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Motorola ROKR E6 gets FCC blessing
We certainly don't want to get anyone's hopes up over a possible US release -- because frankly, with GSM 1900 the only American band in the box, we don't see it happening -- but Motorola's Linux-tastic ROKR E6 just breezed through the FCC. The stylus-based device shares the design cues used extensively through Motorola's mainstream lineup, coming off with a polished look. Add in the 2-megapixel cam and the media capabilities foretold by its "ROKR" moniker, and this is a little bundle of open-source joy that we definitely wouldn't mind seeing hop the pond -- if Moto can find it in its heart to pack in a UMTS radio or two.
Smart S100: the slimphone with a silly keypad
There are slimmer phones on the market, sure, but the 7.7 millimeter, Asia-only Smart S100 has that poorly-faked-iPod look that Samsung simply doesn't have anywhere in their product lineup. With the exception of the unfortunate dual-band 900 / 1800 GSM radio with nothing more than GPRS to feed it data, the phone's specs aren't half bad, with a 160 x 128 OLED display, 2-megapixel cam, and that Nokia 3650-style circular keypad we all love (or love to hate). Without even a single US-friendly GSM band, we think we've probably spent too much time on this thing already, but it's fascinating to know that a no-name phone can beat virtually every major manufacturer in the slimphone game.[Via Slashphone]
No HD-DVD drives for Asia
Pour a little popcorn out for the unfortunate Hong Kong film buffs who actually live in Hong Kong. Microsoft Taiwan says the Xbox 360 HD-DVD External drive will not be sold in Asia due to an insufficient supply of HD-DVDs in that market. Readers in the region please comment.
Creative's new Zen Neeon 2
First Creative rolled out the hard drive-based Zen Neeon, then it brought the model up-to-date with a little flash memory, and now the company's added a full color screen and dubbed this new device Neeon 2. Available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities, the newest Neeons clearly have their sights set on the nano, even allowing you to play back specially-formatted video on the admittedly-cramped 128 x 128, 1.5-inch display. As with most Creative DAPs, you're also getting an FM radio, voice recorder, and line-in audio capture, but the color screen definitely takes a toll on battery life, as this model offers a maximum 20 hours of listening. When these Neeons drop later this month -- perhaps in Asia only -- they'll go for $125, $170, or $190, depending on capacity -- not a bad deal, especially for those folks who like personalizing their players with Creative's swappable skins.[Via Cnet Asia, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Philips 588 music phone drops in Taiwan
Sorry, fellas, this one's for the ladies. Philips has officially launched its 588 model in Taiwan this week, a featherweight (78g) clamshell targeted at the fairer sex. Available only in purple and white, the feminine 588 sports triband GSM, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and -- as you may have guessed from the external controls -- a music player feeding off a little over 100MB of internal storage with no expansion slot. No word on pricing for the Asia-only flip, but with its lack of Bluetooth and external display, we're guessing the 588 is designed to be a fashion phone for the masses. At least the female masses, that is.[Via Slashphone]
O2 announces updated Xda Atom for Asia
As if Asia isn't already getting the lion's share of the world's smartphone action, O2 has used this week's CommunicAsia expo to announce the Xda Atom Exec, an Asia-exclusive update to the Atom (pictured). At about six months of age, the Atom isn't exactly an old fart, but the Exec ships with AKU2, boosts the XScale processor from 416 to 520MHz, and adds an extra 64MB of ROM for a grand total of 192MB. Otherwise, the Exec trades its predecessor's glossy exterior for a matte one, but the Atom's remaining specs carry over to the new model. If you're rocking an Atom and you're thinking that an upgrade might be in order, hold up: the roughly $844 USD O2 will be asking for the Exec might give you pause.[Via the::unwired]
Nokia's simple 6080 for Asia
We don't have much to say about a phone whose "blinking light effect" for missed calls is highlighted as a primary feature in the press release, but for our friends in Asia looking for a no-frills Nokia candybar, the S40-powered 6080 might be your baby. For its intended market segment, the phone doesn't look half bad, sporting a comely black/gold or black/silver scheme (though we're admittedly a bit apprehensive about this blinking light thing). The phone packs 4.3MB of apparently non-expandable flash memory, an FM radio, a forgettable VGA camera, and EDGE in your choice of 850 / 1800 / 1900 or 900 / 1800 / 1900 bands. Shipments drop in the fourth quarter, but for the hefty €180 Nokia expects to charge, we've already started to forget it ever existed. [Warning: PDF link][Thanks, Donald]
Japanese sales charts, May 22-28: New Super Mario dominates
Last week we saw the .hack franchise dominating the Japanese charts, but it's all change this week as newcomer New Super Mario Bros. flattens all competition. Just shy of 900,000 sales, it's exceeded the sales of the rest of the top ten combined -- and probably the rest of the top forty. 1. New Super Mario Bros. [DS]2. Brain Age 2 (Kahashima Ryuuta Kyouju Kanshuu: Motto Nouo Kitaeru Otona DS) [DS]3. Brain Age: Train your Brain in Minutes a Day (Kahashima Ryuuta Kyouju no Nouo Kitaeru Otona DS Training) [DS]4. Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable [PSP]5. Tetris DS [DS]6. KimiKiss [PS2]7. World Soccer Winning Eleven 10 [PS2]8. Eigo ga Nigate na Otona no DS Training: Eigo Duke [DS]9. Animal Crossing: Wild World [DS]10. Jikkyou Powerful Major League [PS2]
Hands on with Project Wiki
Project Wiki from Webzen is a bright, colourful MMO that immediately stands out from their other post-apocalyptic/dark-fantasy offerings. With inviting colours and visuals reminiscent of a 2D cartoon, the game seems well-matched to its kids-and-teens target demographic. It's simple to play -- perhaps too simple -- and death comes quickly at the hands of nearby enemies; the character we were playing has a limited number of skills which made combat a little repetitive. Project Wiki is only scheduled for a Korean release -- its anime-inspired graphics may make it appealing in the West, but its gameplay is rooted firmly in the East.
"Asia-Pacific Mobile Alliance" to allow seamless roaming over seven countries
About one hundred million Asian mobile subscribers are about to experience a better roaming experience around the continent thanks to a new multi-carrier initiative to create a so-called "Virtual Home Environment." Seven wireless providers covering eight countries and regions -- NTT DoCoMo (Japan), FET (Taiwan), Hutchison Essar (India), Hutchison Telecommunications (Hong Kong and Macau), KTF (South Korea), Indostat (Indonesia), and StarHub (Singapore) -- have formed the "Asia-Pacific Mobile Alliance," as it's tentatively known, to eventually enable seamless voice, video, and data roaming across their networks. According to the joint press release, when the initiative goes live in the latter half of the year, GSM/GPRS and W-CDMA customers will also enjoy access to the basic services they've become accustomed to, such as caller ID and quick access to voicemail and home carrier tech support via short-code service.
