Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Softbank 707SC by Samsung has arrived

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Remarkable 11.9mm slim body
The body and buttons are both flat without unnecessary protrusions, and the handset weighs only 93g. With the 2-megapixel rotatable camera on the hinge, the design is both aesthetic and functional. Enjoy CD tracks via wireless headphones*1
Compatible with Bluetooth® stereo headsets (sold separately) for wireless enjoyment of tracks transferred to the 707SC using a computer. The 130MB of internal memory can be used to store your favorite songs. Includes a translation function useful for overseas travel
Features translation and speech support for useful phrases in English, Chinese, and Korean. Also includes the "Tri-lingual" function for displays in Japanese, English, and Korean. PDF data and Word/Excel/PowerPoint® files can be displayed*2
The 707SC can display files often used in business such as Microsoft® Word/PowerPoint® and PDF data. A convenient way to check files while on business trips without carrying around a computer.

Major Functions:
QVGA LCD
2-Megapixel Camera
Music Player
Bluetooth®
E-Comics
S! Keitai Video
S! Appli
Chaku-Uta Full® / Chaku-Uta®
Video Call
Global Roaming Service

Color Variation



Specification:
Weight: 93g
Dimensions: W51.4 × H102.5 × D11.9mm (when closed, excludes projections)
Talk Time: 165min. (Japan/W-CDMA) / 310min. (GSM)
Standby Time: 255hrs. (Japan/W-CDMA) / 300hrs. (GSM)
Charge Time: 120min.

Figures are approximate.
Accessories
Standard Set
Handset + Accessory kit (Open price)
Accessory Kit
Battery Pack
Rapid Charger
Stereo Earphone
Stereo Earphone Conversion Cable with Microphone
USB Cable
Utility Software (sample)
Display

Monday, February 26, 2007

New phone updates and Specs.


SE W880
Network UMTS / GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
Announced 2007, February
Size Dimensions: 103 x 46.5 x 9.5 mm
Weight:71 g
Display Type:TFT, 256K colors
Size:240 x 320 pixels, 1.8 inches
- Wallpapers, screensavers
Ringtones Type:Polyphonic, MP3
Customization Composer, download, order now
Vibration:Yes
Memory:Phonebook 1000 x 20 fields, Photo call
Call records 30 received, dialed and missed calls
Card slot Memory Stick Micro (M2), 1 GB card included
- 16 MB internal memory
Data:GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
HSCSD, EDGE, 3G 384 kbps, WLAN
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
Infrared port USB v2.0
Features:Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
Browser WAP 2.0/HTML (NetFront), RSS reader
Games Yes + downloadable, special offer
Colors Flame Black, Steel Silver
Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(QCIF); secondary VGA videocall camera
- Java MIDP 2.0
- Walkman player 2.0
- TrackID music recognition
- T9
- Image viewer
- Picture editor
- Picture blogging
- Organiser
- Built-in handsfree
- Voice memo/dial
Battery:Standard battery, Li-Po 950 mAh (BST-33)
Stand-by:Up to 425 h
Talk time:Up to 6 h 30 min


SE K550
General Network GSM 850 / GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
Announced 2007, February
Status Available
Size Dimensions 102 x 46 x 14 mm
Weight 85 g
Display Type TFD, 256K colors
Size 176 x 220 pixels, 1.9 inches
- Wallpapers, screensavers
Ringtones Type Polyphonic, MP3
Customization Composer, download, order now
Vibration Yes
Memory Phonebook 1000 x 20 fields, Photo call
Call records 30 received, dialed and missed calls
Card slot Memory Stick Micro (M2)
- 64 MB internal memory
Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
HSCSD Yes
EDGE Yes
3G No
WLAN No
Bluetooth Yes, v2.0
Infrared port Yes
USB Yes, v2.0
Features Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, RSS feeds
Games Yes + downloadable, special offer
Colors Jet Black, Pearl White
Camera 2 MP, 1632x1224 pixels, autofocus, video(QCIF), flash
- Java MIDP 2.0
- FM radio with RDS
- MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player
- TrackID music recognition
- T9
- Adobe Photoshop Album
- Picture blogging
- Organiser
- Built-in handsfree
- Voice memo/dial
Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion
Stand-by Up to 350 h
Talk time Up to 7 h


