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Live from CeBIT: Samsung's SGH-i310 8GB musicphone
Remember that 8GB Windows Mobile 5.0 smartphone from Samsung, the SGH-i310? Oh, it exists alright, and it's hot. That's a real live scroll-wheel in the center (unlike other phones we've seen), and it actually feels just about right even though it's mechanical, and not touch sensitive. Click and drool after the break.
BenQ EF81 coming to US?
As usual, the FCC teases us with visions of a future that seems tantalizingly close, but could really be far, far away. This time the government watchdogs have revealed that they've approved the BenQ EF81 for US use. BenQ was pretty careful with the phone they supplied the FCC, with none of those telltale service provider logos that sometimes provide us with clues about who we're going to have to sign up with for one of these. However, the fact that the EF81 is a tri-band GSM phone sort of narrows that down just a little. With a 2 megapixel camera, dual displays, 64MB of memory and TransFlash for expansion, this could be a handy little clamshell for shutterbugs on the go.
MAGIC smartphone boasts 8GB HDD, 512MB RAM, dual QVGA
Malaysia's Advance Tech Communications is set to make a big splash in the Windows Mobile smartphone market with the MAGIC (Mobile Advanced Global Integrated Communicator), a 10.5 ounce behemoth that has specs to make even the most devoted HTC fanboy jealous. The quad-band GSM phone includes an 8GB hard drive, 512MB RAM, dual QVGA displays, dual 2 megapixel cameras, QWERTY keyboard, GPS, Bluetooth, EDGE, WiFi, VGA output, and a microSD slot. Not surprisingly, Advance Tech is positioning this as an ultra-premium device; the company doesn't even call it a smartphone, billing it instead as a "laptop computer miniaturized to the size of a handheld device." One thing that hasn't been miniaturized is the price: Advance Tech envisions selling the MAGIC for $1,000 when it rolls out next quarter. That price will likely drop through service provider subsidies, but we don't expect to see this baby in the bargain bin anytime soon.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Intel to NVIDIA: You got your GoForce in my Monahans!
In more exciting news from the Intel Developers' Forum, the processor giant has announced a collaboration with NVIDIA that will provide device makers with a powerful CPU/GPU platform for next-generation devices. NVIDIA's recently-introduced GoForce 5500 chip has been combined with Intel's upcoming third-generation XScale processor (codenamed "Monahans", able to deliver ~1GHz speeds), to produce a chipset that promises high performance while delivering respectable battery life, key to widespread adoption of 3G services. Some of the applications mentioned for the platform include 3D gaming, advanced imaging, digital TV, and surround sound, even though consumers currently seem rather ho-hum about using their phones for anything other than talking and texting.
Fandango Wireless serves movie tix on the run
Ordering advance tickets for a movie via a web site is a great idea if you happen to be sitting at home in front of a computer when you decide you want to catch a flick. But if you're already out and about, your're pretty much stuck waiting in that long line snaking around the theater, since most online booking services don't work very well on phone-based browsers -- and even if they did, you still have to print out an e-ticket to get in. But you can now jump to the head of the line if you're a Sprint Nextel customer and your theater uses Fandango for its online bookings. Fandango Wireless is now live on Sprint, offering a phone-optimized site, as well as barcodes that can be saved to your phone's memory and scanned by the ticket taker. Now if they'd just let us order our popcorn by phone and have it waiting for us in our seat when we get to the theater, we'd be set.
MTV, T-Mob team up on mobile TV content for Europe
MTV Networks International and T-Mobile have announced a European partnership that will result in content from the cable giant being available to mobile TV subscribers in Germany (immediately), Austria (in September), and the UK (eventually). For Germans and Austrians, MTV has developed two channels, Music and Shorts, which consist of simulcast videos from one of the company's rare music-only stations, and a mixture of "optimized" versions of hit shows and unique made-for-mobile programming, respectively. Brits will also get the Shorts and Music channels (rather amusingly re-titled "Snax and Trax") along with "classic comedy stand up routines" and sitcom clips from MTV's fellow Viacom subsidy, Paramount. Being a member of the T-Mob just keeps getting better and better, it seems- first it was free weekend WiFi, and now it's LC, Xzibit, and Spongebob right on your phone; life sure is sweet.
Cingular Video debuts
Verizon's got V CAST, Sprint's got Sprint TV, so where's Cingular's offering? Why, it's here: the nation's largest carrier launched their first two 3G handsets yesterday, the LG CU320 and Samsung's ZX10, is also officially concurrently launching Cingular Video. It'll take the shape of a 3-5 minute clip service with video streams from 18 channels, including the likes of NBC and ESPN. Did we mention it's free to customers of their unlimited Broadband Connect data package? Because it is, and it's a good thing, too -- if you're gonna go walled-garden-mobile-TV, at least make make it free to your customers, right? And for those who want yet another feature to pay for monthly can plunk down the extra $5 and pick up access to those HBO clips. Guess this'll be a great experiment to determine whether or not people really do want to watch short-form video programming on their mobiles.
