Archive for September, 2006
Watch designer Fossil has announced the availability of the Caller ID wristwatch. Incorporating Bluetooth wireless technology, the watch will simplify how people interact and engage with their mobile phones. Combining fashion forward technology with added functionality and efficiency, the Bluetooth watch enables users to stay connected without compromising style. The watch designs were adapted from top selling Fossil models.The analog/digital watch links effortlessly via Bluetooth to certain cellular phones allowing users to view incoming caller ID information on the watch face. Users are notified when their phone rings and when a text message is received. When users are unable to answer their phone, a single button press can mute or reject an incoming call. When a voicemail or text message is received, users are alerted by an icon of an envelope that appears on the watch accompanied by a slight vibration.
“Our goal for the Bluetooth watch was to create a product that enhances the lifestyle of the wearer without compromising style or usability,” said Bill Geiser, Vice President of Watch Technology at Fossil. “Watches are evolving with technology and Fossil is at the forefront of that revolution.”
Partnering with Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, a global leader in the mobile handset industry, Fossil’s new wireless product boasts a fashion- forward design that is as attractive as it is capable. “Combining Fossil’s fashion and watch expertise with Sony Ericsson’s Bluetooth technology expertise helped us to create a smart, dynamic and fashionable watch that keeps you connected in all situations and eliminates the need to fumble through your pocket or handbag each time someone calls,” adds Geiser.
The new Bluetooth watch is available in two different brands, FOSSIL® and ABACUS(TM). The FOSSIL branded product, Fossil Caller ID (style FX6001), with black ionic plated stainless steel case and bracelet-style strap, will be available exclusively in the United States at http://www.fossil.com . The FOSSIL Caller ID is priced at an MSRP of $250.00 USD and will be available in late October.
The ABACUS branded product (MobileWear(TM) by ABACUS) comes in two styles: one with a stainless steel case and bracelet (style AU6001) and the other with a stainless steel case and black PU strap (style AU6002). The watches are expected to be available in mid-October and are priced at an MSRP of $200.00 USD. The ABACUS MobileWear watches are available in the US through Comp USA, Germany through _dug Telecom AG and in the UK through Widget UK, LTD. A full list of retailers is available at http://www.abacuswatches.com .
Additional features include a two-hand analog for easy timekeeping, vibrating alert of incoming call or SMS/MMS, Caller ID or number displayed, out of range warning (after 10 meters the watch vibrates when phone goes out of range), view phone’s time/date, simple two-button auto pairing operation, bright OLED display, reject/mute incoming calls (one button push mutes the phone’s ringer, two button pushes rejects the call), water resistant to 3 ATM, and compatibility with most Sony Ericsson Bluetooth phones. The watch also features a lithium rechargeable battery that lasts approximately 5-7 days based on conditions of use. The battery can be recharged through a USB or universal AC adapter.
September 30th, 2006
Microsoft has revealed that its Zune portable media player will cost $250, give or take a cent, when it arrives in US stores on 14 November.The price point appears to have been set to match that of the 30 GB Apple iPod, so how do the two devices stack up against each other?
Firstly the capacity is identical – 30GB. That’s mid range these days, and you can get an 80GB iPod, but at this stage, Zune and its more established rival are neck and neck.
Zune nudges into the lead with its 3 inch colour display. The iPod lags behind with its paltry 2.5 inches. 30-15 to Bill Gates.
Weight is a little tricky to judge as Microsoft have been very cagey about it. This would naturally lead one to believe that Zune is a little on the dense side, but then that brown model does resemble a brick, so perhaps it’s just reverting to type. Bloggers who have actually held the thing say that it is not appreciably different to the iPod, so let’s award the benefit of the doubt and call it a draw. 40-30 to Zune and game point against the 30GB iPod.
Looks can kill as the saying goes, but Zune won’t have a lot of bodies trailing in its wake. The white and black models aren’t too bad, but that brown one is a bit of a market research mystery at the moment. It’s going all the way…..deuce.
Features is where Zune nails the iPod and finishes it off. Wireless capability enters the fray and it’s advantage Zune. Remember that it has an FM tuner and the 30GB iPod is down and out.
So, for $250 Zune just shaves the iPod. However, the one thing it doesn’t have is brand awareness. The iPod has become iconic and any amount of undercutting of the iPod doesn’t change that.
September 30th, 2006
Intel is launching a $1 million PC design contest with the aim of encouraging manufacturers to think ’sexy, stylish and small’.The winner will be the smallest (easy to measure) and most stylish (a little subjective we think) home PC powered by Intel’s Viiv technology.
The $1 million bounty will be split between two major prize winners, one who receive some wedge to help with manufacturing costs and then marketing, and the other who just receives help with mass-producing the thing.
Systems submitted for the challenge will be rated early next year by a distinguished panel of judges, including IDEO Founder and Chairman David Kelley, PC Magazine Chief Content Officer Michael Miller, Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini, and GQ magazine Associate Editor Kevin Sintumuang.
