New Apple MacBook to Feature Glass Touchscreen for Trackpad?

Part of the reason why the iPhone is so popular is because it has a fantastic glass touchscreen. In this way, it wouldn't take much for Apple to plunk that technology into the next-generation MacBook. That's the rumor swirling around on the Internet at the moment, but without any sort of substantial source, it's really hard to confirm.

What they're saying is that the trackpads on the upcoming redesigned MacBooks will be made of glass, feature multi-touch, and come with full support for gesture inputs. This kind of tech, aside from the glass thing, is already in play with devices like the MacBook Air. They also say that the exterior will be sculpted from a single sheet of aluminum.

Rounding out the rumor sheet are processor revisions based on Intel Centrino 2 and 16:9 aspect screens. This means that the Macs will be offered in 14" and 15.6" variants, rather than the 13.3" and 15.4" that you've got now. Look for a formal announcement in September. Maybe.

Motorola's home and networks mobility business reorganizes

Philadelphia (Reuters) -- The home and networks mobility business, led by Dan Moloney, will now comprise three businesses: broadband home solutions, broadband access solutions and cellular networks, the company said.

Alcatel-Lucent ousts CEO and Chair

"The telecoms equipment group on Tuesday said it would part ways with chairman Serge Tchuruk and chief executive Patricia Russo after cutting market expectations again, raising hopes a new team would turn the group round and improve its fortunes."

Yeh Hum Naheen - English subtitles - We are not that (We are not Terrorist)

This is a new Musical video that has become a huge hit in Pakistan. I resounded very much with me. When people talk about "Muslims" and how they are (all) violent and terrorists, and this and that... I scratch my head and think... who are these people talking about?? That's not me!

Microsoft Windows 7 on track

Windows unit head Bill Veghte said on Thursday that Windows 7 development remains on track.

The company has officially said it would ship by January 2010, but top executives have also said from time to time that it would be done by the end of 2009.

"The product is tracking very, very well,"

Veghte said.

"We are committed and looking good, relative to our commitment--(shipping Windows 7) three years from general availability of Windows Vista."

Microsoft has released few details on the product, largely assuring customers that it would be making big architectural changes and that it will have a new multitouch user interface.

Most of Veghte's talk, as expected, was on Windows Vista and how Microsoft sees a large perception gap. Veghte showed the Mojave Project, first detailed here, in which users predisposed against Vista reacted favorably when shown Vista when it was presented under the guise of being a new version of Windows, code-named Mojave.

Even outside focus groups, Veghte said that not only are customers buying the operating system, but more are liking it, pointing to recent internal figures showing that 89 percent of users said they were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the product. Some 83 percent said they would recommend Vista to a friend or family member, Veghte said.

He also demoed Internet Explorer 8, which he said would be released in final form later this year. An early beta was shown off at the Mix '08 trade show in the spring.

Update: In the closing Q and A session, CEO Steve Ballmer was asked what Windows 7 would look like, but declined to offer any new details saying to do so would be a "no-win" situation.

"It's going to look great; It's going to be quite compatible,"

he said, to some laughter.

"If I wanted to start selling Windows 7 today, we'd start selling windows 7 today. Then you'd complain."

He did reiterate what has already been said, saying that Windows 7 is designed to avoid making big changes.

"The design point is compatible form the get-go in large measure,"

he said.

Nokia and Qualcomm Enter Into a New Agreement

Nokia and Qualcomm today announced that they have entered into a new agreement covering various standards including GSM, EDGE, CDMA, WCDMA, HSDPA, OFDM, WiMax, LTE and other technologies. The agreement will result in settlement of all litigation between the companies, including the withdrawal by Nokia of its complaint to the European Commission.

Under the terms of the new 15 year agreement, Nokia has been granted a license under all Qualcomm's patents for use in Nokia's mobile devices and Nokia Siemens Networks infrastructure equipment. Further, Nokia has agreed not to use any of its patents directly against Qualcomm, enabling Qualcomm to integrate Nokia's technology into Qualcomm's chipsets. The financial structure of the settlement includes an up-front payment and on-going royalties payable to Qualcomm. Nokia has agreed to assign ownership of a number of patents to Qualcomm, including patents declared as essential to WCDMA, GSM and OFDMA. The specific terms are confidential.

"We believe that this agreement is positive for the industry, enabling the market to benefit from innovation and new technologies,"

said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO of Nokia Corporation.

"The positive financial impact of this agreement is within Nokia's original expectations and fully reflects our leading intellectual property and market positions."

"I'm very pleased that we have come to this important agreement."

said Paul Jacobs, CEO of Qualcomm.

"The terms of the new license agreement, including the financial and other value provided to Qualcomm, reflect our strong intellectual property position across many current and future generation technologies. This agreement paves the way for enhanced opportunities between the companies in a number of areas."

Buy an iPod touch for Same Price as iPhone 3G, Sans Contract

As compelling as the iPhone 3G may be, it's quite possible that you don't want to lock yourself down to a lengthy contract with one of the pre-selected providers. By and large, the Apple iPod touch is effectively the same device as the iPhone, except for the fact that it doesn't have the "phone" part of the picture.

If you're mostly interested in the multi-touch, Wi-Fi, and App Store, then the iPod touch just might be the ticket for you. You don't have to deal with a monthly bill, but you may have to pay for software upgrades when those come along. And now you can get the iPod touch, without a contract, for the same price as the iPhone 3G.

Refurbished models of the iPod touch are available through Apple. The 8GB and 16GB models are going for $199 and $299, respectively. If you want to hit up the 32GB iTouch, that goes for $429. I have a feeling that this could be paving the way for a refresh or a new generation.

Sony Ericsson Introduces Three Walkman Phones

Sony Ericsson is rolling out a trio of cell phones in its Walkman line to enable customers to take their music on the go.

All three of the phones are built to offer a pleasing music experience, and they deliver high-quality audio playback. The music phones also have features like the music recognition application TrackID, shake control to change tracks with a flick of the hand, and the SensMe application.

The W902 Walkman is the top-of-the-range device, and the candy-bar phone sports 2.2-inch screen with accelerometer sensors for auto-rotating.

The handset is also capable of using a carrier's 3G-network with a maximum downlink speed of 3.6 Mbps. Customers can use this to browse the Internet on the phone's HTML browser, and the music phone is also capable of receiving push e-mail.

The W902 has a 5-megapixel camera with autofocus capabilities and a flash. There is an image viewer and picture editor on board, and images can be geo-tagged using cellular tower locations. Users can also record video and there's a front-facing camera for video calling.

Along with the music player, the phone has a built-in FM radio, and it's capable of using stereo Bluetooth headphones. It will also come with an 8-GB Memory Stick Micro for storing tunes and pictures.

The W902 measures in at 4.3 by 1.9 by 0.5 inches, and it weighs 99.8 grams. The music phone will have four color options and will roll out to "select markets" in the fourth quarter.

The W595 Walkman is a slider that lacks a few features of the W902, but it still has 3G network capabilities, an HTML browser, and robust music capabilities. The W595 has a 3.2-megapixel camera and comes with 2 GB memory card.