SE Z310
General Network GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
Announced 2006, December
Status Available
Size Dimensions 87 x 46 x 24.5 mm
Weight 90 g
Display Type STN, 65K colors
Size 128 x 160 pixels
- Second external mono display (96 x 64 pixels)
- Reflective exterior surface
- Wallpapers, screensavers
Ringtones Type Polyphonic (72 channels), MP3, AAC
Customization Composer, download, order now
Vibration Yes
Memory Phonebook 1000 x 27 fields, Photo call
Call records 30 received, dialed and missed calls
Card slot No
- 14 MB internal memory
Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
HSCSD No
EDGE Yes
3G No
WLAN No
Bluetooth Yes
Infrared port Yes
USB Yes
Features Messaging SMS, EMS, MMS, Email
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML(NetFront), RSS feeds
Games Yes + downloadable, special offer
Colors Jetset Black, Lush Pink, Brush Bronze
Camera VGA, 640x480 pixels
- Java MIDP 2.0
- MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+ player
- T9
- Image viewer
- Picture editor
- Organiser
- Voice memo
- Built-in handsfree
Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion 780 mAh (BST-36)
Stand-by Up to 300 h
Talk time Up to 7 h


Nokia E65
General Network UMTS / GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
Announced 2007, February
Status Available
Size Dimensions 105 x 49 x 15.5 mm, 74 cc
Weight 115 g
Display Type TFT, 16M colors
Size 240 x 320 pixels
- Five-way scroll key
- Downloadable themes
Ringtones Type Polyphonic
Customization Download, order now
Vibration Yes
Memory Phonebook Yes
Call records Yes
Card slot microSD (TransFlash), hotswap, buy memory
- 50 MB shared memory
Data GPRS Class 32
HSCSD Yes
EDGE Class 32, 296 / 177.6 kbits
3G Yes, 384 kbps
WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11b/g, VoIP over WLAN
Bluetooth Yes, v1.2
Infrared port Yes
USB Yes, Pop-Port
Features OS Symbian OS 9.1, Series 60 UI
Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML
Games Yes + Java downloadable, special offer
Colors Red, Black
Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video(CIF)
- Java MIDP 2.0
- Push to talk
- MP3/AAC/MPEG4 player
- Office applications
- T9
- Voice command/memo
- PIM including calendar, to-do list and printing
- Integrated handsfree
Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion 1000 mAh
Stand-by Up to 265 h
Talk time Up to 6 h


LG KE970 shine
General Network GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
Announced 2007, January
Status Available
Size Dimensions 99.8 x 50.6 x 13.8 mm
Weight 125 g
Display Type TFT, 256K colors
Size 240 x 320 pixels, 2.2 inches
- Mirror effect screen, full metal body
- Downloadable wallpapers
Ringtones Type Polyphonic (40 channels), MP3
Customization Download
Vibration Yes
Memory Phonebook 1000 entries, Photocall
Call records 50 dialed, 50 received, 50 missed calls
Card slot microSD (TransFlash), buy memory
- 50 MB internal memory
Data GPRS Yes
HSCSD No
EDGE Yes
3G No
WLAN No
Bluetooth Yes
Infrared port No
USB Yes
Features Messaging SMS, EMS, MMS, Email
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML
Games Yes + download, special offer
Colors Silver
Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video, flash
- Java MIDP 2.0
- MP3/AAC++/3GP/MPEG4 player
- T9
- Organiser
- Voice memo
- Document viewer
Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion 800 mAh
Stand-by Up to 280 h
Talk time Up to 3 h


