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Samsung H1 16GB mobile phone
October 28, 2009
Vodafone has snapped up the Samsung H1 handset to promote its new Vodafone 360 service. The Samsung H1 is a touchscreen handset with a generous 16GB internal memory.
The Samsung H1 mobile phone offers 3G and GPRS connectivity as well as Wi-Fi and comes with a 5Mp camera. Storage is 16GB strong, which means there's ample room to save those multi-megapixel snaps and video footage. Importantly, it also puts the phone in the same space as the Apple iPhone and the top-of-the-range Nokia handsets.
Rosemary Hattersley | Read more...
A pictorial guide to Android 2.0 'Eclair'
October 28, 2009
Feeling hungry? Try a taste of Eclair, Google's brand new Android operating system, in our mouthwatering pictorial guide to its improvements and innovations.
Google took the wraps off Android 2.0 on Tuesday. The software is expected to officially debut on Verizon's Motorola Droid smartphone - you know, the one that does all those things Apple's phone doesn't - early next month.
JR Raphael | Read more...
Motorola Aura Gold and Diamond Edition phone
October 26, 2009
You'd think there was no such thing as a global recession given the way some gadget makers throw out super-expensive goodies to tempt the craven masses.
Having issued a limited edition Celestial version of its circular-screened Aura handset earlier this year by way of celebration of the Apollo Moon Landing 40th anniversary, Motorola has now come up with a gold and diamond encrusted version of the phone.
Rosemary Hattersley | Read more...
HTC Tattoo Google Android smartphone
October 16, 2009
The HTC Tattoo - the company's latest smartphone running the Google Android platform, is now available from Expansys.
The handset features a 2.8in LCD touchscreen and allows users to customise the homescreen with the most important data up front, whether a quick link to Facebook, contact lists or more, plus additional screens for different aspects of life such as work, play and family.
Carrie-Ann Skinner | Read more...
Palm Pixi smartphone
September 11, 2009
The Palm Pre hasn't even hit UK shelves yet, but that hasn't stopped the smartphone manufacturer unveiling the Pixi, another handset based on the WebOS mobile operating system.
At 55x111x11mm and weighing 100g, the Pixi is smaller and thinner than the Palm Pre and features a 2.6in 320x400 multi-touch screen that offers the same gesture control functionality as the Palm Pre.
Carrie-Ann Skinner | Read more...
Apple App Store approvals still make no sense
September 9, 2009
Much is being made of supposed improvements to Apple's App Store, but the approval of a music service called Spotify only raises more questions. And the recent approval of Loopt was a major step backward. The approval process needs to be changed, and soon.
Spotify is a subscription music service that gives users access to a library of four million songs for a monthly fee. Some see this as a major competitor to Apple's iTunes store and are surprised the application was approved.
David Coursey | Read more...
TomTom GO x50 LIVE sat nav
September 7, 2009
TomTom has unveiled the GO x50 range of sat navs that feature LIVE Snapshots, which displays the latest traffic information, fuel prices and safety alerts on the device using 'over-the-air' updates, as soon as the device is turned on.
Once drivers start their journey, the LIVE snapshots are updated in real-time as and when information is available, ensuring drivers remain up-to-date throughout their journey.
Carrie-Ann Skinner | Read more...
Gestures shake up mobile phone control
September 7, 2009
Touchscreens have changed the way people use mobile phones dramatically. But gesture controls, augmented reality and larger screen sizes are about to change habits even more, according to mobile interface expert Christian Lindholm.
Going forward we will see more sensors in devices that can transform the mobile user experience by allowing control through gestures and other types of movement, according to Lindholm, the managing director of Fjord, a consultancy exhibiting at IFA that has specialised in building mobile user interfaces. The company helped the BBC build the mobile version of its iPlayer, which was named the best mobile music or video service at Mobile World Congress earlier this year.
