vodaphone
Latest
European mobile carriers plot against Google and Yahoo!
Apparently the Brits and other European wireless telco carriers want to drop the bomb on Yank mobile search engines like Yahoo! and Google -- so much that Vodafone, France Telecom, Telefonica, Deutsche Telekom, Hutchison Whampoa, Telecom Italia and, gasp, America's Cingular are plotting to try and supplant the mobile search services of Google and Yahoo! from their customer's handsets. You know you're performing more Google searches from your wireless 10-key than from your ultra-fast PC, right? Those Europeans are a tad more mobile-focused compared to us here across the pond, so it comes as no surprise really that the big European wireless carriers want to capture all those mobile searches using...their own search service. We're not quite sure how they'll index the mobile (and real) web for all those customers to compete with the years-ahead services from Google and Yahoo!, but we wish them well at 3GSM next week when they pitch this to, well, whoever will listen.
Sagem starts off year with four-pack of phones
Sagem's more or less a non-starter in these parts, but the French concern does good business in Europe and kicks off '07 with four new pieces to satisfy the cheapskate in all of us. Starting from the left, the my501x has been available for a few months now but is inexplicably being trumpeted as a fresh model with Bluetooth and a 1.3 megapixel cam for £60 ($120). Next up, the rather eye-catching my202c keeps things simple, forgoing an external display and camera but sucking a mere £30 ($60) from wallets, purses, and carryalls. The my401c offers Bluetooth and 1.3 megapixels of shootin' power in the buyer's choice of black / silver or silver / pink for £50 ($100), and finally, the my215x does on the light and cheap, weighing in under 85 grams and running £40 ($80). Look for the whole range to be available now on European shelves.[Via Shiny Shiny - my202c and my401c, my501x and my215x]
LiMo Foundation launched to turn up heat on mobile Linux
Last time we checked in with these guys, papers had been signed, hands had been shaked, and promises had been thrown around, but that's about it. No product, no slick website -- just a handful of companies looking to come to some consensus on just how to get open source to the phone-toting masses. We still don't have any pretty phones or screen shots to look at here, but at least the committment is still going strong with the so-called "LiMo Foundation" officially launching this month. Star players include Motorola, Samsung, NTT DoCoMo, NEC, Panasonic, and Vodafone, so there's definitely some weight getting thrown around; outsiders can join the good times for anywhere from $40,000 to $800,000 depending on the amount of pampering and privilege demanded. LiMo will apparently be looking to recruit a few good companies to join its merry band of Linux promponents this month at 3GSM (and at those membership rates, why wouldn't they?) so we're cautiously bullish on some sort of open platform eventually getting birthed here. Whether the late '07 production goal will hold true, though, is another question entirely.
Microsoft, Google, and others developing code of conduct
It's not often you see a group of companies like this working together on something, but Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, and Vodafone look to have put aside their differences and sat down with each other in an effort to address concerns of privacy rights and freedom of expression relating to their various business dealings (most prominently those with China), joining with a group of nongovernmental organizations to develop a code of conduct that each will follow when such issues arise. While there's no indication when the code of conduct will be finalized or go into effect, the groups working to develop it certainly lead quite a bit of credibility to it, with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School, Business for Social Responsibility, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Human Rights Watch, and Reporters Without Borders all having a hand in its drafting. What's not so clear, however, is what, if any, consequences the companies would face should they violate the code, only that they'll be held "accountable for their actions."