LG KE820
General Network GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900
Announced 2006, October
Status Available
Size Dimensions 95 x 52 x 9.9 mm
Weight 73 g
Display Type TFT, 256K colors
Size 220 x 176 pixels
- Downloadable wallpapers
Ringtones Type Polyphonic
Customization Composer, Download
Vibration Yes
Memory Phonebook 1000 entries
Call records 40 dialed, 40 received, 40 missed calls
Card slot microSD (TransFlash), 128 MB card included, buy memory
- 16 MB shared memory
Data GPRS Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
HSCSD No
EDGE Yes
3G No
WLAN No
Bluetooth Yes
Infrared port No
USB Yes
Features Messaging SMS, EMS, MMS, Email
Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML
Games Yes, special offer
Colors Black
Camera 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video, flash
- Java MIDP 2.0
- MP3 player
- FM radio
- T9
- Organiser
- Voice memo

Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion 750 mAh
Stand-by Up to 250 h
Talk time Up to 2 h 20 min


T-Mobile Nokia 5300
Size: 3.6 x 1.9 x 0.8 inches
Weight: 3.8 ounces
Included battery: 860 mAh
Talk time: up to 3 hours
Standby time: up to 9 days
Band (frequency): 850 MHz;1800 MHz;1900 MHz

Included Accessories:
Battery
Charger
Hands-Free Headset
USB Cable
Stereo headphones
Stereo headphone adapter
SIM Card
1 GB MicroSD memory card

Messaging:
Text messaging*
AOL®, Yahoo!®, MSN®, and ICQ® Instant Messenger*

Fun:
Music player
1.3 Megapixel camera
Video capture/playback
HiFi Ringers™, MegaTones®, Wallpapers*

Communication:
Stereo Bluetooth® wireless technology
Speakerphone
Picture messaging*
Easy text input
Information
Picture caller ID
Voice-activated dialing
Voice Notes*

Assistants:
Phone book
Alarm clock


T-Mobile Samsung Stripe
Size: 1.7 x 3.3 x 0.9 inches
Weight: 2.8 ounces
Included battery: Li-ion
Talk time: up to 6 hours
Standby time: up to 11 days
Band (frequency): 850 MHz;1800 MHz;1900 MHz

Included Accessories:
Battery
Charger
Hands-Free Headset
SIM Card

Messaging:
Instant messaging: AOL®, Yahoo!® and ICQ®*
Text messaging*

Fun:
Camera w/ 4x digital zoom
HiFi Ringers™, MegaTones®, Wallpapers*

Communication:
Bluetooth® wireless technology
Speakerphone
Picture messaging*
Easy text input
Information
External caller ID
Voice Notes*

Assistants:
Phone book
Alarm clock
Calculator


Sidekick 3 D-wade edition
Size: 5.1 x 2.3 x 0.9 inches
Weight: 7 ounces
Included battery: Lithium Ion
Talk time: up to 4.5 hours
Standby time: up to 3 days
Band (frequency): 850 MHz;1800 MHz;1900 MHz

Included Accessories:
64MB SD Card
Battery
Charger
Carrying case
Hands-Free Headset
Wrist Strap
USB Cable

Messaging:
Instant messaging: Yahoo!®, MSN®, and AOL®*
Text messaging*
Fun
1.3 Megapixel camera
Music player
Games
Expandable mini SD memory slot

Communication:
Real web browsing
E-mail
Bluetooth® wireless technology
Built-in QWERTY Keypad

Information:
Designed by Dwyane Wade
Personal Information Mgr
Vcard support

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

AT&T Offloads Spectrum to Clearwire

In a deal worth $300 million, AT&T will sell its 2.5 GHz spectrum holdings to wireless broadband provider Clearwire. Clearwire will use the spectrum to increase its WiMAX broadband Internet and VoIP offerings. The deal was necessitated in part by the AT&T-BellSouth merger. The spectrum includes the Education Broadband Service (EBS) and Broadband Radio Service (BRS) allotments. EBS is reserved for educational institutions and BRS is for commercial high-speed broadband services. Clearwire also announced plans to sell 20 million shares of stock in its IPO later this year, which it hopes will raise $500 million.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Business and Industry News

Chinese make a splash with new hi-fi offerings

Chinese audio manufacturers are slashing prices on many of their high-fidelity audio offerings, while also increasing the quality and reputations of their products. "Chinese gear was once associated with a lack of quality. That can really no longer be applied. They're making some really good equipment," audio-store-owner Kurt Heartsong said. San Francisco Chronicle (2/19)