The W595 measures in at 4.3 by 1.9 by 0.5 inches and it weighs 104 grams. It will come out in four colors in the fourth quarter.

The W302 Walkman is a lower-range phone that has a slim form factor. It shares the music and entertainment features of the other Walkman handsets, but it lacks 3G capabilities, and has a 2-megapixel camera. It measure in at 3.9 by 1.8 by 0.4 inches, and it will roll out with the other two music phones.

First Commercial Solar-Powered GSM System Launched

Telecom equipment vendor, VNL, has finally cracked the problem facing mobile operators in the developing world: how to provide affordable mobile services to rural people - and still turn a profit.

Launched today, VNL – and its solar-powered GSM system – will change the telecoms market in rural areas across the world. For years, operators and GSM equipment vendors have struggled with the same problem, namely that traditional GSM was not designed for the unique challenges posed by vast rural areas. It costs too much, is too expensive to run, uses too much power and is too difficult to deploy (especially in areas with no electricity, poor roads and no skilled engineers).

VNL has re-engineered GSM technology to reduce its power requirement and make it suitable for a rural environment where electricity is scarce or unavailable.

The result is VNL’s WorldGSM™ system, which includes base stations that only need between 50W and 120W of power to operate (compared to 3000 W for a typical GSM base station). A WorldGSM base station is entirely powered by solar energy with a 72 hour battery back-up in place (also charged by solar power).

The system also includes a rural-optimised MSC (Mobile Switching Centre), and a compact BSC (Base Station Controller) – making WorldGSM a complete, end-to-end GSM network.

Thanks to solar power, WorldGSM both drastically reduces the operating expenses for mobile operators - and contributes to a much lower environmental impact. VNL has estimated that mobile networks in India alone require 2 billion litres of diesel every year to power back-up diesel generators.

India-based Luke Thomas, from the research and consulting company Frost & Sullivan, says: “India is the fastest growing telecoms market in the world but some urban areas have already reached saturation point. VNL has opened up a whole new area of subscriber and revenue growth for operators by building a commercial – and profitable – GSM system to service remote low-density rural areas.”

Indian infrastructure provider, Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited (QTIL, www.quippoworld.com), will be trialling WorldGSM in rural areas of India in the near future. Following the successful completion of the trial, QTIL expects to roll out a complete commercial network that will be fully integrated with the networks of existing operators. Agreements with several prominent operators have been reached and are in the process of being finalised.

Probal Ghosal, CEO of QTIL, says:

“Every so often a company comes along that really changes the telecoms industry. VNL is one such company. Not only that, and more importantly, it’s improving the lives of the world’s rural communities.

I know that there will be considerable demand for and deployment of VNL’s equipment in rural India. The villages of India may be remote but the people who live there are ready and waiting for phones. Take an average small farmer, for example. He may often travel half a day just to get to a local market – only to find it is closed or not accepting his product that day. The advent of mobile phones will solve this type of problem at a stroke.”

VNL’s WorldGSM base stations have a number of unique features:

* Low cost: priced at less than a quarter of traditional GSM base stations and profitable at very low densities and subscriber revenues.

* Easy to transport: an entire WorldGSM base station packs into two carts and can be transported over rough terrain in something as simple as a bullock cart.

* Self-deploying and near-zero maintenance: can be assembled and activated by non-engineers.

* Small solar panels: the solar panels used are 2-8 m² and the power required is between 50 and 120W compared to the 200m² solar panel and 3000W required for traditional GSM Base Stations.

VNL’s WorldGSM base stations are interoperable with equipment from most major equipment manufacturers and are compatible with all standard handsets.

VNL is packed with telecoms industry veterans, most of whom have vast experience in bringing products and services to entirely new markets. Its CEO, Anil Raj, founded Hutch India in 1994 and served as its CEO before moving to Ericsson as President of its India operations.

Anil says:

“Telecoms operators and equipment manufacturers have traditionally failed to deliver GSM to rural areas for the simple reason that it’s just too difficult and ultimately not sustainable. There’s no power, no engineers, no infrastructure, a difficult terrain, low density – and, most importantly, low subscriber revenues. VNL’s equipment has overcome these challenges and provides operators with a truly viable way to connect the next billion mobile users.”

Apple iPhone 3G Gets Unofficial Stereo Bluetooth Support

Although it is now boasting some blazing 3G high-speed data and some nifty GPS navigation, there are still a few pieces missing to complete the ultimate iPhone package. The second coming of the Jesus phone is supposed to replace your regular mobile phone and your iPod, but where is the stereo Bluetooth support? It's here.

You will not find official A2DP Bluetooth support from Apple, unfortunately, but the good people at Brando have come up with a simple add-on that latches onto the dock connector in the base your iPhone 3G. With this little dongle, you can now have access to full stereo Bluetooth, cutting out those wires for your portable music enjoyment.

Naturally, you will need to throw in a set of stereo Bluetooth headphones of your own, but this $62 device from Brando will get you heading in the right direction.

Feature: Can AMD Bobcat Compete Against Intel Atom?

When I was in Taipei for Computex last month, a big part of the show was dedicated to the emergence of the small form factor notebook PC. Everyone already knew about the Asus Eee PC and how it sold like hotcakes during the holiday season. With Computex 2008, just about every major Taiwanese laptop maker got in on the small laptop action. Plenty of non-Taiwanese manufacturers entered the fray as well. It's clear that while the market may not be profitable, these guys still want a piece of the pie.

But the prevailing theme was just about small notebook PCs. It seemed to be much more specific than that, because nearly all of the subnotebooks on display were rocking the new Intel Atom processor. We saw the new Asus Eee PC 901, for example, as well as similar notebooks from MSI, Acer, Gigabyte, and more. With so much love for Intel's Atom, where is AMD going to find itself?

AMD Bobcat to Tackle Intel Atom

On Friday, I picked on the story of the upcoming AMD Bobcat. That's just the codename for now, but the gist of the story is that this new microprocessor from AMD would compete directly against the Intel Atom. The existence and development of this small chip was confirmed by Dirk Meyer, the top dog at AMD.

Virtually no details surrounding the exact configuration and specs of the AMD Bobcat processor have been announced. You can't even find any reasonably substantiated rumors out there. At this point, it's little more than hearsay, so we're left guessing what AMD will have in store for the Atom-loving crowd. What we do hear is that they are shooting for a launch some time in November. This could be enough time for laptop makers to implement the new chip into small notebooks for the Christmas shopping season. It's a tight squeeze, but it might be doable.

Performance and Battery Life

These netbooks were never meant to fully replace your main computer. Instead, they're supposed to serve as supplementary devices that you can carry around with you everywhere you go, granting you a near desktop-like experience wherever life's roads may take you. In this way, it's unlikely that you will be using an MSI Wind or an Acer Aspire One as your primary machine. It's just there for web surfing, document editing, and maybe a little spreadsheet updating too. They're not that much more powerful than a good smartphone; they just happen to have a more usable keyboard and a bigger display.