The winner is expected to be announced at the Intel Developer Forum scheduled for March 20-22, 2007 in San Francisco.
Source: Media Center PC World
September 27th, 2006
Here in the UK we have just seen a slight relaxation of the rules banning…well, just about anything from the cabin of an aeroplane. However, as quickly as we have been granted the right to carry eye shadow onto a plane, airlines are banning us from taking a laptop onboard.
Those who have been following the whole ‘overheating laptop battery’ saga will be aware that Virgin Atlantic have banned Dell and Apple laptops from the cabin as a result of the massive recall of Sony batteries recently.
“As a result of the current problems being experienced by the Apple and Dell Corporations with some of the batteries fitted to some of their laptops, as a safety precaution and with immediate effect, customers wanting to use an Apple or Dell laptop on board can only do so if the battery is removed. Any removed or spare batteries must be individually wrapped/protected and placed in your Carry On Baggage. This is limited to two batteries per passenger.”
But before you non Apple or Dell owners start to snigger, here’s another cautionary tale. A Thinkpad user in LA recently had passengers scattering when his PC burst into flames at a departure lounge just before he boarded a flight to London. Lenovo, makers of the Thinkpad range since they were sold by IBM, dispatched a team of investigators to Los Angeles within 12 hours of the incident, and confirmed that the laptop was a ThinkPad T43. At this stage there is no news about whether the battery involved was a Sony, but it is known that Lenovo use both Sony and Sanyo batteries.
So, expect Virgin to add Lenovo to their list of banned latops. In fact expect it to ban ALL laptops before much longer.
September 22nd, 2006
Nokia today announced that it has reached an agreement with Microsoft to integrate Live Search capabilities into its Mobile Search platform, thus enabling consumers access to Live Search directly from their Nokia Nseries multimedia computers and other compatible Nokia S60 devices. Live Search will provide advanced web search results in 14 languages to enable on-the-go access to the information and content consumers want most.
Microsoft will provide advanced search results for web search, as well as quick and easy access to information such as stock quotes, movie times, and common facts via Encarta Instant Answers. The Mobile Search experience from Nokia allows users to find search results more quickly than by using the browser and finding the web page of an internet search provider, since in many cases search will be accessible directly from the menu screen.
“Adding the advanced searching capabilities of Microsoft’s Live Search to our Mobile Search platform provides our customers with unique and powerful new ways to search the internet on their multimedia computers and many other compatible Nokia mobile devices,” commented Ralph Eric Kunz, vice president, Multimedia Experiences. “The Mobile Search platform is dedicated towards creating a user experience that is easy to access and optimally integrated into other functions of the device.”
“We are pleased to provide advanced Live Search services to enhance the search experience on Nokia’s S60 handsets,” said John DeVitis, product unit manager of Live Search for mobile at Microsoft Corp. “Live Search offers consumers unprecedented control and personalization giving them easy access to searching the web plus targeted instant information from their mobile
devices.”
The Mobile Search application is expected to be available in select markets in the standard sales packs of the Nokia N80 Internet Edition,
Nokia N73, Nokia N93, Nokia N70, Nokia N71, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6680, and Nokia 6681, it is also offered as a free download for select Nokia S60 devices from http://www.nokia.com/mobilesearch.
September 22nd, 2006
Liquid cooled PCs have long been the domain of power users such as gamers, but the fact that the system is completely silent makes them an ideal choice for media center PCs as well.However, not many manufacturers are producing PCs with liquid cooling as standard and building your own system always seemed fraught with danger - after all, water and CPUs don’t mix.
Gizmodo brings us news of CoolIT’s self-contained system specifically designed to easily drop into a media center PC.
The maintenance-free system fits into the space normally reserved for a couple of three-inch cooling fans, replacing them with a radiator and tubes that carry cooling liquid around the CPU and graphics processor.
Source: www.mediacenterpcworld.com
September 19th, 2006
Many iPod killers have come and gone - many of them were pretty good - but finally a device will reach the market that has the brand and the marketing clout to prise Steve Jobs’ fingers from their stranglehold on the mp3 player market - Microsoft’s Zune.Whether the Zune player is any good or not remains to be seen, but the truth is that it doesn’t need to be exceptional. Creative’s Zen players are fabulous, but the brand is puny compared to Apple’s so it languishes behind in every statistic. Microsoft is not hampered with the same lack of marketing resources and so the likelihood is that Zune will make a dent - possibly only a small one - in the iPod’s market share.
The first player unveiled by Microsoft is a 30GB device capable of playing audio and video. It has a larger screen than a similar iPod, but crucially contains a WiFi adapter allowing the sharing of files between devices, which sounds like a bit of a DRM nightmare.
There is no pricing information at the moment, but presumably Microsoft will undercut a similarly specced iPod.
Apple has also revamped its iPod line in recent days, releasing an 80GB iPod, an 8GB Flash ROM based iPod Nano and a tiny 1GB iPod Shuffle.
September 19th, 2006