Games far from being a man's world

Women are outplaying their younger male counterparts on video games, with women over the age of 18 making up 30% of the game-playing population, vs. 23% for boys 17 or younger, according to the Entertainment Software Association. What's more, women 25 and older last year purchased the majority of games sold for mobile phones, market researcher Telephia reports. Chicago Tribune (free registration) (2/20)

XM, Sirius plan merger

The proposed $11.4 billion merger between XM Satellite Radio Holdings and Sirius Satellite Radio would create a combined company headed by Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin, with XM's Gary Parsons serving as chairman. The deal faces serious regulatory hurdles because of threatened opposition by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and because of a 1997 FCC rule that expressly prohibits one company from holding both satellite licenses. The Washington Post (2/20)

TV world bids farewell to remote founder

When Robert Adler co-founded the Zenith Space Command remote control in 1956, chances are he didn't expect generations of couch potatoes to be forever indebted to the device. This past Thursday, Adler passed away at the age of 93, a spokesman at Zenith Electronics Corp. said. Boston Herald/Associated Press (2/19)

Daylight-saving switch expected to cause consumer headaches

The government's decision to extend daylight-saving hours this year has some in the consumer electronics world preparing for inconveniences. Products that aren't connected to networks will most likely need to have their times manually corrected, although most modern computers and devices aren't expected to have problems. Portland Press Herald (Maine) (2/20)

Will cell phones become the "brand in your hand"?

Marketers agree the potential is there for mobile phones to become a major ad medium, but providers still have concerns about violating subscribers' privacy and annoying them with unwanted sales pitches. "We're calling the phone 'the brand in your hand' -- you're never more than a foot away from it, 24 hours a day," said Fareena Sultan, associate professor of marketing at Northeastern University's College of Business Administration. The Boston Globe (2/20)

Consumers ask what HD discs can do for them

The ongoing format debate between Blu-ray and HD-DVD discs has both consumers and experts asking if it's necessary. The blase attitude toward making a definitive choice between the two formats is most readily attributed to the pervasiveness of the standard DVD format and the fact that the technology is only 10 years old.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Sony A2DP Bluetooth Accessories


Sony unleashed a slew of Bluetooth 2.0 accessories, all supporting the A2DP (advanced audio distribution profile) to ensure you lead a wire-free life. The WLA-NWB1 (top left) is a Bluetooth adapter designed to complement the NW-S700/S600 series from Sony. This basically acts as the Bluetooth transmitter.

On the receiving end (no pun intended), you get a choice of either the DR-BT20NX that you strap onto your neck or the DR-NT30Q cans. The good thing is they come with an integrated microphone, so you can use it conveniently with your cell phone as well.

Other newly announced Bluetooth transmitters include the HWS-BTA2W and TMR-BT10, letting you convert virtually any audio player into a wire-free area. The boom box-like speakers you see there is the SRS-BTM30, also Bluetooth-enabled. Most of these devices will be available in Japan late October and November this year. Check out the prices in the extended entry.

Qualcomm Speeds up 3G, Cingular Is Interested

Qualcomm today announced a further advancement to the UMTS platform that is capable of faster download and upload speeds. HSPA+ accelerates both uploads and downloads, even over gains that are expected with HSUPA, by using MIMO technology. This appears to be a pre-standard version of the next evolution of UMTS after HSUPA. The company claims the new protocol is capable of 28 Mbps downloads and 11 Mbps uploads - double that of HSUPA - and is backwards compatible with current networks and equipment. Cingular may leapfrog HSUPA and is interested in migrating to this HSPA+ according to Kris Rinne, Cingular VP of Architecture and Planning. Qualcomm will make the first HSPA+ compatible chips by the end of this year and believes operators could start switching on the faster protocol as soon as 2008.

T-Mobile to Offer Push Email & 3G

Though hard details remain scant, T-Mobile International CEO Hamid Akhavan said during a news conference yesterday at 3GSM that T-Mobile will begin offering push email service to its consumer segment. The new service could be part of T-Mobile's foray into social networking and community services, which have been gaining traction in the mobile world. There is no word on pricing, availability or what handsets will be supported. At the same press conference, T-Mobile USA operations chief Ray Nevelle said U.S. customers can also expect 3G service this year. No word on when, what markets will be first or how much the service will cost.

