Microsoft Surface Computing

All Things Digital conference Wednesday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will unveil Microsoft Surface, the first in a new category of surface computing products from Microsoft that will “break down traditional barriers between people and technology”.
A Surface computer is able to recognize physical objects from a paintbrush to a cell phone and allows hands-on, direct control of content such as photos, music and maps. Surface turns an ordinary tabletop into a dynamic surface that provides interaction with all forms of digital content through natural gestures, touch and physical objects.
The new product is aimed directly at hotels, retail establishments, restaurants and public entertainment venues and should be commercially available towards the end of the year.
It’s an interesting product in that it’s completely out of left field. Microsoft gives examples of ordering a beverage during a meal with just the tap of a finger and quickly browsing through music and dragging favorite songs onto a personal playlist by moving a finger across the screen. Build this into a bar and you’d get one-touch beer service although I’m not sure if they’ve found a way to work out when your beer glass is empty so replenishment becomes automatic, maybe in a later version.
The practical uses for Surface at the point of sale are broad. This is touch screen point of sale technology at a new level.
Initial launch partners include Harrah’s Entertainment, Starwood Hotels and T-Mobile.

Hands-on: LG's Sexy Prada Phone

A couple of months before Apple first showed its iPhone prototype, LG and Prada announced the results of their collaboration: the LG Prada phone. This week at 3GSM in Barcelona I took it out for a bit of a test drive. Like the iPhone, the Prada phone sports a large touch sensitive display that covers most of the front of the device. The LG Prada phone's touch screen is based on the same technology that was used for the LG Chocolate's touch controls, which in my experience works much better in this particular application. The biggest benefit to this type of touchscreen has to be the fact that the screen is hard and durable, just as would be any other non-touch sensitive display. On top of that, the display's touch sensitive cover is mounted flush with the body of the device, leaving no nasty corners for dust to accumulate, and allowing users to simply wipe the display off on their pants leg.
That, sadly, is something that they will need to do often since the touch screen handles all input into the phone. There is no slide out keypad or other controls, save a few dedicated buttons on the sides of the phone. Your finger does the walking and controls most every aspect of the phone's user interface. The UI itself reminds me of the Linux based system used in Motorola's A series devices. Vertically oriented tabs run up and down the right edge of the menu, organizing the many options into something more manageable. The UI itself is very stark looking, with most everything being white on black, but it seems effective none the less.
Where the UI breaks down a bit is when the user needs to dial a number or send text in an email or SMS message. The on-screen numeric keypad supports T9 like a normal handset would, but the lack of tactile feedback really limits its effectiveness. It works, as you can see in the sample photos, but it was not exactly optimal.
But with all that said, I still am rather fond of the phone. It is pretty, compact, and very holdable. The UI's interesting little touches, such as being able to drag the standby screen's analog clock around with your fingertip, are quite endearing. It might not be the best choice for an everyday phone for most people, but I think it will certainly find its mark with certain groups of phone buyers.

80 GB PS3 headed to USA

While it's not exactly confirmation of a US-bound 80GB PS3, Sony is providing a glimmer of hope this morning for a beefier domestic release. Satoshi Fukuoka, spokesman for Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said that they are considering the 80 gigger specifically for the US and "other markets." He also shed light on the decision making process which includes the popularity of online gaming coupled with the availability of broadband connectivity. Fine, but considering the dismal performance of Sony's gaming division last quarter, you'd think they'd also be slathering some preferential treatment onto their largest marketplace(s). After all, gamers are nothing if not a fickle bunch and we wouldn't them feeling slighted now would we? Hey Sony, why not drop in a 120GB disk and we'll call it even.

World's highest cellphone call made with a Moto Z8

He did it, British climber Rod Baber made a cell mobile phone (apparently using a MOTORIZR Z8, not a satellite phone) call from the top of Mount Everest. In fact, he made the record breaking call twice: the first to a voice mail account, the other to his wife and children. He even sent a text message to Moto which read, "One small text for man, one giant leap for mobilekind - thanks Motorola." Real cute, Rod. The Motorola sponsored "world record" was made possible by a Chinese mobile base station installed with a line of sight to the north ridge. Officially, the calls were made at 29,035 feet (about 8,848 meters) in temperatures of -22 degress fahrenheit (-30 degrees centigrade) -- so cold that Rod had to tape the batteries to his body just to keep them active. We're not sure where he stored the banana-shaped Z8. Of course, anyone who has ever made a call from a commercial aircraft (hey, it happens) knows that it's really not a record, but who are we to argue with Guinness?