TiVo Mobile: schedule recordings from your cellphone
You may have seen reports that TiVo subscribers will be able to schedule up recordings directly from their Verizon (and then others 60 days after launch) cellphone beginning this summer. Dubbed TiVo Mobile, this is the latest feature introduced to help TiVo differentiate itself from onslaught of generic PVRs. Sounds good until we get to the price. MocoNews is reporting that TiVo will charge a $5 per month premium for this service on top of their $12.95 per month subscription. Huh? No thanks, though we might give Orb's free TiVo Everywhere service a try.[Via Zatz Not Funny]
BenQ to rollout first DVB-H handset at CeBIT
BenQ falls in line with LG, Samsung, and Nokia among others by announcing their first DVB-H handset. Developed by the good folks at Siemens, the handset not only allows punters to view that sweet, sweet digital TeeVee but record it as well. Expected to launch in June just in time for squinting at the FIFA World Cup across Europe and the rest of the non-US world for that matter. Sorry, no pics, but the device will be on display at CeBIT (which starts Thursday) where we’ll try to catch a hands-on for ya’ll. Afterall, there's always the chance that it'll show up here.
BenQ Siemens Hermes B is now the E61
More details (but not many) have emerged about the BenQ Siemens Hermes B musicphone that we saw last month, including the fact that it's shed its mythological moniker in favor of the shorter and snappier E61 (no relation to the "Nokiaberry" of the same name). The E61 will sport a rather ho-hum VGA camera (seriously, what's the point?) and miniSD slot, but a rather innovative set of media controls that sit on the top of the handset, allowing for easy in-pocket operation. Sorry, that's all we got for you- but we have a feeling that you probably ended up here accidentally while searching for the much-hotter Nokia model anyway, so no biggie.[Via Slashphone and Phone Arena]
HP: mobile TV not ready for prime time
HP has weighed in on the issue of whether consumers are ready to watch TV on their cellphones, and has answered with a resounding "no." The company has declared that it has no plans to add any 3G features -- especially video -- to its smartphones until at least next year, with one of the company's Asia-Pacific execs declaring that a cellphone screen is "too small for 'Desperate Housewives'… [and] you won't be watching a full football or cricket match." Of course, given that HP doesn't manufacture its own smartphones, what the company thinks may have less impact than what features companies like HTC decide to include on their smartphones. And, whether HP likes it or not, Windows Mobile smartphones are already video-capable, even if downloading via non-3G networks makes getting those vids a chore.
Sony Ericsson MP001 music dock
Sony Ericsson has expanded the speaker options available for its music phones with the MP001, a dock for the company's Walkman phones that includes a 25-watt speaker system, and integrated charger. We're still not sold on the idea of using a cellphone as our main source of at-home music, though if the price is right and this doubles as a speaker phone, we'll give it some serious thought.
Samsung gets busy: T719, P857, D407, T609, Z560, X810 cellphones
Phonescoop has the er, scoop on the line-up of Spring cellphones due from Samsung. In addition to that fat collection announced at 3GSM, four new handhelds are due out in the US (T719, P857, D407, T609) with an additional two heading overseas (Z560, X810). Of note is the thin T719 clamshell (pictured) sporting the actual BlackBerry email interface and even the SureType text keypad design like handsets from RIM. Meanwhile, the P857 should bring a 3 megapixel digital camera to Cingular users. The Z560, then is destined to bring HSDPA to Europe in another thin clam which also features a 2 megapixel camera, big ol' display and touch-sensitive controls on the outside for direct music playback. Click the read link for all the deetz from Phonescoop -- click-on for more pics.
Samsung's SGH-i310 8GB Windows Mobile 5.0 musicphone
Sometimes, just sometimes you do get what you ask for. Introducing the SGH-i310 smartphone from Samsung with 8 freakin' 8GB of capacity. Not only does this latest object of our lustful ways double the capacity of their previous i300x musicphone, Samsung has also bettered on the OS by (finally) dropping in Windows Mobile 5.0. Not just that kids, this pup also throws down a 2 megapixel shooter with flash, video recording and playback, TV-out, and microSD slot if you just gotta roll larger than 8GB. You also get USB 2.0 support for moving those AAC/MP3/WMA files on the quick and Bluetooth with A2DP stereo audio support if those built-in dual-speakers just ain't cuttin' it. On display starting this week at CeBIT with release (in Europe) during the second half of ’06. [Via SamsungHQ, Thanks AFD]
Sling Media VP discusses the implications of 3G service agreements
Sling Media VP of Market Development Jeremy Toeman has weighed in on the vague wording in certain carrier service agreements (most notably Verizon's) which seem to stipulate that multimedia streaming services -- like Sling's upcoming SlingPlayer Mobile -- violate the terms of service for allowable uses of 3G. Toeman posits that the wording of some service agreements could be interpreted "as meaning that viewing anything other than plain hypertext is against the terms of service," adding that "it appears to be set up so the carriers can deem things appropriate as they see fit." If carriers do decide to play hardball in limiting certain broadband activities, this could mean that the mobile Sling service might conceivably be restricted to WiFi-only use by WM5 device owners. While we don't really agree with Toeman's assertion that "SlingPlayer Mobile is a complementary product" to the carriers' proprietary video offerings, he convincingly argues that Sling- and Orb-like services, combined with Windows Mobile's newfound push-email functionality, could help lure RIM-devotees away from their precious Crackberries. And despite what has been labeled as initial resistance by the major wireless players, Toeman feels that "it's certainly conceivable that we will have an offering in conjunction with a mobile carrier down the road."
