Archive for August 23rd, 2005
Motorola and Apple are silent on the news, but the US Federal Communications Commission has posted documents on its website granting regulatory approval to start selling a phone that runs a mobile version iTunes.
The Motorola E790 has stereo speakers, removable flash memory and Bluetooth support.
Motorola haven’t commented and Apple are only slightly less tight-lipped, confirming that an iTunes / Motorola partnership is in the works, but with an unspecified end result.
FCC approval is not an indication that the E790 will launch soon. Regulatory approval is merely one step that a company must go through to market a wireless device in the USA and it could happen at the end or the beginning of a product’s development.
The manual posted on the FCC website has quite a few typos, but it’s fairly clear about the iTunes support, with a section entitled ‘Use iTunes’.
“iTunes is a software application you use to manage the music on your computer and transfer music to your phone,” the manual states. “You can use iTunes to purchase and download music for your phone, listen to CDs and digital music, and create playlists of your favorite songs on your phone.”
Copying music to the phone seems pretty simple. “On your computer, open iTunes, connect your phone to your computer, and when the phone appears as a source, drag and drop music files to your phone.”
US government websites are often great sources of information. Notably, the manual for the Sony PSP was posted on the US Patent Office website, months in advance of the console going on sale.
August 23rd, 2005
If our UK readers have been getting jealous of the WiMax trials going on across the pond, fear not. Pipex and Airspan are teaming up to provide a 6 month trial of the technology.
Unfortunately you have to live in the Midlands (no word as to where exactly) to take part. Pipex will use Airspan to deliver broadband to businesses and to homes. In addition to data services, the trial will also test VoIP services that would allow Pipex to offer innovative product bundles.
Mike Read, Pipex’s CEO, said, “WiMax is an exciting new opportunity for Pipex and this test will help determine how we offer wireless broadband services to our customers using our licensed spectrum. Combined voice and data offerings using WiMax will enable Pipex to deliver differentiated products in addition to our existing services. We are pleased to be working with Airspan, as they are one of the world’s leading broadband wireless companies and their products will help us evaluate the full potential of WiMax.”
The technical tests will include a wide-ranging assessment of the acceptability of wireless broadband data and voice services by end-users, and a series of radio performance measurements designed to assess the long-term stability and availability of WiMax. The trial will be based on Airspan’s indoor WiMaxmodem, which will enable end-users to self-install their wireless broadband service. Future trial phases will assess the performance of other WiMaxdevice types, including laptop cards and handheld devices for both fixed and nomadic applications.
This is the first 802.16-2004 compliant WiMAX trial in the UK.
August 23rd, 2005
Amazon.com customers can now print their photos online after the online retailer partnered with Shutterfly.
“Amazon is looking forward to working with Shutterfly,” said Glenn Cunningham, Vice President of Amazon’s Electronics store. “Our customers have come to expect a superior shopping experience from Amazon.com and we believe, with the addition of Shutterfly’s digital photography products and services, this will serve to enhance their shopping experience with us.”
The following Shutterfly photo products and services are now available to Amazon.com shoppers:
- Professionally developed photographs ranging in sizes from wallets to 20×30 large-formats
- Design-it-yourself photo cards, calendars, photo books and photo gifts, including mugs, t-shirts, and a variety of other personalized products, that can be shipped directly to friends and family all over the world
- Free online picture sharing including sharing a single album at a time and creating up to two free “Collections,” a personal address for storing and sharing an unlimited number of photo albums
- Easy-to-use image organization and uploading tools
- Free, unlimited online image storage
- Free image editing tools (i.e. cropping, red-eye removal, enhancing color effects and adding borders)
“We are very excited to welcome Amazon’s tens of millions of shoppers into Shutterfly’s community of users and to introduce them to all that they can accomplish with their digital images, online,” said Jeffrey Housenbold, President & CEO of Shutterfly. “Together, Amazon and Shutterfly will enable consumers to easily turn their precious memories into distinctive photographs and gifts.”
August 23rd, 2005