T-Mobile Launches Wing QWERTY Smartphone

T-Mobile officially launched the replacement for their recently discontinued MDA smartphone, the T-Mobile Wing. Built by HTC and based on their Herald reference device, the new T-Mobile Wing comes equipped with quad-band GSM/EDGE support, a 2.8" display, a slide-out, full QWERTY keyboard. It also sports a new trim profile covered in a soft-touch blue paint scheme that matches the default color scheme used in its new Windows Mobile 6 Professional operating system.
While the device is still a bit hefty, at 169g (6.7oz), the form factor is a bit less monoblock in shape. The front and back faces of the Wing have been slightly sculpted in an effort to thin the device out and improve the feel of the phone when held in the user's hand. These changes result in the Wing being about 4mm thinner overall than the MDA it replaces. Another major difference in terms of the form factor is that the QWERTY keyboard now extends out of the right side of the Wing instead of the left side, meaning that the d-pad is now located to the left of the display when the keyboard is in use.
While not a revolutionary upgrade for current MDA users, the T-Mobile My Faves compatible Wing ups the style level a bit and should prove to be a bit more accessible and user friendly as far as the average consumer is concerned. It is available now from T-Mobile for a price of US$299 with a new two year service agreement.
Expect a full review of the T-Mobile Wing from us in the coming weeks

FCC grants permission to iphone

It reveals nothing of interest (unless you consider documents that read like high school physics lab reports to be "of interest"), but sure enough, Apple's iPhone has completed that rite of passage that all handsets must traverse on their way to adulthood: FCC approval. As expected, the iPhone filing reveals just about as little as it possibly (legally) can, offering up a rendering of the ID label location -- the best visual in the whole filing, by the way -- and an endless array of RF plots for GSM / EDGE on the 850 and 1900MHz bands, Bluetooth, and WiFi radiation. No incriminating photographs of a well-abused iPhone lying helpless on a test workbench in some cavernous lab, no user's manual. Soon, friends!

Motorola Announces New Successor To RAZR

Motorola today announced the next successor to its RAZR platform. The RAZR2 is thinner than the original RAZR yet designed to be stronger, as well as sleeker by eliminating the antenna "chin" at the bottom. It features 2 brighter QVGA screens - 2.2" inside and a large 2" display outside. The external display can used to control many functions with the phone closed using the smart keys as well as external music controls that now offer vibration feedback. The RAZR2 features a 2 Megapixel camera, and Bluetooth. Updated. It will launch this summer as the V8 for GSM/EDGE networks, the V9 for HSDPA and V9m for EV-DO.
• V8: features quad-band GSM/EDGE, Motorola's new Linux/Java platform including new user-friendly features and a full HTML browser. Includes 2 GB of built in memory but no card slot. It is 12mm thick.
• V9: thicker than the other two models but adds noise cancellation technology, a microSD slot and video sharing. However it uses Motorola's older "Synergy" platform. It is expected in late summer with quad-band GSM and HSDPA 850/1900 for the US.
• V9m: another 12mm thick model with EV-DO and media playback keys that are visible at all times (the others stay hidden until needed). Will run carrier branded interfaces and is expected at the end of summer.

Sony Ericsson Launches S500 Slider

Sony Ericsson USA announced the release of the S500, a device derived largely from the W580 Walkman handset we saw launched at CTIA earlier this year. This 94g (3.3oz) handset sports design flourishes such as themes that change between night and day, weekday and weekend, or as the seasons pass.
The quad-band GSM/EDGE S500 offers a sharp 262k color, QVGA resolution display to view photos shot with its built-in 2 megapixel camera. Photos, music, and video clips can be stored in the internal 12MB of memory, or on a Memory Stick Micro card - not included. The S500 does ship with wired stereo headphones and the Disc2Phone software, and is compatible with Bluetooth A2DP wireless headphones as well.
The 14mm thick S500 will be available in either green or yellow when it starts shipping in Q2 of this year, some time before its expected North American debut in Q3.

