Posts filed under 'Mobile'
Streaming Networks today announced the availability of its new iRecord Personal Media Recorder. iRecord allows users to record video and audio directly onto Apple iPod, Sony PSP or any other USB storage devices with the touch of a button.”Until iRecord there was no simple and easy way for portable media player owners to put their personal video and audio contents onto their players. Now, in one touch, consumers can move their favorite movies, TV shows, home videos and audio tracks to their iPod or PSP portable players using iRecord . It’s just that simple!” said Ayub Khan, CEO and President of Streaming Networks.
Prior to iRecord, consumers would have to go through several tedious steps in order to transfer their favorite movie or TV show to their iPod, including determining which video format to use, hooking up computer equipment to their home entertainment system, and waiting as content was slowly moved. iRecord eliminates this multi-step process and makes recording as simple as pushing a button. A consumer simply plugs the iRecord into his TV or DVD player and hits iRecord’s record button. The iRecord then records what is being played on the TV directly onto the iPod in real-time. After the program is over, simply unplug your iPod and the movie or TV show can immediately be enjoyed on your portable device. Consumers use the same process to record movies or TV shows to Sony PSP player Memory Stick, or any other USB storage device such as Flash Drives or Hard Drives.
iRecord records analog video and audio from any source with S-video or RCA video and audio outputs, including DVD player, TV, TiVo, VCR or any cable/satellite set-top box.
iRecord encodes hi-quality H.264 video in real-time at the standard iPod and PSP resolution of 320×240. iRecord’s additional features include the ability to record MP3 audio directly to most models of iPod. iRecord supports both Windows and Macintosh iPods. In addition, iRecord offers a USB port so that it can be easily updated when new product features are made available. iRecord ships with a power adapter, audio/video cables and user manual for price of US $199.99 and is currently available for purchase at www.irecord.com.
October 21st, 2006
Samsung reached another milestone in camera phones by launching 10 megapixel camera phone, which was unveiled at CeBIT in March this year. Samsung has been the first to introduce mobile phone with embedded camera in 2000. Samsung has also launched the world’s first 5 megapixel camera phone in October 2004 ; the world’s first 7 megapixel camera phone in July 2005.
Samsung’s 10 megapixel camera phone (SCH-B600) is 6mm thinner and 10g lighter than the 7 megapixel camera phone (SCH-V770) and sets itself apart from its previous megapixel camera phones by combining mobile TV capability in Satellite standard.
The B600 offers the same level of picture-taking sophistication that a 10 megapixel digital camera offers. The camera function includes 3x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom. It also has auto focus and a flash unit that performs optimally for 10 megapixel photographs.
Also, the B600 comes fitted with a LED autofocus feature which assists users to capture clear, crisp photos even in dark settings. Located next to the lens, the LED autofocus automatically determines the distance and utilizes the appropriate focus setting for optimal photo shooting.
The B600 also supports white balance, manual focus, continuous picture-taking, and interval picture-taking functions.
It also supports Bluetooth which enables users to send pictures wirelessly to other mobile phones, printers or to Bluetooth headsets.
The high color Reproduction TFT-LCD produces the highest possible display for its size. The photo-fine chromic LCD can reproduce 16 million colors, virtually any color found in nature, earning it the “True Color” appellation. Moving pictures can be recorded in QVGA resolution at 15-30 frames per second. Users can watch live TV in crisp picture through Satellite DMB function.
It also supports external memory (MMCmicro) in addition to its internal memory. The mobile phone supports a TV-out function where users can connect their phones to view still or motion pictures.
The B600 comes with a design reminiscent of a real digital camera. The front is designed as a bar-type mobile phone, while the back side is used as the digital camera.
Other advanced functions in the B600 include an MP3 player, business card reader, and 128 polyphonic sounds.
The price of B600 is around 900,000 won (about $ 900) in Korea.
October 11th, 2006
Bluetooth is pretty cool, despite the fact that it has spawned that most laughable of people - the headset (even when it’s really not necessary) wearer. Now there’s a new kid on the block in the short-range wireless district in the form of Wibree.
Wibree uses a lot less power than bluetooth, so it can be used in smaller devices and that opens up a lot of new possibilities. It is implemented either as stand-alone chip or as a Bluetooth-Wibree dual-mode chip. In fact, it can use the same hardware as bluetooth so costs are low. Wibree operates at a range of up to 10 meters and with a data rate of 1-Mbit per second.
Nokia is behind the new technology and they think it has lots of potential uses in devices that were traditionally too small for bluetooth, such as wristwatches. They hope to bring it to market in 2007.