With the arrival of Intel Atom, we were led to believe that these little laptops would afford the same level of performance as the first-generation Centrinos. Battery life was supposed to be a lot better than a real Intel Core 2 Duo processor too, because it wouldn't be drawing nearly as much power. Properly configured, you may be able to get upwards of 6 hours of web surfing time before the battery crapped out.

As you can imagine, you can't really have the best of both worlds. If you want improved performance, your battery life will suffer. If you want better battery life, your performance will have to take a hit. In this way, it will be interesting to see which factor gets more attention from AMD. Will they go for performance or will they shoot for battery life?


Carving Out a New Niche?

If AMD takes the route of performance, there is definitely a market there. In addition to high-end units like the Flybook line, there are other manufacturers who are implementing Atom into some non-budget computers as well. The Fujitsu U2010 is doing Atom and it costs $1,300. That's a far cry from the $400-$500 price point of most netbooks. The same can be said about a potential Atom-powered Pepper Pad with Vista.

The trouble with both of those is that Atom, as it stands, probably isn't powerful enough to pull off that kind of muscle. AMD could jump in and make a low-cost, low-power, but relatively high-performance processor. Bobcat could really pounce on this huge opportunity. (Sorry, that was a horrible pun.)

Still Trying to Catch Up

If AMD is shooting for a November launch of Bobcat, it could be too little, too late. This is just a rumor for now, but dual core Atom chips could be ready as soon as September. This would give Intel a two-month head start on AMD, not to mention the head start that Intel already had with the first generation Atom.

As a result, the public reaction to an AMD Atom-like processor wouldn't be so much a perception of innovation as much as it is a perception of emulation. Just look at all the subnotebooks that look a little too much like the Eee PC and all the touchscreen phones that seem to mirror the iPhone. AMD could already have its work cut out for it before they even get started.

Motorola V750 Clamshell Acts Tough with Verizon Wireless

The Motorola RAZR might not be able to suffer all that much environmental abuse, so if you're interested in getting a clamshell from Moto that's a little tougher, look no further than the V750. Unlike other military-grade phones from Motorola in the past, this phone does not come with a overly clunky rubber exterior.

The Motorola V750 has been designed to resist shock, vibration, drastic altitude changes, dust, extreme temperatures, and solar radiation. Whether you find yourself scaling cliffs, rumbling through the jungle, or jumping out of airplanes, the V750 should have you covered. Strangely, there's no mention of water protection, so might want to avoid jumping into the Amazon River.

Features include push-to-talk, 2.2-inch internal screen, 1.6-inch external screen, 2 megapixel camera, and Bluetooth A2DP. The Motorola V750 is available through Verizon for $100.

Canada wraps up wireless spectrum auction: official

Canada's auction of wireless spectrum has ended after the participating companies halted all bids, a government official told Reuters on Monday.

The official said there had been two consecutive rounds in the auction with no new bids on Monday, prompting auction managers to call an end to the months-long process.

The auction of airwaves over which wireless services are delivered raised C$4.25 billion ($4.25 billion) in 331 rounds of bidding. The proceeds were more than twice the amount analysts had expected.

According to the auction website, Rogers Communications Inc, which owns Canada's largest wireless firm, was the top bidder with offers totaling C$999.4 million.

Telus Corp, Canada's No. 2 phone company, had C$879.9 million in standing high bids. Telecom giant BCE Inc had bids totaling C$740.9 million.

The three companies currently dominate Canada's wireless landscape, though analysts have cautioned that their aggressive spectrum spending could leave them vulnerable to competitive threats posed by newcomers.

The government had set aside a chunk of spectrum exclusively for bidding on by new entrants -- a move the Big Three providers criticized as equal to an unfair subsidy.

As the auction concluded, Quebecor Inc, which had bid a total of C$554.5 million, and Globalive Communications, with bids totaling C$442.1 million, appeared to pose the most serious threat to the existing carriers.

Analysts have suggested that Quebecor, a printing and media firm with an established presence in its home province of Quebec, could partner with Globalive to create a national service provider.

Panasonic LX3 Point-and-Shoot Offers F2.0, Full Manual Controls

It's not going to compete against the real digital SLRs on the market, the newly announced Panasonic LX3 certainly brings a lot to the table for "just" a point-and-shoot. For starters, this is one of very few P&S cameras that comes with F2.0. Even my Canon S3 IS can only go as far as F2.8, so this is quite the improvement.

The Panasonic LX3 maintains the same 10 megapixel count as its LX2 predecessor, but you do get 40% better sensitivity and 35% greater saturation. The 2.5x 24mm ultra-wide angle lens is a definite plus, as are ISO 3200 (in full res), ISO 6400 (at reduced res), full manual controls, RAW output, Intelligent Scene Selector, and HD video recording.

Look for the Panasonic LX3 digital camera to launch next month with an MSRP of $499.

CherryPal Unveils Low-Cost 'Cloud Computer'

Startup CherryPal on Monday introduced a low-cost, hassle-free "cloud computer" aimed at people who need a PC only for Web browsing, some light document work, and checking e-mail.

The $249 Linux-based system consumes only 2 watts of power, compared with the 100 watts of some desktops. Called the CherryPal, the paperback-size computer has no moving parts. The system contains 256 MB of memory and a 4-GB solid-state drive and runs on a 400-MHz Freescale MPC5121e processor, which is a Power Architecture chip. Apple used Power processors before switching to Intelx86 a couple of years ago.

The CherryPal also includes two USB 2.0 ports, an Ethernet jack for connecting to wired broadband, built-in Wi-Fi support, and a VGA connector for a display. The mini-PC weighs 10.5 ounces.

For software, the device ships with the OpenOffice.org office productivity suite, Apple iTunes, and a CherryPal-branded media player and instant messaging client. The computer's OS, open source Debian Linux, is inaccessible to the user. The Mozilla Firefox browser provides the user interface.

In launching the CherryPal, the user is automatically connected to the "CherryPalCloud," the company's Web portal. Accessible through a user name and password, the portal, which is available at no additional cost, offers 50 GB of free storage and handles software upgrades.

The company plans to make money through advertising, which it expects to roll out this year. CherryPal is taking orders now for the mini-desktop, which is scheduled to ship at the end of the month.

No-frills computers, particularly lightweight, sub-$500 notebooks, are growing in popularity among people who want a simple device to browse the Web and check e-mail on the road.

Asus sparked the mini-notebook craze with the introduction of the 7-inch Eee PC in October. Since then, the Taiwanese company has sold several hundreds of thousands of units and said it's on track to sell between 3 million and 5 million notebooks by the end of this year.

The success of the Eee PC has prompted others to follow with their own competing products. Hewlett-Packard, for example, has shipped the Mini-Note PC, and Dell (Dell) has confirmed working on its own minisystem.

While sales have been strong among computer enthusiasts, the ultra-low-cost notebooks are expected to eventually find their place in the mainstream PC market as an inexpensive option for students and as a second computer for accessing the Web, according to IDC. Worldwide shipments are expected to increase from less than 500,000 units last year to more than 9 million in 2012.

However, the low-cost minis are problematic for computer makers, who fear they could hurt sales of more expensive systems that deliver much higher profit margins. Because of the low average selling prices, IDC predicts revenue from the minimachines to be less than $3 billion by 2012.