Motorola at the 3GSM 2007

Motorola officially unveiled their recently rumored devices to the wide public today. The Motorola RIZR Z8, Motorola SLVR L9, Motorola Q q9, Motorola Q gsm and the Motorola KRZR K3 are now officially presented at the Motorola stand at the 3GSM World Congress 2007 at the Fira de Barcelona. As GSMArena.com already wrote, the Motorola enthusiast will now be able to enjoy updated versions of their favorite mobiles.


The Symbian-based Motorola RIZR Z8 is an extreme slider with an unusual flexible construction. At 15.3 mm, it features a 2.2" 16M colors TFT display, a 2 megapixel camera with red eye reduction, stereo Bluetooth, a microSD memory card slot, 3G with video calls and most importantly, it's HSDPA-enabled. The Motorola RIZR Z8 is expected to hit the shelves in Q2 2007.


The Motorola SLVR L9 is an updated version of the SLVR L7/L7e. The new mobile retains the design and form factor but enjoys the added benefits of a FM radio and a 2 megapixel camera. The mobile has also received the mirror-like finish of the Motorola KRZR K1. Motorola SLVR L9 is expected to be available in Q2 2007.


The Motorola Q gsm was finally made available today. It was announced so long ago that we started to wonder if it will be ever really produced. Speaking of messangers, the more interesting part though is the Motorola q9. Based on the latest Windows Mobile 6, this HSDPA-enabled messenger features a QWERTY keyboard, a 2 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, a microSD memory card slot - and all that at a thickness of only 11.8 mm. The Motorola MOTOQ q9 is expected to be available in Q2 of 2007.

Nokia E90 Communicator at 3GSM in Barcelona



If there was one release from 3GSM in Barcelona this week that absolutely delighted us, it was the Nokia E90 Communicator. The triumphant return to this style of QWERTY smartphone really made us smile, and the move to S60 over the old Series 80 operating system is definitely a step in the right direction.

While the Nokia E90 is a big handset, it is also big on features, with everything needed for an efficient mobile office. Both internal and external displays are great, with the internal featuring a whopping 800x352 pixel resolution. Quad-band GSM, UMTS, WiFi, and Bluetooth are all available for connectivity, plus a GPS module is present for compatibility with Nokia Maps. Nokia has even gone to the extent of including a 3.2 megapixel camera.

Monday, February 5, 2007

China Launches 4G Network in Shanghai

Third generation (3G) telephony is passe. China has leapfrogged into 4G mobile systems, which provide faster wireless speeds for transmitting data and images on phone networks.

The home grown technology, launched in Shanghai on Sunday is expected to be put into commercial use by 2010, and is said to provide data transmission speeds of up to 100 megabytes per second, against an 10 Mbps under 3G which was not launched in China and is confined mainly to GSM operators in Europe and CDMA operators in Korea and Japan.

It could even be faster than entry-level broadband connections, which transmit voice and data at speeds of 256 Kbps or more, and many times quicker than dial-up net connections which usually have speeds of around 64 Kbps.

With 4G technology allowing faster data transmission sharply improving, consumers could hope to get multi-channel high resolution TV broadcasting right on their cellphones.

While China claims to have developed its own technology, other than what is used elsewhere, technology buffs are surprised at the latest development. The protocol developed by 10 "leading domestic institutions" calling themselves "FuTURE Project", is estimated to have a rollout cost of $19.3 million.

China initiated the B3G (Beyond 3G)/4G research project in 2001 under the label Future Technology for Universal Radio Environment, or FuTURE Project. It has obtained more than 200 patents and some of its core technologies have been adopted by international standards organisations, positioning China as one of the world's front-runners in 4G technologies, a report in the China Daily said.

"It testifies that the technology we've developed is feasible and brings us one step closer to put it into commercial use," a leading expert involved in the programme, You Xiaohu, said.

"The Shanghai system shows that we have entered the final phase of our project," You added.