“Wibree technology is an important development that opens up new market opportunities and a whole new range of possibilities for mobile users. Our aim is to establish an industry standard faster than ever before by offering an interoperable solution that can be commercialized and incorporated into products quickly,” said Dr. Bob Iannucci, head of the Nokia Research Center.
If you were wondering what the derivation of the word ‘Wibree’ is, so are we. Nokia has remained tightlipped about it so far.
October 3rd, 2006
According to the Metropolitan Police figures, 10,000 mobile phones are stolen every month. But a new service from mobile device management company Synchronica (www.synchronica.com) aims to help victims of theft strike back.Synchronica’s mobile phone management software Mobile Manager can remotely lock and wipe data from mobile phones as soon as their owners report the loss. If the phone has been stolen, companies can also turn on the Synchronica Scream Feature, causing an annoying and embarrassing high pitched wail to be emitted from the stolen device.
“According to industry sources, it takes on average only 30 seconds for someone to notice that their phone is missing, compared to an hour for a wallet or purse”, said Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Synchronica. “Using our service, crime victims can be reassured that their information is immediately removed from the stolen phone, along with the satisfaction of annoying the thief with a screaming handset.”
Until this becomes a common feature with mobile phones, TechSmec.com isn’t sure it will make a massive difference. Yes, it will annoy the hell out of a thief, but by then they’ve already got the handset, so you’re not really any better off.
October 3rd, 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
The northern Finish city of Oulu is the first in the world to try out UMA (unlicensed mobile access) technology in anger. From its population of 128962, 50 families will be using the new Nokia 6136 phone to switch seamlessly between WiFi, VoIP access and standard GSM when not in range of a WiFi hotspot.
“This pilot project is an important step forward in bringing functional UMA technology to the mass market,” Nokia mobile phones research and development senior vice president Peter Ropke said. “Both operators and consumers will be able to garner the benefits of this new technology.”
What are these benefits? As far as the consumer goes it will allow them to dispense with a landline altogther as long as they have a WiFi network at home. Telecommunications companies like the idea as installing WiFi hotspots is a lot cheaper than mobile phone basestations and they will be able to offer network access to remote areas at a much lower cost.
Which brings us back to Oulu. Quite apart from being the home of Technopolis, the first technology park in Scandanavia, Oulu has invested in a free WiFi network across the city centre, making it perfect for Nokia’s trial.
July 30th, 2006
Research and Markets has announced the addition of “Handset Embedded Memory Development Report, 2005-2006″ to their offering.
After precisely describing handset embedded memories, this report analyses the structure and trends of this market. Then it gives full details about handset embedded memory manufacturers. With diversified functions and augmented performance of mobile phones, the ratio of the cost of handset’s memory is increasingly rising, reaching the highest in some high-end phones and smart phones. Thus, it is necessary to study handset memory elaborately.
The average capacity of handset memory reached 180MB in 4Q, 2004. The fast growth is maintained and the figure will be doubled to 415MB by Q2, 2006.
In a handset, three areas require embedded memories. Firstly, RAM is needed for the temporary data storage of MCU and DSP. Secondly, NOR flash memory is used for storing system code of handset software. And the third is NAND flash memory which is used for the storage of extended data. In general, RAM is a kind of volatile storage while NOR and NAND are both characterized by non-volatile storage.
Presently, RAM memories mostly adopt the form of PSRAM whose capacity is around 32MB-64MB. PSRAM can be divided into three types. Initially, CellularRAM was strongly supported by those companies: Hynix, Winbond, NanoAmp Solutions, Renesas, Micron, Infineon and Cypress. In second place, COSMORAM is actively supported by Toshiba, NEC and Fujitsu. Thirdly, Samsung uses UtRAM. Because of its structure and features, the capacity of PSRAM can hardly exceed 256MB in a PCB of 108 square millimeters. And RAM with more than 256MB has to be supported by SDRAM. Many smart phones have already adopted the RAM with 512MB. In the future, PSRAM will gradually decline while SDRAM will gain widespread popularity.
Key manufacturers such as Cypress, NEC, Toshiba and Mitsubishi which were formerly involved in handset-used PSRAM and SRAM cannot provide or manufacture SDRAM. Consequently, their competitiveness is greatly weakened. In comparison, manufacturers such as Hynix, Elpida, Infineon and Micron, which previously took up with DRAM production, began to embark on SDRAM production. Similar to RAM, NOR memory lacks high density in spite of excellent code execution performance. Compared with NAND, NOR’s low density hampers its development. NOR with 128MB-256MB or the maximum 512MB can be provided for low-end phones and medium-end phones. Once NOR’s capacity exceeds 512MB, taking smart phones with outstanding performance for instance, manufacturers prefer to adopt NAND because NOR has a much higher cost and a relatively big-sized body. However, NAND has many defects such as the system being unable to start up directly. Concerning stability, there are hidden troubles such as bit-flipping, bad blocks and limited life in NAND. In addition, NAND adopts a non-standard interface and needs software management, which increases the cost of the system. Although this problem can be addressed through some structural methods, some technologies are required for the settlement of the above hidden troubles. M-SYSTEM helps NAND a lot to replace NOR. With the addition of software and hardware design (DiskOnChip) of M-SYSTEM, NAND flash memory can be equally used as NOR. At present, M-SYSTEM is mainly applied in smart phones or mobile phones with U-disk function. The relatively high price of M-SYSTEM hampers its development.