In the meantime, the growing market for ultraportable Internet devices has attracted the attention of chipmakers. Intel is attacking the market with its recently released Atom processor, and Advanced Micro Devices is building a low-power chip code-named Bobcat.

Reports Of A Google gPhone Surface Again

The Google phone lives. Sort of. Maybe. Perhaps. Although it's still not clear that the much-ballyhooed device actually lives at Google facilities.

The latest news on the Google phone stems from some comments made by Google executives at Allen & Company's Sun Valley Conference. A reporter for The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Google executives talked of the company making "its own branded mobile phone as a replacement for the iPhone." The story then took off this week, embellished soon by a report that the Ammunition Design Group could be working with Google to build the "gPhone."

Google hasn't comment on the latest reports. But in the past, Google has dismissed reports that it planned to make its own phone. Instead, the company has promoted its Android program and it's Open Handset Alliance, which bring together several companies said to be working on Android handsets. T-Mobile, for instance, has said it plans to unveil an Android phone by the end of the year.

Many Android developers like the idea of a handset from Google that would compete with Apple's iPhone. Such a project, however, would likely have to pass muster with Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, who also sits on Apple's board of directors. Instead of a Google-branded handset, there's likely to be a number of Android phones from a variety of developers and cellular service providers. In a sense, they will all be Google phones and will feature Google's search engine.

The most precise sighting of the Google phone appeared in the Boston Globe last summer. Various developers and venture capitalists said they had seen the device, which was being developed at Google's Cambridge facility. Users could scroll through icons horizontally and at least one version featured a small tactile QWERTY keyboard rather than a touch screen, the reports said.

A tactile QWERTY keyboard would likely appeal to business IT types, who generally favor the precision of tactile keyboards over touch screen keyboards for e-mail usage.

Nokia market share up in second quarter, positive outlook

Nokia, the world's leading mobile phone maker, reported on Thursday an 8.0-percent rise in underlying second-quarter net profit and its shares soared 9.0-percent despite a heavy hit for closing its Bochum plant in Germany.

Nokia also announced that its market share had risen to 40 percent.

Net profit for the April-June period, excluding one-off items, rose 8.0 percent to 1.37 billion euros (2.17 billion dollars) from the same quarter a year ago, while sales grew four percent to 13.15 billion euros, the company said in a statement.

Including one-off items net profit was down by 61 percent to 1.1 billion euros from 2.8 billion a year earlier. The non-recurring items included 259 million euros linked to the closure of the Bochum plant.

Operating profit in the second quarter, excluding one-offs, rose meanwhile by 39 percent to 1.93 billion euros.

In April-June the Finnish company sold 122 million mobile phones and its market share rose to 40 percent, compared to 38 percent a year ago, and up from 39 percent in the first quarter of 2008.

The group's biggest market is now the Asia-Pacific region, where it sold 36.4 million phones, a rise of 42.2 percent from a year ago and ahead of Europe where it sold 27.1 million handsets.

"Looking at the rest of the year, we are optimistic and have had good feedback about the broad range of new products we expect to sell in our device business,"

Nokia's chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said in the earnings statement.

Nokia said it expected its market share in the third quarter to stay on the same level as in April-June, while it continued to target higher market share for 2008.

Analyst Jari Honko from eQ Bank told AFP strong sales volumes indicated the global economic turmoil had not stopped people from buying new cell phones.

Nokia upgraded its forecast for the mobile device industry's annual sales growth and said it saw sales increasing more than 10 percent.

"Many research institutes have cut their forecasts, but Nokia is hiking its estimates. It is a positive signal on mobile phone markets,"

Pohjola Bank analyst Hannu Rauhala said.

The company saw its average selling price for handsets continue to fall. In April-June its phones on average sold for 74 euros each, down from 79 euros in the first quarter.

Analysts said the figure was a slight disappointment, which could partly be explained by the weakening dollar.

After the results were released, Nokia shares were up almost 9.0 percent to 17.17 euros on the Helsinki stock market, which was 3.8 percent higher.

Opera Mobile 9.5 beta is released

Opera Software today released the much-anticipated, first public version of Opera Mobile 9.5 beta. A powerful foreshadowing of what is to come, this beta takes mobile browsing speed and features to a new level, complete with visual effects and a new look. Download the new beta from http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/.

Opera has changed the face of its mobile browser in this beta release. As with the latest version of Opera Mini, Opera Mobile 9.5 beta now defaults to page overview mode, allowing the user to view the entire Web page and instantly recognize the Web site. With panning and zooming options, the user is able to focus on specific page content. Opera also introduces a sleek, new user interface for easier navigation.

"Our fans have been eager for the release of Opera Mobile 9.5 since it first appeared at the Mobile World Congress this year,"

says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software.

"We are now answering the call of the people and delivering what we proudly proclaim to be our best Opera Mobile browser to date. It is a totally new user experience."

Developers go cross-platform

With developer needs at the heart of this first beta release, Opera Mobile 9.5 includes several features to enable easier development on the mobile platform.

Opera Dragonfly, Opera’s developer tools, officially goes cross-platform with this release. It allows developers to debug JavaScript, inspect Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and the Document Object Model (DOM), and view any errors, making development for the mobile phone even easier.

Your quick reference guide to new Opera Mobile 9.5 beta features:

Faster – Opera has always been among the fastest browsers — if not the fastest — available. Opera Mobile 9.5 beta continues this fine tradition with improved performance over Opera Mobile 8.65.

Pan and zoom – Just like Opera Mini, Opera Mobile 9.5 beta defaults to full Web page viewing and allows users to pan and zoom into their desired content easily.

Improved user interface – Opera has completely renovated its mobile UI. Cleaner and more intuitive, the new UI is designed for quick and easy navigation.

Opera Dragonfly – Use your Opera desktop browser to debug sites on your mobile phone through the Opera Mobile 9.5 debug menu.

Improved standards support – Opera Mobile 9.5 is the most standards compliant browser available, and the company remains steadfast in its commitment to make the Web accessible for all.

Save pages and/or images – With a click, simply save pages to your phone.

Review Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 1 A comprehensive reviewer's guide to Opera Mobile 9.5 is available at http://www.opera.com/press/reviews/mobile/.

Aircell Selects LTE as 4G Wireless Standard for Inflight Connectivity

Aircell®, the world's leading provider of airborne communications, today announced its intention to base its fourth generation (4G) mobile broadband network on Long Term Evolution (LTE), the emerging standard for advanced mobile broadband networks and services. Having pioneered the first commercial Inflight Internet service in North America, Aircell plans to deploy LTE to enable the next generation ultra-high bandwidth mobile services such as hi-definition and interactive TV and multi- player immersive gaming that passengers will come to expect. As Aircell migrates toward full LTE deployment, planned network and technology developments will enable Aircell to serve North American airlines with state- of-the-art mobile broadband technology.

Aircell's LTE announcement expands on the company's vision and leadership in the airborne communications market. With a 16-year history in airborne communications, Aircell's continuing innovation and leadership were confirmed recently by the company's demonstration of the first and only air-to-ground mobile broadband Inflight Internet solution for commercial airlines, Gogo(TM). Gogo turns a commercial airplane into a Wi-Fi hotspot, providing full Internet access - including Web, personal IM and email accounts and VPN access to corporate email and systems - to passengers with Wi-Fi enabled personal devices such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs.