Vodafone launches trio of McLaren handsets from Sharp / Samsung
While we caught wind of Vodafone's plans to release a Mercedes McLaren-edition of Sharp's 770SH during our stint at CES, it seems that the carrier has now gone official with its plans, and tossed in two more special edition handsets for good measure. Partnering with the McLaren Formula 1 racing team, the duo has slapped that silver and red branding on the Sharp GX29 clamshell and the Samsung SGH-Z520M slider, and although we doubt the specs will change on any of these three mobiles, owners are sure to get a few glances from the updated aesthetics, and racing aficionados will appreciate the specialized Formula 1 news that will be delivered through Vodafone Live! throughout the season. Currently, details are scant with regard to pricing, specs, and availability, but we're sure it won't be too long before Vodafone offers its newfangled trio up to get a few motors running. Click on through for a few more glamor shots.[Via BenzInsider, thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sharp 770SH MILILITER gets McLaren makeover on Vodafone
McLaren isn't a stranger to spiffing up an otherwise run-of-the-mill handset, but the whole "automobile-electronics" partnership is most commonly associated with the bevy of high octane lappies out there. Nevertheless, it looks like Vodafone has picked up Sharp's Mercedes McLaren-branded 770SH, and aside from sporting an ultrathin, sexy enclosure dashed in red, silver, and black, it also boasts a central LCD on the lid, 320 x 240 inner screen, 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, a paltry 5MB of internal memory, miniSD slot, MP3 playback, Vodafone Live compatibility, USB connectivity, and 220 minutes of reported talk time. Although the luxurious title may force you to ponder which fixed assets you'll need to liquidate to afford all this, thankfully the pricetag is rather reasonable, as you can apparently pick this gem up in about two weeks for just €69 ($91) with a new agreement. Click on through for a more snapshots.[Via Xataka]
SmarTone-Vodafone gets Toshiba TX80, TS32
The goodness coming out of Hong Kong's ITU Telecom World 2006 continues, and this time it's Toshiba flaunting the hardware. Their new TX80 and TS32 are both destined for Hong Kong's own SmarTone-Vodafone, and Toshiba seems pretty confident about the launches -- the senior VP of its mobile group even went so far to say that these are "just the phones that people in Hong Kong want and need." We're a little skeptical about the claim, though, seeing how the TS32 doesn't even do 3G, instead topping out with EDGE on the 900, 1800, and 1900MHz bands. Other features include a 1.3 megapixel cam, microSD slot, and Bluetooth in the buyer's choice of Lunar Graphite, Desert Gold, and Midnight Purple. The TX80 is the more exciting of the pair, bringing 3G data, dedicated music controls, and a more respectable 3.2 megapixel shooter. Both should be available now across Hong Kong, though we don't envision much of a rush for either phone. Sorry, Toshiba![Via I4U News]
LG KU950 does DVB-H for Vodafone
Vodafone already has a partnership with the UK's Sky TV to bring live television to handsets via 3G data; it must be going pretty well, seeing how this here LG KU950 will apparently be one of the first handsets to bring Sky to Voda customers via DVB-H. Unlike UMTS, DVB-H is a downlink-only technology, suggesting that Vodafone might be a bit... shall we say, concerned at the long-term implications of customers getting their TV fix via the traditional data pipes. We don't have any solid details on the KU950, but the pivoting slider features a front-facing cam (meaning 3G is a sure thing), the screen apparently clocks in at a TV-friendly 2.4 inches, and it'll apparently run €99 when it hits next year -- not a bad first foray into the brave new world of digital mobile TV for Vodafone, if we do say so ourselves.[Thanks, Tony]
Vodafone boils support down to three platforms
Sorry, SavaJe fans -- if you call Vodafone home, it looks like you're out of luck. Hoping to reduce integration, development, and support costs and speed up time to market, Vodafone has announced plans to purge their lineup of anything that doesn't run on Windows Mobile, Series 60, or Linux. The streamlining will take place over the next five years, during which a separate agreement announced with Microsoft aims to "integrate Vodafone's applications and services with Microsoft's software" -- we're not exactly sure what that means, but we think it has something to do with getting Vodafone-branded Windows Mobile devices into users' hands with a little more hustle than everyone's accustomed to. The first visible evidence of this grand plan for standardization should apparently rear its head in the first half of 2007 with some Samsung hardware. The i520, perhaps?[Via PDA247]
Motorola MOTORIZR Z3 now on Vodafone Germany