It will take three or four years for NAND to replace NOR. Non-smart top-grade 2.5G handsets adopts NOR ranging from 256MB to 320MB. Again, NOR capacity of general 3G mobile phones is around 256MB. There will be one or two years for NOR flash memory to exceed 512MB. In reality, 2.5G handsets will be the mainstream in the next three or four years, especially because domestic handset manufacturers pay much attention cost savings. NOR’s capacity is currently led by 64-128MB.
NOR flash memory suppliers such as Sharp, SST and Spansion lack of NAND technology while other counterparts including Intel, STMicroelectronics, Renesas, Toshiba and Samsung are well experienced in NAND technology. Sharp and SST have decided not to set foot in the field of NOR. Only Spansion persists in developing ORNAND. The utilization efficiency of MCP flash memory is low and handset users can increase the capacity of NAND flash memory from 128MB to at least 1GB. In contrast, the utilization efficiency of micro hard disks can reach 100%.
Some manufacturers are also adopting the independent flash memory chip to guarantee the utilization efficiency. But the current cost is comparatively high. Micro hard disks will be advantageous in the 4GB-above market in the next three years.
May 19th, 2006
Just as the capacity of flash memory is starting to infringe on hard drive territory, Seagate has unveiled a 12GB disc drive which is only 1 inch across. The company has even made it smaller than existing 1 inch drives by removing the connector and packaging, so we now have a 12GB drive that is smaller than its 8GB predecessor.
The drive is intended for use in mobile phones and portable music players. It uses perpendicular recording technology to cram more data onto the same size platter. Normal hard drives store data by placing charges horizontally on the disc. Perpendicular drives place the charges ‘upright’ meaning that more can be placed into the same area. The new ST1.3 Series also has 30% less power consumption than previous models.
“Portable, on-demand video is driving the next wave of revenue opportunity for the mobile phone and entertainment communities. As consumer adoption drives the demand for the availability of video content anytime and anywhere, the need for tiny, high-capacity hard drives becomes more apparent,” said Brodie Keast, Seagate’s general manager of consumer electronics.
However, at the same time as Seagate was trumpeting the ST1.3 at 3GSM in Barcelona, rival firm Cornice was unveiling 8GB and 10GB versions of its Dragon Series drives, which although smaller in capacity than the Seagate offering, have an even smaller form factor.
Look out flash ROM…hard disc technology isn’t quite dead yet.
February 14th, 2006
Sony Ericsson today announces the K610, a slim, lightweight and affordable UMTS imaging phone that opens up the world of 3G for a much wider population. Just 17mm thick and weighing 92 grams, the K610 is the size and weight of a typical 2G stick phone and will be one of the smallest and lightest 3G phones to come on the market. It packs into its slender frame a suite of advanced communications, business and entertainment applications plus a 2 Megapixel camera, Memory Stick removable storage and Bluetooth connectivity.
“The K610 is a classic Sony Ericsson design reminiscent of the iconic and much loved T610 with a balance of form and function that makes it pretty irresistible,” said Jan Wäreby, Corporate Executive Vice President, Head of Sales and Marketing
The K610’s pure lines combine with a solid, quality feel to make it a pleasure to hold and use. It is also incredibly practical and easy to use, with bright illumination plus large keypad and 262K colour display.
UMTS connectivity and a 2 Megapixel camera makes the K610 an ideal tool to shoot images and share them instantly – whether for business or pleasure. Creating a photoblog is easily done by just adding text to images and posting them to the Internet, or images can be quickly sent by email or MMS.
High speed email, web access and a range of business-friendly applications make the K610 the ideal partner for the productive mobile office. Standard push e-mail support (P-IMAP) sends messages direct to the phone without having to download them, and a flight mode allows users to work offline.
The phone’s practical use as a business tool is further strengthened by a comprehensive connectivity suite that keeps the user always in touch. UMTS is supplemented by Bluetooth, Infrared, USB 2.0 mass storage and Memory Stick Micro (M2) support,. USB 2.0 can be used to synchronise with Microsoft Outlook to ensure calendar and contacts are always up-to-date the handset.