Aircell is working with the standards organizations that support Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and its global membership of networking, device and technology partners to advance the LTE standard that will enable Gogo to deliver unprecedented wireless broadband services. Aircell joins wireless giants AT&T, Verizon and Alltel in selecting LTE as the choice for 4G network technology. LTE will enable networks to deliver mobile data with greater speed, better throughput performance and lower latency. The end result is the availability of the ultra-high bandwidth mobile services and pervasive Internet that consumers are coming to expect.

"The 4G market is still evolving but one thing is for sure, passengers will want the same mobile broadband services in the air that they have on the ground,"

stated Joe Cruz, CTO, Aircell.

"Aircell's choice of LTE ensures that our network will continue to support the services customers demand today and in the future. With LTE, Aircell's Air-to-Ground (ATG) Inflight Internet technology is future-proofed."

In addition, airline operations will benefit directly and significantly from Aircell's deployment of 4G technology, which will enable a wide array of powerful operational applications such as high-resolution weather-to-the- cockpit.

Aircell has pioneered ATG technology to deliver its mobile broadband service, Gogo, to the airplane cabin. Using an exclusive FCC frequency license, CDMA Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Rev A protocol and network optimization and acceleration technology, Aircell is able to deliver an effective data rate of more than 12 Mbps peak to Gogo-equipped aircraft. By the end of 2009, further advances in existing technologies will enable Aircell to deliver a raw data rate of up to 22.7 Mbps to aircraft. By the beginning of 2011, Aircell expects to deploy its 4G LTE network, which will enable a throughput of up to 300 Mbps to aircraft.

"The unique advantage of ATG inflight connectivity is its rapid scalability,"

continued Cruz.

"Unlike satellite-based systems, which must contend with significant technology hurdles and a slow technology evolution path, ATG benefits from every ground-based advance in wireless technology. The result is a highly scalable, rapidly advancing inflight connectivity technology."

SanDisk WORM SD Card Goes a Little Backwards

Remember when blank CD-Rs first hit the market? It was pretty cool being able to "burn" your own CD, but soon people started itching for discs that could be used again and again. Shortly thereafter, we were introduced to the CD-RW. A similar progression happened with DVD media. Strangely, the progression is going a little backwards with flash memory.

While all other SD cards have no problem being used again and again, the new SanDisk WORM SD cards will not come with this functionality. Instead, you can only write on the memory card once. The WORM -- Write Once Read Many -- cards are meant to store information that has to be kept unchanged, and the cards are supposed to last 100 years.

Naturally, the SanDisk WORM SD cards won't be very useful to the average consumer, but they could prove to be a reliable storage medium for court records, police departments, medical applications, and so on. The WORM cards currently top out at 128MB, but I can't see why similar tech can't be implemented in larger capacity cards. No word on pricing.

Intel announces next-generation technology

Intel Corporation unveiled its Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology products for laptops today, powered by five new Intel® Core™2 Duo processors. Close to 250 innovative consumer and business notebook PC designs are on the way, including those equipped with the right combination of powerful processors, graphics and battery life to enjoy viewing stunning high definition videos and myriad other computer and Internet activities.

Intel also introduced the world's highest-performing dual-core mobile processor, the Intel® Core™2 Extreme processor running at a brisk 3.06 GHz, as measured by SPECint*_rate_base2006, an industry benchmark (www.spec.org)**.

Rounding out a mobile-focused summer for the company, Intel said it also plans to unveil eight processors within 90 days that will include first-ever mobile quad-core products and second-generation products for ultra-thin and light notebooks. In total, Intel will bring 14 diverse new processors into the marketplace as laptop sales continue to outpace desktop PCs.

Formerly codenamed Montevina, Intel Centrino 2 processor technology and Intel® Centrino® 2 with vPro™ Technology improve upon every facet of a laptop's main features, including performance and battery life via new processors and chipsets, faster draft 802.11n wireless (with WiMAX arriving later this year), and new business-class manageability capabilities.

"When we first introduced Intel Centrino back in 2003, there were very few Wi-Fi hotspots, YouTube videos and social media didn't really exist, ‘thin and light' only referred to weight goals and desktop PCs outsold notebooks by a very wide margin," said Mooly Eden, Intel corporate vice president and general manager of the company's Mobile Platforms Group.

"Today, notebooks outsell desktops in the U.S, and we're paving the way to HD entertainment, rich online gaming, faster broadband wireless speeds and an easier and more secure way for businesses to manage, update and repair their notebook fleets."

Intel is introducing five dual core processors based on Intel's reinvented transistors (high-k metal gate formula) and advanced 45-nanometer manufacturing process. These processors come with a faster 1066MHz front side bus and up to 6MB of L2 cache, and three versions reduce laptop processor wattage about 30 percent, down to just 25 watts. Also featured is Deep Power Down Technology that turns off processing components such as core clocks and cache memory when the laptop is idle for greater energy savings.

Intel also unveiled its Mobile Intel® 45 Express Chipset and wireless Intel® Wi-Fi Link 5000 series that is shipping to customers now, with laptops arriving later in July and August. Delivering five times the speed and twice the range of older 802.11a/g technology, the Intel Wi-Fi Link 5000 series provides 802.11 draft-N support that delivers the fastest data rates possible today -- up to 450 Mbps.

Switchable graphics, a new optional power-saving feature available on Intel Centrino 2-based notebooks, provides both integrated and discrete graphics on a single notebook, enabling users to easily switch between the two options. Switchable graphics delivers greater 3-D performance when needed while providing the option for greater power savings for the best of both worlds.

For consumers, Intel Centrino 2 processor technology delivers the horsepower and battery life to enjoy a typical full-length, Blu-ray* high-definition video on a single battery charge for the first time, plus the ability to play a variety of online games, download music or post videos faster than before.

For businesses, Intel Centrino 2 with vPro technology offers enhanced manageability and security options. This is increasingly important as companies replace desktops with notebooks and need to remotely diagnose, update and repair systems over a wireless network. Improved manageability with AMT 4.0 has also been added that provides wireless manageability during system sleep states, ongoing remote configuration capabilities, support for next-generation management standards (WS-MAN and DASH 1.0) and the ability for an employee to initiate communications to IT from outside a company's firewall.

OEMs and Channel system builders will deliver close to 250 systems to market. For more information including Intel product pricing, visit www.intel.com/go/processor_pricing. For a full media version of this release including photos, videos, related blogs and other information, visit www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/20080715comp_sm.htm and the Intel Centrino 2 technology press kit at www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/centrino2.

WiMAX Momentum

Later this year in the United States, Intel will begin shipping its first-ever combined WiMAX/Wi-Fi module, part of the Intel® WiMAX/Wi-Fi Link 5050 Series that is an optional feature for future Intel Centrino 2-based laptops. WiMAX is a 4G, Internet protocol-based broadband wireless technology that complements Wi-Fi networks.

