MWg is moving out of its Asian comfort zone to attempt to sell its wares over in Europe with a splashy press conference to kick things off -- and if the aggressive roadmap they're pursuing for the next year or so holds true, they might just have a fighting chance at making a splash up there. First up are the official European intros of the Atom V and Zinc II, HSDPA-equipped handsets that have been kicking around for a while now, but that's not even close to the interesting part. Looking deeper into '08 reveals a handful of HTC Diamond competitors, devices that are sporting a respectable 7.2Mbps down and 5.2Mbps up, and looking still deeper into the fourth quarter suggests that MWg intends to release its first Windows Mobile 7-powered device -- the Flame II -- with GPS, a 3.2 megapixel camera, and "multimedia features" on board. That seems a little far-fetched considering that 7 hasn't been officially shown off and 6.1 isn't even in broad distribution to users yet, but we appreciate MWg's motivation here. We also see a Shift killer in the wings with Vista and a 3G data connection toward the end of the year, so all told, the future's looking bright for these cats if they can actually execute.
MWg retracing its roots back to Europe
It looks like Asian handset outfit MWg is getting ready to bust out the family tree and make an homage back to the lands of its ancestors for a triumphant (it'd hope, anyway) new beginning. The company rose from the ashes of what was once O2's Asian outpost -- but now that it's been acquired by mega-retailer Expansys, it's looking to make a splash all the way back in O2's proper European backyard with the official launch of its Zinc II and Atom V smartphones in a press conference early next month. With the Windows Mobile market as crowded with worthy entrants as it ever has been, it's not entirely clear how MWg intends to stand out here -- but hey, wireless charging might just be a good start if they can pull it off.
MWg starts expanding with UBiQUiO offerings
It certainly didn't take very long for the apple to fall a long, long way from the tree. Just a handful of months after completing its spinoff from parent O2, MWg has started taking to rebranding existing handsets -- in this case, a pair of UBiQUiOs. The QWERTY duo both run Windows Mobile 6 Professional, with the 501 model featuring a 200MHz OMAP750, 2 megapixel camera, and WiFi to get the bits flowing when the GPRS radio won't do. The higher-end 503g (pictured), meanwhile, upgrades to triband 3.6Mbps HSDPA and swaps out the TI core for a 520MHz XScale. Not bad, we guess, but we liked the old days when these guys commissioned their own handsets from the ODMs -- how are they supposed to stand out when they're just slapping a silkscreened logo on a device that's already in the marketplace?[Via Cellpassion]
MWg and Splashpower team up for wireless charging of smartphones
Mobile & Wireless Group (MWg) and Splashpower have joined hands in an effort to bring wireless charging to the mobile masses. Using electromagnetic induction instead of a traditional plug on the handset, by just dropping -- well, no need to actually drop it -- the handset on a Splashpower pad the built-in inductive charging components in the phone will begin to renew your battery without a need to actually plug it in. The first handsets are due out in the second half of the year and we're positively stoked to see one of these in action.[Via textually.org]
Palm, i-mate, others moving manufacturing contracts back to HTC?
We thought that HTC's bold venture into the direct-to-consumer space pretty much spelled doom for its once-burgeoning ODM business, but apparently not. We don't know if these guys are just exceptionally good at what they do, exceptionally cheap, exceptionally convincing, or some combination of the above, because a report out of Taiwan's Commercial Times claims that Palm, i-mate, and MWG -- all companies who've moved their manufacturing contracts solidly away from HTC in recent years -- have come back into the fold, ultimately bumping HTC's contracting business to account for more than 10 percent of its total business in the first quarter. We're skeptical that these three brands (all of whom compete with HTC at retail) would suddenly decide to throw up the white flag at roughly the same time, but considering the kinds of things that happen when other ODMs come into the picture, a little HTC TLC could be just what the doctor ordered.[Via IntoMobile]
MWG shows first new phones in post-O2 era
After O2 dropped its Southeast Asian outpost at the side of the road, we weren't terribly sure whether it'd be able to flourish -- let alone survive -- without the mothership's lifeline. Turns out they're at least giving it the old college try, though, with new models appropriately dubbed "Zinc II" and "Atom V" (notice that the "Xda" branding of old has left the building). We know this courtesy of Expansys' Hong Kong outpost, which has done us all a favor by posting preorder pages for both devices; we only have renderings at this point, but they look pretty legit and realistic. Both devices feature quadband GSM and triband HSDPA (nice!), 256MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM, integrated FM radio, WiFi, and GPS. The Atom V is the slightly higher end of the two -- despite a slightly lower price -- thanks to a 3 megapixel cam around back (versus 2 for the Zinc II) and an Intel core clocked 20MHz higher than the Zinc II's Samsung silicon, though the Zinc II should win some hearts and minds with its semi-automatic sliding QWERTY pad. If Expansys is to be believed, the Atom V will run HK$4,775 (about $612) while the Zinc II will set you back HK$5,305 (about $680) when they're available.[Via the::unwired and MoDaCo]Read - Zinc IIRead - Atom V
O2 Asia is dead, long live MWG
First, the bad news: the rumors have turned out be true, O2's pulling out of its Southeast Asian biz. Now the good: rising from the ashes is a new operation, MWG, that looks ready and willing to carry on with O2 Asia's product lineup. In fact, MWG's website says that they've outright inherited O2 Asia's entire management team, so really, it's the same company in shiny new clothes. Current offerings include the Xda Atom Life, Xda Flame, and Xda Zinc -- not a bad start, if Windows Mobile is your thing -- and they're promising "an exciting roadmap" through 2008. Best of luck, fellas![Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