The use of gestures and movement to control phones has already started to take off. Some Nokia devices allow users to reject calls by turning them upside down, and the iPhone has a 'shake to undo' capability. Another obvious way to use the technology would be to share files with a flick of the wrist or by touching devices, Lindholm said.
De facto standards for these gesture controls will eventually emerge, so tasks can be done in similar ways with different devices, according to Lindholm.
He also has a side-business called Tech21, which is working on a technology that can replace a phone's keyboard with a trackpad, which could then be used to sense different gestures. "That's interesting because then we get pressure. So we could put a gas pedal and a brake pedal on keys," said Lindholm.
The technology will come to market in a couple of years, he said.
The area of gesture control could also turn into a goldmine for lawyers, however. Companies such as Nokia have started to patent gestures, according to Lindholm, who hasn't decided yet if that's a good or bad thing.
Intellectual property rights can be a good thing if they are coupled with common sense, he said. But too much can lead to unnecessary litigation.
Another emerging area that could transform the way we use mobile phones and perceive the physical world is augmented reality, a technique which overlays relevant information or annotations on a view of reality, perhaps from a phone's camera. Modern smartphones are great for this application, as their GPS receivers and accelerometers allow software to determine where the phone is and which way it is pointing.
The most challenging thing will be using it to obtain information about someone while talking with them, according to Lindholm: Holding a phone up in front of someone without an apparent reason isn't yet socially acceptable.
There is still lots of work needed on a user interface that can work in this situation. It can't take up so much of your attention that you can't interact normally with the other person, Lindholm said.
The size of the screen is an integral part of the user interface. It's easier to develop a good user interface on a bigger screen, and the vendors are in a race to put bigger screens on mobile phones, according to Lindholm.
But as the screen grows so does the size of the devices, and if they are considered too big they'll put users off. The iPhone was a trendsetter not just for its touch-screen and application store, but also for the width of its body, at 61 millimeters for the first generation and 62.1 millimeters for the 3G and 3GS .
"To me it's fantastically interesting that no one has dared to challenge Apple on the width because it's then perceived as being too wide," he said.
If a phone has a great user experience then an extra-wide body may be acceptable to users. But it's rare that devices have been able to deliver on that, so playing the size game is risky, he said.
Screens coming in a couple of years that fold or pull out could solve that, however. Samsung has demonstrated foldable screens, Lindholm said.
Designing software for phones isn't a trivial matter. Besides smaller screens, developers have to contend with users who are on the move a lot and don't give applications their full attention, or use them only in short bursts.
"When companies design their applications they forget, or suppress, these laws of mobility, and that results in lower usage, more user errors and lower uptake," said Lindholm.
Mikael Ricknäs | Read more...
Acer Tempo DX900 smartphone, launched at IFA
September 5, 2009
Acer is finally launching the twin-SIM Tempo DX900 smartphone that was unveiled back in March. Acer claims the DX900 is the world’s first dual-sim smartphone to support both 3G and 2G SIMs.
The Acer Tempo DX900 is designed for those who want to maintain separate phone contracts without the hassle of carrying round two handsets. You can switch easily between the two SIMs via Phone1 and Phone2 buttons at the top of the touchscreen display.
David Price | Read more...
HTC Touch2 Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone
September 2, 2009
HTC has launched its first Windows 6.5 smartphone. The Touch2 is one of the first handsets to sport Microsoft's brand-new mobile operating system, set for launch on 6 October.
The HTC Touch2 is a touchscreen device that "delivers a familiar touch experience that millions of people have come to expect and rely on from HTC in their daily lives," said HTC chief executive Peter Chou.
Rosemary Hattersley | Read more...
Preview and pics: Nokia's first Linux phone
September 1, 2009
After several unofficial leaks, Nokia has officially unveiled the N900, the company's first Linux phone. It's a good first step to rejuvenate Nokia's smartphone line, but will the N900 have what it takes to go head-to-head with the iPhone and Google Android phones?
The Nokia N900 has some powerful guts. The device packs a powerful ARM Cortex-A8 processor and has 1GB of memory for running applications. The N900 also features OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics acceleration, opening a window of opportunity for high-quality mobile games.