WiMAX also provides much wider Internet and phone voice coverage, and unlike Wi-Fi has the ability to unwire entire cities or communities, connecting users even when they're on the move. Intel is working with service providers around the world to deploy WiMAX networks, with initial U.S. network availability starting later this year from Sprint XOHM and Clearwire.

Toshiba's new QosmioF55 features Garmin GPS technology

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the new Qosmio® F55 laptop series, a 15.4-inch powerhouse that leverages both the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo CPU and NVIDIA® GPUs with built-in GPS(1) to provide an unsurpassed performance in terms of multimedia, gaming and mobile convenience.

Through the combined strength of Intel's next-generation processor technology and the NVIDIA GeForce® 9700M GTS graphics(2) card, the Qosmio F55 with GPS is amply built for performance and power. The NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GTS provides users with the ability to navigate through today's latest DirectX® 10 games by providing razor-sharp graphic details and intricacies.

A unique feature on the Qosmio F55 laptop series is its GPS system powered by Garmin®. Freeing users from the need of an Internet connection, the built-in GPS system allows users to determine their exact location within moments, as well as search for directions to millions of locations.

“Laptops are a vital instrument of the digital lifestyle, and Toshiba is proud that it continues to expand its product line with innovations that increase how we interact with the world around us,”

said Jeff Barney, vice president and general manager, Digital Products Division, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.

“The Qosmio F55 laptop series is in line with that vision, and through the addition of GPS, gaming-level graphics and a premium design, it's a powerful machine that will turn heads wherever users are.”

Incorporating the all-new Fusion™ finish with Vibe pattern, the Qosmio F55's chassis is built around a stunning 15.4-inch diagonal widescreen TruBrite™ high-definition display. To further enhance the visual experience, the Qosmio F55 sports two premium Harman Kardon® stereo speakers, one subwoofer and Dolby Home Theater™ technology, allowing users to experience their content in both virtual and true surround sound environments. The Qosmio can be seamlessly integrated into a user's home theater system for a complete surround sound experience thanks to its REGZA LINK™ HDMI technology, while empowering users with simultaneous instant device configuration and the ability to control REGZA LINK enabled devices, such as Toshiba's REGZA™ HDTVs and Qosmio laptops, with a single remote.

As an added convenience, each Qosmio F55 features Sleep-and-Charge USB ports(3), which allow users to charge popular mobile devices such as MP3 players, mobile phones and PDAs at any moment, whether the laptop is powered-on, off or in hibernation mode. One of the Sleep-and-Charge ports also doubles as an eSATA port, which enables the transfer of data and multimedia files to and from an external hard drive at speeds up to five times faster than standard USB 2.0.

Additionally, the TOSHIBA Face Recognition software harnesses the Qosmio's built-in Webcam to grant or deny access to the laptop based on a series of recorded images of the user's face.

The Qosmio brand has long been defined by its strong multimedia features, and the Qosmio F55 series is no exception. The Qosmio F55 series sports a DVD SuperMulti Drive that supports 11 different media formats. Additionally, the optical drive is Labelflash™ enabled, which makes it possible to burn images and labels directly onto a Labelflash DVD-R disc for a polished, professional finish. For the first time, Toshiba will offer users the option of configuring their laptops to run either a 32-bit or 64-bit(4) version of Windows Vista, depending on a user's preference and intended computer use.

The new Qosmio F55 series is available at a variety of major consumer electronics and computer stores nationwide or directly from Toshiba at www.toshibadirect.com. Detailed product information is available at www.explore.toshiba.com/F55.

The following configurations demonstrate some of the various specifications and price options available within the Qosmio F55 series:

Qosmio F55-Q502 Unique Specifications (MSRP $1,399.99(5))

--OS selection at first boot: Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit version) (default), Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit(4) version)

--Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor P7350(6) --3072MB PC-6400 DDR2 SDRAM(7) --320GB (5400 RPM) Serial-ATA HDD(8) --DVD SuperMulti (+/-double layer) with Labelflash(TM) drive

--NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) 9700M GTS with 512MB GDDR3 discrete graphics(2) memory --Atheros(R) (802.11 b/g/n)(9) ; --Built-in GPS(1) ready

Qosmio F55-Q503 Unique Specifications (MSRP $1,749.99(5))

--OS selection at first boot: Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 64-bit(4) version) (default); Genuine Windows Vista(R) Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit version) --Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T9400(6) --4096MB PC-6400 DDR2 SDRAM(7) --320GB using two (7200 RPM) Serial-ATA HDD(8) --DVD SuperMulti (+/-double layer) with Labelflash(TM) drive --NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) 9700M GTS with 512MB GDDR3 discrete graphics(2) memory --Atheros(R) (802.11 b/g/n)(9) --Bluetooth(R) version 2.1 + EDR --Built-in GPS(1) ready

Multimedia: Qosmio F55 Series

The Qosmio F55 series is available with a one-year standard limited warranty(10), which includes carry-in support at Authorized Service Providers throughout the country or packaging and delivery of the product to a centralized depot for prompt turnaround service from any of the 4,460 UPS Stores and Mail Boxes Etc. locations nationwide. Customers can also choose to upgrade the notebook's service plans, including up to four years of extended warranty coverage.

All new Toshiba laptops are RoHS-compatible(11), effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances. Toshiba also offers a computer trade-in and recycling program to reduce environmental impact and promote efficient utilization of resources. During the third quarter of 2008, Toshiba is offering free recycling for all manufacturer's PCs with the purchase of a new Toshiba laptop computer. To learn more about this free PC recycling promotion or to find out how to recycle other consumer electronic products, please visit: www.toshiba.com/recycle.

Intel's Quad-core Mobile Chip Coming Next Month

Intel will release it's first quad-core processor for laptops next month, rounding out a broad update to its mobile computing platform.

"We're bringing quad-core to mobile in August,"

said Sujan Kamran, regional marketing manager for client platforms at Intel in Singapore. Kamran declined to disclose specifics of the quad-core chip, which will carry Intel's Core 2 Extreme moniker.

Getting a quad-core processor into a laptop is more about bragging rights than a genuine boost in performance. Very little PC software is designed to take advantage of multiple cores and it's unclear what performance benefits a quad-core chip would offer over a dual-core chip, such as the 3.06GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9100.

While official details of the upcoming quad-core chip are scarce, Australian PC maker Pioneer Computers is taking preorders for laptops based on an unreleased quad-core mobile chip, the 2.53GHz Core 2 Extreme QX9300.

The chip is advertised as a A$1,449 (US$1,390) upgrade to Pioneer Computers' DreamBook Style 9008 laptop. But adding a quad-core processor to the laptop doesn't come cheap: the cost of the upgrade is more than the laptop's A$1,399 basic price.

Toyota Offers Bluetooth on 15 Models

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. currently offers integrated Bluetooth® hands-free wireless systems in 15 models and will make it available on the all-new 2009 Venza when it goes on sale this fall.

With more states enacting laws that prohibit driving while talking on handheld cell phones, the Bluetooth® hands-free systems connection between certain Toyota models and most Bluetooth®-enabled mobile phones provide an easy wireless solution. Built into optional Toyota onboard DVD navigation and JBL audio systems, the technology provides users with convenient hands-free phone capabilities.

