Take a look at any mid-range cellphone these days and you get all sorts of extras such as WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, a generous color display (perhaps even with touchscreen functionality for smartphones), a memory card slot of some kind, MP3 and video playback, and the omnipresent digital camera. What else can cellphone manufacturers put in to place them ahead of the competition? Why, the answer lies in GPS of course. Falcom of Germany has recently released the Mambo cellphone which is actually a tri-band GSM/GPRS cellphone that comes with an integrated personal GPS tracker.

Read the rest of this entry »

The 3GSM Barcelona is one of the most important international events for the telecommunications industry, this year it will feature over 1,300 stands and it is expecting more than 60,000 visitors. Here is a description from the official website: “The 3GSM World Congress combines the world’s largest exhibition for the mobile industry with a cutting edge congress featuring the most prominent Chief Executives representing mobile operators, vendors and content owners from across the world. The event is where the industry defines its future and creates business.”

Having worked inside the telecommunications industry I can assure you that every year there is a huge expectation for the event (and a huge battle inside companies to decide who is going to get a free pass to the stands…). Read the rest of this entry »

Nanobatteries, I sure love new words.

A company called mPhase has been developing a nanomaterial based battery with some very amazing properties. When they reach scale for mass production their claims for their nanobatteries are that they will be recyclable, they will have indefinite shelf life (in case you need to use it 50 years from now), and instant usability (which if they are touting seems odd, as that’s what you expect from a battery).

Traditional batteries, according to the mPhase site, have some built in limitations. They don’t lend themselves to miniaturization. They won’t work with production processes that put things on microchips, a big issue for such small things. They see the standard cost of materials as high. Finally, an issue on batteries I was previously unaware of which involves maintaining electrolytic separation (the energy generating chemicals from touching)

The plus side for these little buggers is huge! (follow the jump )

Read the rest of this entry »

It looks like Sony Ericsson will not stay watching while Nokia and Motorola expand their product offerings to gain market share on the mobile phone market. The company, in fact, recently announced not one but eight new mobile phones!

Four of those models are targeted at emerging markets (K200, K220,J110 and J120). Those mobile phones lack advanced features like 3G support or bluetooth connectivity, but they should be “good enough” for the average customer since they pack a digital camera and some multimedia functionalities. Read the rest of this entry »

Social networking sites have spread all over the Internet. The likes of MySpace, Orkut and Facebook are among the most trafficked sites on the web, but that is not enough, they are planning to invade the mobile landscape as well.

Vodafone, the leading mobile operator, announced in fact plans to deploy a service that will enable subscribers to access to social networking sites directly from their handsets. According to an article over BusinessWeek the logic behind that move comes from the younger audience that most social networking sites have, and “that same audience is equally attached to its cell phones. Millions of younger people live without a traditional landline, or use it mostly as a fast Internet connection. As a result, the convergence of social networking and the mobile phone is all but inevitable.” Read the rest of this entry »

Apparently the latest trend to generate publicity around a brand is to launch futuristic, sometimes weird-looking product concepts. The mobile phone manufacturers are in fact investing heavily into concept models.

Asus recently announced its concept mobile phone called Aura. The device comes with a 3.9 inch LCD screen, a QWERTY keyboard, a 2 megapixel camera and microSD slots for memory expansion. The most amazing feature of this phone is its the slim frame and the fact that it supports GSM, UMTS, HSDPA, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth! Read the rest of this entry »

This is a novel use for a cellphone, make a call to your water pump and ask it to water the fields in your farm!

Farmer come inventor Andhra Pradesh decided there must be an easier way to switch on the pumps neccesary to water his fields (previously he had to walk and dodge snakes). By connecting a second mobile to the water pump he was able to rig it so that he could call a number start the watering process remotely.

This just goes to show how useful and versatile modern technology can be and that you don’t need the latest and greatest touch screen super duper microscopic mobile to make a life enhancing difference.

Full story over on IBN Live, thanks CorrectUs for the tip.

How many times have you missed an important phone call just because you’re giving yourself a good scrub in the shower after a long day’s work at the office? The next time your boss gives you this Uniden WXI377 cordless phone as a present, be wary. This means your superior is probably tired of the same old excuse you keep on spewing each time he/she tries to call you. Nobody bathes all the time, do they? This waterproof cordless phone meets the JIS7 waterproof specifications, enabling it to remain fully submerged for up to half an hour in a meter of water without running the risk of being spoiled.

Read the rest of this entry »