With the MAXX and V3xx both coming out of the woodwork recently and into customers' hands, it's already been a helluva week for Motorola launches -- but there's no rest for the wicked. The MOTORIZR Z3, alternatively known in some circles as the RAZR slider (but not that RAZR slider), has gone ahead and dropped on Vodafone Germany for the reasonable sum of €100 on contract (about $128). Though the RIZR falls behind its launch-mates with nothing more than old skool EDGE data to its name, it's a solid alternative to the K1 KRZR for those that prefer sliders and just can't bear to give up that Moto look. Here's hoping the Voda launch is only the first of many in the next few weeks, eh?[Thanks, Jewburg]
Motorola "Norman" (aka Q Pro) in the flesh
We've suspected that an upgraded Q (sometimes referred to as the Q Pro) was in the works, and it now looks like a Hungarian operation has managed to score the first live shots of the ultra-anticipated device. Bearing a Vodafone logo on its posterior, it seems safe to say that the smartphone (codenamed "Norman" of all things -- though the original Q's "Franklin" wasn't any better) is destined for Europe; whether it'll make the jump to US shores remains unknown, but we'd love to see this monster live to do battle against the i607 "Blackjack" on Cingular in the coming months. The Norman's spec sheet is mostly speculation at this point, but besides support for UMTS and HSDPA, it'll rock a flattened keyboard (directly addressing a major complaint of the original) and a 2 megapixel cam. If we close our eyes and click our heels together three times, it might pack WiFi too -- but no promises.[Via the::unwired, thanks Gwailo00852]
Softbank to undercut rivals, offer most mobiles free of charge
Softbank -- the folks who could be (but probably aren't) in cahoots with Apple -- is pulling out all the stops to lure customers away from those larger carriers in Japan. Soon after "vowing" to undercut any prices offered by rival firms NTT DoCoMo and KDDI, the little guy has now gone one step further by offering free handsets at the point of sale. Of course, there's always a catch, and customers looking at high-end phones will be faced with "a monthly fee" for the luxury of toting the latest and greatest, and will also be forced to sign a "one or two year" contract. But before you get too down on your luck, Softbank estimated that a "digital TV phone" would only run customers about ¥390 ($3.30) per month, which seems awfully cheap when Verizon somehow charges even more to automatically restore your contact list.
Vodafone to bundle Mission: Impossible III with Nokia N93
If you're not already streaming movies to your less-than-ideal mobile display, or still toting that awkward Sharp 905SH to pick up Japanese TV broadcasts, Vodafone has an offer sure to make anyone any remaining Tom Cruise fans happy. Reportedly part of a holiday promotion to get more Nokia N93's in the hands of consumers, Vodafone will be including "a copy of Mission: Impossible III" on a 512MB miniSD card with the purchase of the N93 (and presumably a lengthy contract). The film will supposedly "run at 25fps" and support "rewind, fast forward, stop and resume, just like a proper DVD." The most intriguing bit, however, isn't the fact that a free half-gigabyte miniSD card sounds entirely more appealing than a played-out action film, but "you can also offload the flick onto your PC, and use the card for your own movies afterwards." Regardless of who seemingly gave Vodafone the thumbs-up to deliver the major motion picture sans DRM, we're just waiting in tense anticipation to see this unhampered goodness hit elsewhere.
Vodafone, TomTom partner to create real-time traffic data network
Everyone who's ever been stuck in traffic always would love to know exactly what the road conditions are like. Sure there's those news radio stations that interrupt every three minutes to tell you how the freeway you're on is totally backed up, but those often don't tell you how to route yourself around the problem. TomTom and Vodafone have just partnered to create a new type of commercial traffic data system based on thousands of mobile phones that will describe traffic conditions in real-time. The idea is that by using the regular signaling information between the handset and the base station, the location and speed of the handset can be determined at any given time. Combine that information across a region among thousands of drivers who become data points, and a picture emerges of how backed a given freeway really is -- enabling TomTom to provide detours much more quickly than previously possible. The program is set to be launched in the Netherlands in the second half of 2007 -- so for all you folks who commute into the Dutch metropolises of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, you may want to renew your Vodafone subscription pronto.[Via Reg Hardware]
Vodafone VDA IV passes through FCC
At first blush you might think that this slick little number is an HTC vintage, but you'd be wrong. ASUSTeK has a new model due soon in Europe, the VDA IV, a very decent looking Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone device featuring UMTS, tri-band GSM, 128MB flash memory, 64MB SDARM, a 2.2-inch QVGA display, microSD slot, Bluetooth 1.2, USB 1.1 (uhh, ok), 3.5mm headphone jack (huzzah!), 1100mAh battery, and a diminutive 110 x 47 x 18mm body (4.3 x 1.85 x 0.7-inch). We can handle it. The FCC, as always, has the full rundown.