Bluetooth® hands-free systems are available on Toyota RAV4, Corolla and Matrix models with a JBL audio unit. The system is also available on Toyota 4Runner, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tundra, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and Solara models with the JBL audio unit or DVD navigation system.

The available DVD navigation and JBL audio systems enable the driver to make and receive hands-free phone calls on most compatible Bluetooth® equipped cell phones via the vehicle's built in microphone and speakers. There is no need to connect any interface cables between the phone and the vehicle. Owners simply need to register the phone by "pairing" to the system.

Due to differences in the quality of various handsets and Bluetooth® chip programming, phone functionality levels may differ by cell phone. The customer typically can enjoy the following Bluetooth® hands-free benefits on Toyota models:

-- Integrated phone operation utilizes built-in microphone and audio speakers.

-- One touch call answering via the steering-wheel control or the navigation screen.

-- Automatic audio mute when receiving or making a call.

-- Place a call from an outgoing or the incoming call log (up to five most recent calls -- on DVD navigation system only).

-- Voice command functions also allow the driver to make or receive calls.

Owners can refer to the LetsTalk Web site at toyota.letstalk.com for a listing of compatible phones and functionality.

AT&T Will Be Selling iPhone 3G in White on Friday

Steve Jobs told us that the new iPhone 3G, complete with the new rounded plastic back, would be offered in your choice of black or white. It has now been confirmed that the white version will be available for sale on launch day this Friday.

The confirmation, as it stands, only applies to AT&T and Apple Stores in the United States for July 11th. Shipments of the white 16GB version have already been received by many of the stores in anticipation for this Friday. There is no mention of whether white versions of the iPhone 3G have arrived in Canada.

On the flip side, there's news that the UK inventory offered through O2 will be without the white edition, selling only the black iPhone 3G on launch day. In the words of one BGR commentator,

"I guess white phones can't jump... the pond."

CDMA Getting Treated to Nokia 3608 Clamshell, 8208 Dual Slider

Nokia has a couple of new offerings for the CDMA crowd and while neither will garner the same attention as a certain handset from Cupertino, they are still worth noting. After all, the CDMA guys in the crowd can't get their hands on that multi-touch wonder anyhow.

First up, we have the Nokia 3608 on the left. This clamshell has dual displays with the main display measuring 2-inches across the diagonal. On the outside of the phone, you'll find a smaller display, touch-sensitive music controls, and a cool red flaring paintjob. Other features include a 1.3 megapixel camera, GPS receiver, FM radio, and microSD expansion.

The other phone is the Nokia 8208. It's a dual slider with 3G, 3 megapixel cam, GPS, FM radio, and dedicated music controls that pop out of the top.

Toshiba Protege G910 Smartphone Has Big Potential, Ultimately Disappoints

When you look at the spec sheet for the Toshiba Protege G910 Windows Mobile smartphone, it looks incredibly impressive. Perhaps the most notable feature is that glorious WVGA display, boasting a pixel density that's about the best in the business. Unfortunately, it seems that the cons outweigh the pros on this phone.

Starting with the good, the PocketNow reviewer makes mention of the great display, very usable QWERTY keyboard, plenty of wireless options (aGPS, WiFi, HSDPA), and even an OLED-backlit screen. In its closed position, the Protege G910 is simple, yet elegant. That extending stylus looks pretty good too.

And then you get the bad. The performance is "laggy", the USB 2.0 support is missing, and the keyboard doesn't keep pace with your fingers. It also sucks that it's only running on WM6 when everyone else is doing Windows Mobile 6.1. Going further, this smartphone has a sub-par camera, huge size, nearly useless fingerprint security, dim display, and a tiny external screen. Boo.

New LG Chocolate debuts on Verizon Wireless

The latest eye candy from Verizon Wireless and LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) will make its debut on the nation's most reliable wireless network on Sunday, July 13. The new flip style LG Chocolate(TM) 3, the third- generation of the iconic Chocolate music phones, supports all of the latest features in mobile music technology including Verizon Wireless' V CAST Music with Rhapsody subscription music service. The LG Chocolate 3 will be available in black or light blue beginning Sunday in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, and through the company's online store at www.verizonwireless.com.

The marquee music phone for the new V CAST Music with Rhapsody service, LG Chocolate 3 allows Verizon Wireless customers to access more than 5 million songs, create playlists and load hundreds of songs on their phones to take with them wherever they go. Designed to be a powerhouse music player, the LG Chocolate 3 sports a built-in FM transmitter so customers can play music through a car or other stereo system, dual speakers, Bluetooth® headset for wireless stereo sound, and multitasking capabilities while listening to music. An easy-to-use external front navigation wheel and center select key makes music navigation easy, and the phone will satisfy music appetites with its optional expandable memory using a large 8 GB microSD(TM) card.

"We are proud of the success and popularity of the Chocolate series of handsets, and are excited about the upgrades made with this new edition,"

said Mr. Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of product strategy and marketing for LG Mobile Phones.

"The LG Chocolate 3 helps Verizon Wireless customers minimize the number of electronic devices they need to carry at one time, allowing for a large capacity of music storage and connection to a car stereo without any wires."

Entertainment doesn't end with music on the LG Chocolate 3; this feature rich flip phone also packs a 2.0 megapixel camera and camcorder and supports V CAST Video and ESPN MVP, giving customers an on-demand link to news, scores and more. The LG Chocolate 3 can be charged via a computer with its micro USB charging port.

The LG Chocolate 3 is the first Verizon Wireless phone to feature Dashboard, a graphically rich portal powered by Adobe Flash® Cast(TM) technology, which delivers personalized multimedia information and entertainment services directly to the phone. Dashboard features 13 channels -- Mobile Web, VZW Showcase, Get Channels and Search, as well nine more to customize the wireless experience. Verizon Wireless customers can select from News, Community, Comedy Central, MTV News, IGN.COM, FOX Sport, Tones & Extras, Sports, ESPN, Music, Entertainment, Weather, Business, and Games channels to appear on their phones.

