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Option's GlobeSurfer 3G HSDPA router
Option's announced the latest entrant into the increasingly hot 3G WiFi router space, their new GlobeSurfer 3G HSDPA. The GlobeSurfer 3G HSDPA features an 1.8Mbps HSDPA / UMTS interface, 802.11b/g WiFi, and all the standards (Ethernet, SPI firewall, NAT, DMZ, VPN, DHCP, SNMP, etc.) and a few goodies (UPnP, web-based SMS client). No word yet on price or release, but there are two prime-candidate HSDPA networks we can think of off the top of our heads: Cingular's US network, and T-Mobile's upcoming German network upgrade (and that's only if Option doesn't exercise their option to release independent of a carrier).[Via Geekzone]
Samsung announces 1GB MMCmicro card
A 1GB MMCmicro card isn't exactly earth shattering for a variety of reasons, but you kind of have to appreciate Samsung's persistence in the format. We're more than a year out since they announced their first MMCmicro cards, though, and we've still yet to see any decent phones that use it -- but hey, at least you'll have to wait until later on in 2006 to get your hands on one of these little guys. Seriously though, are they pushing MMCmicro on us to prove a point or something?
Nokia Bluetooth audio adapter coming?
So, while the FCC was busy approving Nokia's N91 musicphone, it looks like the Feds also gave their blessing to the company's AD-42W Wireless Audio Gateway, which allows the phone (and, presumably, any other Bluetooth device with A2DP support) to transmit audio over Bluetooth to a stereo system or powered speakers. Nothing too exciting here; just a box with RCA jacks. Still, we'd like to give it a try, especially with other Bluetooth audio products that might be coming down the pike.
Blueye merges Bluetooth phones with audio players
Unless you use your cellphone to listen to music (and we know you don't, even if you're flashing the SLVR), or use a hydra-headed contraption like the Plantronics MX-100 headphones, you've probably missed a few calls when you've been cranking the tunes. At the very least, you've had to deal with the dreaded headset shuffle, as you frantically swap earbuds or cram your phone over your ear. UK company Mavizen has come up with what may be a better solution, in the form of the Blueye, a Bluetooth device that you connect to the earphone jack of an audio player and then pair with any Bluetooth phone. You then connect a headset to the Blueye, and listen to your music. When a call comes in, Blueye mutes the music and routes the call directly to the headset. Of course, there are some tradeoffs: the music is just muted, not paused, and you're stuck using a wired headset with your Bluetooth phone. But unless you really do use a musicphone as your main source of sounds (and we're not saying there's anything wrong with that), this could be reasonable solution. Or you can just keep missing calls. That's what voicemail's for, right?
Sony's Memory Stick Micro to debut in March
We were hoping it was just a bad dream when we heard last year that Sony was launching yet another version of the Memory Stick. But it looks like the company was serious about it, and you can soon begin adding Memory Stick Micro (aka M2) cards to your collection of Sony-specific media. Like MicroSD, MiniSD and TransFlash, M2 is designed to be used in cellphones, and chances are good that if you pick up any Sony Ericsson phone announced from now on (including today's newcomer, the M600) you'll have no choice but to go with M2 if you want to add storage. And chances are even better that you'll never see it used in any other manufacturer's products.
Remocon controls appliances by cellphone, sort of
Controlling your home appliances from anywhere via cellphone sounds great, but we suspect that the way NTT DoCoMo is going about it in Japan isn't exactly going to be a huge success. The telco is marketing something called the Remocon (as in Remote Control) Saucer, a ¥12,000 ($102) device that lets you turn appliances on and off by cellphone -- if, that is, you're willing to pay for either a second cellphone or wireless card to hook up to it. Once you've set that up, you need to make a video call every time you want to send a command. Sounds like DoCoMo's main goal is to make a killing on the fees, which isn't likely to happen -- unless, of course, you can also use this as a remote spycam, in which case, DoCoMo will clean up.
50 puts EV-DO on a USB key
Finally, there's a convenient way to connect to EV-DO networks with a laptop that doesn't have a PCMCIA slot (like, say, 12-inch Powerbooks). The CCU-550 from Korean manufacturer CMOTech looks like a basic USB flash drive, but is actually an EV-DO modem with maximum throughput of 2.4Mbps. Unfortunately, you'll need to live in Korea to use it. Sure, you can try to import one to the US on your own. But without the blessing of your service provider (meaning Verizon or Sprint), this is just a pretty paperweight.[Via Akihabara News]
Vodafone to roll out HSDPA PC card
If you're in Vodafone's market area and want better wireless throughput from your laptop, help is on the way in the form of Vodafone's new HSDPA card, which can support data rates of up to 1.8Mbps on HSDPA networks, and can fall back to UMTS and GPRS/EDGE if no HSDPA network is available. Okay, it's really just a rebrand of the Option HSDPA card (pictured above), but chances are, if you're in an area where you can use this, you don't care whose name is on it. You just want it. Now.
360 RF adaptor
It may be a bit of a niche market, but we can think of the odd scenario when you might need to hook up your Xbox 360 to something so ancient it doesn't support the shipped cable. Whether through necessity or a lust for retro gaming experiences, if you want to use RF to connect your console to your TV, this accessory will do the trick. Whatever next -- a smoke signal generator?