Sony Ericsson Launches K810 Cyber-shot Cameraphone-NEW RELEASE

UPNEXT RETAIL PRICE: $499.99
AVAILABLE COLORS IN NOBLE BLUE, ASIAN VERSION (CHINESE AVAILABLE)

Sony Ericsson announced the K810 Cyber-shot cameraphone. Building on the success of the K790/K800 introduced last year, the new K810 adds a number of features that make the 3.2 megapixel autofocus cameraphone even more camera-like. Like the K790/K800 before it, the K810 supports Sony Ericsson's BestPic feature that takes up to 9 photos in rapid succession and lets the K810 user quickly select which photos should be kept, and which should be discarded. New, however, are the K810's hardware camera setting keys that light up when the camera is activated. These buttons allow settings such as image resolution to be changed and the self-timer to be activated without having to fumble through on-screen menus.
Other camera related highlights include an active lens cover, a new Xenon flash with red eye reduction, and a new software based image optimization system that can fix exposure and contrast problems in a photo after it has been taken. Photos taken with the camera can be quickly uploaded to the user's personal blog with the K810's Picture Blogging support.
Other multimedia features of note on the K810 include the music and video player, support for TrackID, which lets the user identify songs played on the radio, and a built-in FM receiver with RDS support. Photos, videos, and music tracks can be stored on the K810's included 128MB Memory Stick Micro memory card or in the 64MB of internal storage. The 17mm (0.67") thick K810 has a large 2" QVGA resolution TFT display that can show up to 262k colors.
Other highlights of the K810 include a RSS newsfeed reader, Java MIDP 2.0 application support, and a hands-free speakerphone. The device functions on the 900, 1800, and 1900MHz GSM bands as well as the 2100MHz UMTS band used in Europe. Sadly, the device does not appear to support EDGE, even though its younger sibling, the K550 that was released at the same time, does support EDGE data. USB and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity are available, however.
Sony Ericsson expects the K810 to be available for purchase in Q2 of this year throughout Europe and Asia. It will be available in two colors: noble blue and golden ivory.

Sony Ericsson Launches P1 QWERTY Smartphone

It appears that Sony Ericsson today might have effectively retired the P9xx series of handsets with the release of the new P1. Sony Ericsson's new flagship business handset, looking much like an updated M600 with wider keys and a pair of cameras, gets support for both UMTS and WiFi 802.11b high speed connectivity in addition to a host of other improvements.
For starters, the P1 gets a new 2.6" QVGA transflective TFT display that should be much easier to read under direct sunlight. The new main camera has a 3.2MP sensor along with auto-focus that can be used to scan business cards and import the data directly into the contacts application. Media support includes a host of music file formats, streaming TV, and a built-in RDS capable FM receiver. A pair of wired headphones are included in the retail package, as is a 512MB Memory Stick Micro card to augment the 160MB of built-in storage.
Sadly, the P1 is a tri-band GSM device (900/1800/1900MHz) that supports only slow GPRS data network connections. UMTS is supported on the European 2100MHz band, which makes it quite clear that the P1 is not destined for North American shores. The new P1, which runs UIQ 3.0 on top of Symbian OS v9.1, now has support for a wide range of push email solutions, including Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and BlackBerry Connect. The QWERTY keyboard supports predictive text, but those that prefer to use a stylus can opt for on-screen handwriting recognition instead.
Other features of note include support for reading and writing common Microsoft Office file formats, VoIP calling, a speakerphone, and a jog-dial to aid in navigation. The P1 ships with the Opera 8 browser and an RSS reader pre-installed, and makes available a freely downloadable picture blogging application.
The P1 will go on sale in Q3 of this year in "selected markets," according to Sony Ericsson.

Sony Ericsson Shows T650 with 3.2MP AF Camera

Sony Ericsson launched what might be considered the spiritual successor to the company's popular T610, the new stainless steel finished T650. The new T650 gets a host of updates that set it apart from the T610, bringing the device squarely into modern times. For starters, the T650 supports 3G UMTS on the 2100MHz band as well as tri-band GSM/GPRS support. The T610's lowly .1 megapixel camera has been replaced by a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus unit. It seems that much can change in 4 years.
Other features of note on the T650 include Bluetooth 2.0 stereo support, a 262k color QVGA display, and a Memory Stick Micro card slot for expansion. The T650 weighs around 95g (3.3oz) and is pretty thin in profile at 12.5mm thick. A new feature on the T650 is the illumination effects system that controls the keypad backlighting and the lights on the sides of the phone: the lights interact with on-screen animations to add to the phone's entertainment value.
The Sony Ericsson T650 will be available in both green and blue when it starts shipping in Q3 of this year. Sony Ericsson has yet to provide information on pricing or the specific markets where the T650 will be available, but it seems unlikely that it will reach North America due to its lack of support for the North American 850MHz GSM band.