Browsing the Internet on the K610 is a graphic-rich experience that is very similar to using a PC, thanks to the NetFront browser. HTML pages are presented in full with photos, video, words and graphics adapted to fit the 1.9” colour display, making it easy to scroll, browse and follow links between sites. New support for RSS Feeds allows users to subscribe to news services to receive updates direct to the phone.
The K610’s integrated music player makes listening to music on the move simple. Music files can be stored on Memory Stick Micro (M2), which can be expanded to 1GB, It is easy to create and manage playlists and supplied software handles transfer of music files between the user’s PC and the phone. The player delivers a top notch listening experience, helped along by the phone’s high quality stereo headphones and built-in equaliser.
The Sony Ericsson K610 is a Dual Mode UMTS handset commercially available in Evening Red and Urban Silver colours and starts shipping during Q2 2006.
K610i - Dual mode UMTS (2100MHz) - GPRS 900/1800/1900 for Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa
K610c - Dual mode UMTS (2100MHz) - GPRS 900/1800/1900 for Mainland China. (Launch for mainland China dependent on availability of 3G services.)
K610 – Features at a glance:
Imaging & Messaging
* 2.0 Megapixel camera
* 2 x digital zoom
* Horizontal camera user interface
* Video call (integrated VGA camera)
* Video record and play
* Video streaming
* PictureDJ™
* SMS and MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
* 262,144 color 1.9” TFT
* 176 x 220 pixels
Entertainment
* Disc2Phone ripping software
* WAP 2.0 XHTML/HTML
* Java MIDP 2.0
* Media player (supports MP3, AAC and E-AAC+)
* Music download
* Polyphonic ringtones, 72 voices
* MusicDJ™
* 2D and 3D gaming
Connectivity
* USB cable
* USB 2.0 mass storage, full speed
* Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™)support (up to 1 GB ) Bluetooth™
* Dual mode UMTS and GSM/GPRS 900/1800/1900
Business
* Standard Push e-mail (M-IMAP)
* Speakerphone
* Modem
* PC synchronization
* File manager
* Talk time: Up to 7 hours GSM, up to 2.5 hours WCDMA
* Standby time: Up to 400 hours GSM and up to 350 hours WCDMA
* Size: 102 x 45.2 x 16.9mm
* Weight: 92 grams
February 13th, 2006
NVIDIA today unveiled the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 handheld graphics processing unit (GPU) - the industry’s first handheld GPU to enable true, fluid digital TV, high-fidelity surround sound, rapid multi-shot photography, and console-class 3D graphics. For many years, these capabilities have been the domain of function-specific devices such as the home entertainment system, the digital still camera, or the Sony Playstation. Today, claims NVIDIA, this new GPU brings all these features, and more, to the mobile phone.
“High-quality multimedia services are a key revenue growth driver for the world’s carriers and content providers and we believe we’ll see significant uptake of these services in 2006,” said Mario Morales, semiconductor analyst for IDC. “Companies like NVIDIA, whose products deliver compelling and tangible improvements to the overall end user experience of these new services, are well placed to take advantage of this surge in demand.”
The newest member of the NVIDIA GoForce family of handheld GPUs, the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 delivers a host of multimedia features, including:
True, fluid digital TV and video
* The industry’s first handheld GPU to playback H.264, WMV9 and MPEG-4 video up to D1 resolution(1) at 30 frames per second (fps)
* Compatible with major mobile TV standards including DVB-H, ISDB-T, and DMB networks
High Fidelity Surround Sound
* The industry’s first handheld surround sound processor to deliver an immersive audio experience in the palm of a hand
* Crossfade and multistream technologies help to prevent annoying breaks between songs and music cut out when the ringtone is activated
Console-class 3D gaming
* Experience console-class games, such as Quake III Arena, at unrivalled speeds on a handheld device
* 3X the performance of the previous generation(2)
* Sharp, crystal clear digital photography
- Rapid multi-shot capabilities so users never miss a photo
- Support for up to 10 megapixel resolution
* Ultra-low power consumption
- Dedicated low-power hardware design delivers more hours of entertainment on the phone with less drain on the talk time
“The introduction of the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 handheld GPU marks the beginning of a new era for 3G mobile phones,” said Michael Rayfield, general manager of the handheld GPU group at NVIDIA. “The NVIDIA GoForce 5500 GPU delivers high-quality video playback and capture, high-resolution camera support, and stunning 3D graphics — all at impressive performance levels that we believe consumers are going to demand in the next generation of mobile devices.”
Phones based on the NVIDIA GoForce 5500 handheld GPU are expected to be available from key handset manufacturers before the 2006 holiday season.
February 13th, 2006
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