Additional features and capabilities of the LG Chocolate 3 include:

-- Additional Music Features

* Music player that supports .mp3, .wma, unprotected .aac and unprotected .aac+ files

* Dedicated music key and preset sound effect equalizer

* Create and manage playlists

* Music library -- organized by artist, genre, album

* Music only mode (RF off except Bluetooth) -- supports up to 24 hours of music playback

-- 2.0 Megapixel Camera/Camcorder Features

* Camera resolutions: 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, 320 x 240 pixels

* Zoom: up to 2x

* Image editor -- zoom, rotate and crop images

* Video resolutions: 320 x 240, 176 x 144 pixels

* Video recording time -- 30 seconds (for sending) or up to 1 hour (for saving) depending on available memory

* Video player for WMV, MP4, 3GP, 3G2 formats

* Customizable brightness, white balance, shutter sound, night, photometry

* Self-timer: off, three, five or 10 seconds

* Color effects: normal, negative, aqua, sepia, black and white

* Self portrait/video recording capability with flip closed

-- Mobile Web-capable -- customizable, enhanced wireless access to the latest in news, sports, weather and more

-- Mobile Email -- access MSN® Hotmail®, America Online® and Yahoo!® accounts to exchange e-mail

-- VZ Navigator(SM)-capable -- get visual and audible directions to thousands of destinations, locate businesses and other points of interest, get maps of a location and share directions with others

-- Media Center-capable -- downloadable games, ringtones, wallpapers, location-based services and more

-- Mobile IM capabilities

-- Chaperone® Child-capable -- allows the LG Chocolate 3 to have its location shared with family members via the Chaperone Web site, the Chaperone® Parent application or Child Zone® SMS alerts

-- Bluetooth Version 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)

* Save up to 20 Bluetooth pairings

* Supported profiles: headset, hands-free, dial-up networking, advanced audio distribution (stereo), phone book access, basic printing, object push for vCard and vCalendar, file transfer and basic imaging

* Send all contacts and calendar events via Bluetooth

* Print and send user generated pictures (JPEG) via Bluetooth

-- One-touch speakerphone

-- Speaker-independent voice commands

-- Voice-activated dialing up to 1,000 entries

-- Voice recording -- 1 minute or 1 hour (standby) up to 1,500 memos

-- .mp3 music ringer support (clips from hit songs)

-- 27 unique ringtones as well as vibrate and silent modes

-- Text, picture, video and voice messaging

-- Phone book with 1,000 contacts -- each entry stores five numbers, two e-mail addresses and a Picture ID

-- Speed dial -- 999 entries; one voicemail default

-- Calendar, calculator, EZ tip calculator, alarm clock, stopwatch, world clock and notepad

-- Flash® user-interface for clear images, text and fun animations

-- Simultaneous GPS for enhanced location accuracy

-- Standalone mode (RF off)

-- TTY/TDD support

-- Hearing aid compatible = M3

-- Headset jack: 3.5 mm

-- Technology: CDMA

-- Frequency: 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS, 800 MHz CDMA (Digital Dual-Band)

-- Data transmission: EV-DO

-- SAR: head 1.26 W/kg; body 0.367 W/kg

-- Dimensions: 3.87" (h) x 1.94" (w) x 0.64" (d)

-- Weight: 3.36 ounces

-- Display:

* Internal LCD: 260K Color TFT, 320 x 240 pixels, 2.2"

* External LCD: 260K Color TFT, 176 x 220 pixels, 1.76"

-- Standard battery: 800 mAh

-- Usage time: up to 270 minutes

-- Standby time: up to 350 hour

Howard from Howard Forums Prefers Nokia N95 over iPhone, Instinct, Bold

Howard Forums is easily home to the largest community of cell phone enthusiasts on the planet and its bold leader, Howard Chui, made an appearance on television yesterday to lend his expertise.

In the clip, Howard goes through the pros and cons of three of this season's hottest new mobile phones. Today marks the official launch of the Apple iPhone 3G and everyone is pretty excited about that. Howard goes on to discuss the $10 unlimited data on the Samsung Instinct, before moving on to the slick business handheld known as the BlackBerry Bold.

At the end of the day, Howard may like those phones, but he doesn't use any of them himself. He prefers the Nokia N95, largely because he can use it without looking at it. Not everyone needs a touchscreen, you know.

Kmart Ad Trumpets Xbox Price Dip

A Kmart advertising circular is a strong indication that the rumors about a possible price cut for the Xbox 360 might be right. The discount chain's sales ad for the week of July 13 lists a US$299 price for the 20 GB Xbox 360. It represents a $50 decrease from the $349 Amazon.com lists as the price for the console.

When asked to confirm the price drop, Microsoft spokesperson Katie Abrahamson declined to do so.

However, Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told that the $50 drop is not a surprise -- though it comes a bit earlier in the year than he had anticipated.

"We thought they were going to do a price cut before the back-to-school season. This is a little earlier than I think most folks figured it was going to happen, but sales for consoles are typically slow now. The Xbox is the oldest of the three [current generation consoles]. With Nintendo ramping reasonably well into the holidays, it was about time for Microsoft to pass some of the cost savings it's been seeing on the component side back to consumers,"

he said.

Odd Timing

Price cuts for items with a big draw during the holidays typically occur closer to the end of the summer season, and Enderle said slashing the price in July seemed a little early and catches people when they historically are not in the market for a video game platform.

"I probably would have done it closer in so that I could catch the wave of people wanting to buy. Doing it this early -- people aren't really in the 'buying the game console mode' right now, and typically don't get into it until Christmas,"

he explained.

However, what may make this year different is an economic downturn, Enderle pointed out.

"[People] are staying home. They're thinking about things to do with the kids now that they aren't going anyplace. One of the things parents are likely to do is buy them a game system or something else to keep the kids entertained,"

he said.

Pricing Strategy

The $50 drop for the 20 GB Xbox 360 still leaves Nintendo's Wii as the lowest-priced gaming console available. However, for the Wii, the price of the console is not the major draw, according to Enderle.

"The things that are moving the Wii have to do with what the Wii does and not necessarily price,"

he said.

"I'm still continually disappointed by their price cuts,"

Yankee Group analyst Mike Goodman told.

"They would be in a much better position if they would be a little more aggressive on the price front -- create [a] little separation between themselves and Sony and create a better reason [for consumers to buy an Xbox 360]."

Microsoft needs to put distance between itself and the PS3 and lessen the distance between the 360 and the Wii, he said.

Enderle also expects to see a price cut from Sony for its PlayStation 3 console this summer.

"The price of components continues to drop, and the Blu-ray drive is a fraction of the price it once was. I think a lot of folks are anticipating that Sony will take a pricing action before we get into back to school,"

he explained.

Source: TechNewsWorld

Motorola Releases Touchscreen Linux Smartphone

The Moto A810 entry-level smartphone features Bluetooth capabilities, handwriting recognition, and a multimedia player.

Motorola introduced Wednesday a touchscreen handset that's aimed at young mobile professionals looking for their first smartphone.

The Moto A810 is not as powerful as the updates to the company's Ming line, but it should still have enough features for the workers on the go.

The Linux-powered handset has a sleek candy-bar form factor, and the 2.2-inch touchscreen with 240 by 320 resolution. The included stylus can be used with the built-in handwriting recognition software. The smartphone will also come preloaded with stock trading and dictionary applications, and it's capable of receiving corporate e-mail.

Users will be able to surf the Web on an integrated Opera browser, but this device cannot access 3G networks. Instead, the handset uses EDGE data for browsing and retrieving e-mails, with a top downlink speed of 236.8 Kbps.

The smartphone will have a microUSB port for transferring files, and the internal storage can be expanded via the microSD slot. Motorola's handset will also have built-in hands free controls.

To help balance work with fun, this smartphone has an integrated music and video player. There's a built-in FM radio, and a standard audio output jack. There will also be a 2-megapixel camera on board that can shoot photos and videos.

The handset measures in at 4.1 by 2 by .5 inches, weighs 100 ounces, and will come in black or white. The A810 is currently available in China, and the company did not say how much it would cost or if it would debut in other markets.