Daniel Ionescu | Read more...
Vexia Econav 435 satnav
August 28, 2009
Vexia is relaunching its Econav 'green' satnav device, pushing the fuel saving and carbon reduction benefits of its new 4.3in screen portable navigation unit. The £169 satnav goes onsale from next week and will be primed with UK and Ireland maps.
A fairly standard touchscreen model, the Vexia Econav 435 is designed to allow you to "drive, save and enjoy". Its fuel efficient driving advice could result in cost savings of up to £400 in the first year of ownership, claims its maker.
Rosemary Hattersley | Read more...
How Windows Mobile can beat Android and iPhone
August 21, 2009
Reports suggest that Microsoft will push two mobile operating systems at once to compete with Google's Android and Apple's iPhone, but are two heads better than one? I think Windows Mobile needs a sense of identity to win this war.
DigiTimes claims Microsoft will launch Windows Mobile 6.5 in October, followed by a touch-enabling upgrade in February 2010, citing a source with knowledge of Microsoft's roadmap. (Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer discussed this plan as far back as February.)
Jared Newman | Read more...
TomTom for iPhone: farewell, standalone GPS
August 18, 2009
The new TomTom app for iPhone, which transforms Apple's smartphone into a turn-by-turn GPS navigation system, could spell the beginning of the end for standalone GPS.
Not everywhere, but at least on dashboards, where a smartphone can now do everything a GPS can do and more, for the same cost.
David Coursey | Read more...
Survey: Apple iPhone 3GS users 'very satisfied'
August 17, 2009
With all the Apple-bashing lately, you might imagine that Apple iPhone users are less than thrilled with their smartphones. Not so, according to a new survey.
The RBC/IQ poll found that 99 percent of iPhone 3GS owners were satisfied with it, and 82 percent said they were "very satisfied". That's not a backlash, that's a love fest.
Jeff Bertolucci | Read more...
BlackBerry shouldn't fear a Microsoft Nokia partnership
August 13, 2009
For all that the Microsoft/Nokia partnership will be good news for mobile phone users, RIM needn't fear for the BlackBerry user base.
Microsoft has recently announced a partnership with mobile phone giant Nokia to integrate Microsoft Office apps into Nokia phones.
Michael Scalisi | Read more...
Hey Microsoft! Bin Windows Mobile, build for Android, iPhone...
August 11, 2009
Windows Mobile's decline may be terminal, but Microsoft has plenty of room for development in the mobile space.
Microsoft will release the next incremental upgrade of the Windows Mobile platform this autumn, but for many analysts and experts it seems like the new Windows Mobile OS is virtually dead on arrival.
Tony Bradley | Read more...
CoPilot 8 Live for smartphones
August 11, 2009
Satellite navigation software maker ALK has launched a new version of its CoPilot for smartphones app that works with Google Android handsets.
CoPilot 8 Live offers turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation and makes use of the 3G connectivity of the handset it's installed on to provide live updates and real-time traffic and can tell if you're moving too fast and warn you about exceeding the speed limit. Safety camera updates are provided free of charge.
Rosemary Hattersley | Read more...
Powermat wireless charging device
August 10, 2009
If you hate having hundreds of chargers connected to the power outlets throughout your home, then Powermat could be the solution you're looking for to charge all your devices in a tidy fashion.
The sleek and glossy black plastic 'mat' is capable of ‘wirelessly'charging up to three devices in one go, ensuring you only need one power socket and the tangle of wires is eliminated.
Carrie-Ann Skinner | Read more...
BlackBerry Curve's nine new features
August 10, 2009
The BlackBerry Curve 8520 goes onsale in the UK today, with most UK carriers expected to offer it.
An entry-level device meant for new smartphone users, the Curve 8520 nonetheless has more "new" BlackBerry features and hardware tweaks than any other device Research In Motion has released in a year.
Al Sacco | Read more...
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