Vodafone's Treo 750v reviewed
If you put things into perspective, being the first Windows Mobile-enabled Treo to be available in Europe is hardly the greatest of accolades. But for those of us who haven't had access to such a device before the 750v's release, it's accompanied by a subtle sigh of relief. Unsurprisingly, The Unwired's review of the phone focuses primarily on the software aspects of the 750v, with the reviewer finding that Palm's customization of the WinMo 5 interface makes the device more intuitive compared to untweaked phones; a bundled threaded messaging application sweetens the deal further. The one particularly apparent area which the reviewer didn't specifically mention is the size of the device -- in comparison to the HTC Excalibur, the 750v appears positively obese. Even more telling is the comparison to the spec superior HTC Hermes (2 megapixel camera, HSDPA, 2.8 inch QVGA display, WiFi, faster processor, videoconferencing camera, etc.) which appears to share very similar dimensions. In the conclusion the reviewer stated that he would personally buy the 750v had the phone shipped with WiFi capability -- the lack of this key feature coupled with an overweight design and limited specs (including the usual crippled 240x240 resolution) severely dampens the initial positive points. As is far too typical for Palm, the 750v's excellent software implementation doesn't live up to the phone's chunky and dated hardware.
Sagem intros my600V candybar
Sagem's got a fresh new handset exclusively for Vodafone customers (one of many they'll soon be seeing), recently announcing its my600V handset -- apparently the company's first 3G phone for the UK market. This one boasts a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth connectivity, a music player with support for MP3, AAC, and AAC+ files, 16MB of built-in memory, and a microSD slot to satisfy anyone with a heftier media appetite. Battery life is said to clock in at four hours of talk time and 400 hours standby. If any of that's enough to seal the deal for you, you'll be able to snag this phone for £70 ($130) later this month.
Treo 750v: Unlocked
Everyone knows that Vodafone has an exclusive on the Treo 750, right? Well, if you can't wait and want to use your Treo 750v on Cingular (or the UMTS carrier of your choice), click on to see what we did. But before we get to that, we should also mention that we have BlackBerry Connect on the Treo 750, and yes folks, it does work. It works flawlessly! Click on for more pics!
Princeton's PMB-BP18 external battery pack for USB devices
Whether in the form of compressed images spun from disk or received over the air, portable video is a battery killer. Toss in a bit of WiFi and Bluetooth wireless to grind modern handhelds to a halt in just a few hours. This unfortunate truth makes sad chunky slabs of plastic and lithium polymer a must for those of you in need of some extra go-go juice. The Princeton PMB-BP18 is a 75-gram external battery pack capable of re-charging any portable USB device such as cellphone or iPod when away from the mains. What's more, Princeton touts the device's ability to charge the typical Japanese cellphone (via accompanying au and DoCoMo cables) twice before the PMB-BP18 external battery requires a refill. Sorry, that's an adjustable stand, not the backside of an LCD you're looking at, which somehow manages prop up your phone or mp3 player for viewing without the device sliding into your lap. Available now in Japan for ¥4,980 or about 44 US bucks.
BlackBerry Pearl coming soon on Vodafone
While we still may not have an official answer for our trackball woes, RIM's off to the races planning their next Pearl release -- this time around, Vodafone gets the honors. Styling looks to be identical to its American T-Mobile cousin (save for that little Voda logo down there, of course), and the guts carry over as well, meaning our British friends will be no better off when it comes to 3G data. No word on the exact day these things will materialize on store shelves, but Vodafone is more than happy to take your pre-order now for £127.66 (about $240).[Thanks, Chris H.]