Neuros MPEG4 Recorder brings TV to your iPod
So, you're sick of waiting for the shows you're interested in to make their way to the iTunes Music Store? Or maybe you're just sick of paying $0.99 per episode. Then check out the MPEG4 Recorder 2 by Neuros. It's a nifty little dohickey that connects to your TV and records programming in (you guessed it) MPEG 4 format onto compact flash or secure digital memory cards. Once you've grabbed your show, you pop the card into a card reader, drag the file into iTunes, sync up your iPod and you're all set. For a complete step-by-step guide for using the Neuros recorder with an iPod, look here.We haven't tried this, but it certainly looks interesting. You can pick one up for $149.99US.
Consumers are/aren't hot for mobile TV, Part II
In what we're hoping gets no one wants turned into Engadget Mobile's version of the "cellphones are dangerous/not dangerous" saga, a new study released by International Data Corp (IDC) of Internet users in Australia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, China, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan claims that less that 10% of cellphone owners use non-voice features other than text messaging. This study would seem to corroborate an earlier one of U.S. Internet users by InsightExpress showing that less than 25% of Americans express an interest in watching TV on their cellphones- but also contradicts a Nokia-sponsored study of Europeans, whose optimistic results could have nothing to do with the fact the Nokia wants to sell people DVB-H handsets. The IDC study also showed, unsurprisingly, that SMS remains a popular feature among the mobile crowd, with 65% of those surveyed sending text messages every day.[Via textually]
MyVu HMD makes nice with Vodafone's Toshiba TX60
Vodafone Japan, who seem precariously close to selling their entire Japanese network and closing up shop, showed no indication of being on the ropes Friday, as smiling executives introduced MicroOptical Corp's MyVu head-mounted display for the new Toshiba TX60 mediaphone. As you probably recall, the MyVu glasses (which were used in a similar capacity by Orange France for their Samsung SGH-D600 and also work with the 5G iPod) sport a pair of QVGA displays equivalent to to a 12-inch screen viewed from three feet away, and also feature earbuds for the full home theater experience on-the-go. The Toshiba phone is basically the same as their V803T, which was the company's first 3G handset for the Japanese market, and comes standard with a 2.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a 1GB miniSD card for content storage.
Orange signs Sony Ericsson, Christina Aguilera
Sultry songstress Christina Aguilera has signed on to shill for Orange Europe as part of their campaign to market Sony Ericsson's candybar W810i and clamshell W300i Walkman phones. The deal with SE gives Orange exclusive rights to a European rollout of these handsets -- both quad-band GSM/EDGE models -- with the W810i's 2.0 megapixel camera giving it the edge in terms of feature sets. Aguilera, who like the Walkman mobiles is part of the Sony family (she records for Sony BMG), will provide Orange and its customers with exclusive content such as ringtones, song downloads, remixes, and videos, available on the Orange World site. No word yet on when the SE mediaphones will be available, how many euros they will set you back, or the level of nudity we can expect in Aguilera's Orange commercials.
Sony Ericsson K790/K800 reviewed
Want a review of the Sony Ericsson K790/K800 Cyber-shot phone launched on Tuesday, we mean a real review? Well the kids over at mobile-review just released the final installment of a five (!) part series on this tri-band GSM/EDGE cellphone (the K790 anyway) set to hit the US in July. Yeah, the form factor is "acceptable" with both features and functionality all generally impressive, and a screen that is vastly superior to the K750 -- or in the words of the editor, like going from "old lamp TV-set to latest Plasma model." Ok, but what you really want to know is how did that 3.2 megapixel CMOS shooter hold up, right? They found the photos to be on par what "an average" point-and-shoot digital camera with the caveat that this is still a phone first, and then a camera. So no manual focus, no ISO adjustment, and image stabilization is only activated in one case -- document-mode. However, it does come with a proper xenon flash instead of ordinary LEDs like most phones and the pictures are far superior to those of the K750. See the images for yourself in part-three to make your own conclusion. Overall, the reviewers believe the K790/K800 will be "a bestseller" -- we tend to agree.
