Device Arena
Archive for December, 2007
The iphone GPS module allows jail broken iphones to finally have GPS functionality. This module is in development and will be shipping in February. All software is open source and more applications are being written every day. This module gives you the ability to explore all the benefits that GPS on a platform that is small enough to put on a keychain. Plans are already underway for a stylish plastic enclosure as well.
Features:Channels: 16
Update Rate: 1 sample / second
Acquisition Time: Hot: 4 Seconds, Cold: 45 seconds, Indoor: A long time
Serial Output: 1 Serial, 1 USB
Position Accuracy : 2.5m
Protocol Support: NMEA 0183 ver 2.3
Iphone Software: Requires Jail Broken Phone (tested on firmware version 1.1.2).
Software will be open source/community based
No Comments »This will be the third 3G phone the 3G-less network provider has dropped recently. I guess this means they are really off their rocker, or really serious about finally opening up their 3G network.
Regardless, this thin slider phone is on its way to T-Mobile, maybe by the time it actually lands they’ll have their 3G network up and running. It has a 1.3MP cam and runs on dual-band GSM and supports T-Mobile’s planned 1700MHz WCDMA network.
So far I have yet to see a smartphone that will be running on their soon to be opened 3G network, but if I had to guess they probably have something earth-shattering and top secret up their sleeves that they are going to use to garner attention for their 3G network, meanwhile everyone else is already working on their 4G networks. But this is a pretty cool device in and of itself, and I am hoping that maybe this new network will net me some T-Mobile coverage, I doubt it though.
The new Land Rover LRX Concept will integrate the iPhone located dead center of the console. Owners can dock the iPhone and even use it as a key to start the vehicle. Located on either side of the power-adjusted speakers are iPod docking stations.
The Land Rover LRX Concept will debut at the Detroit Auto Show next month, and you can bet your ass I’m going to be all over it (yes, I will be attending the event).
Following my earlier posting where I wrote about a delay of HTC’s much anticipated Shift UMPC, DigiTimes Taiwan today reports that HTC is delaying volume shipments of the Shift UMPC to January 2008, instead of the third quarter 2007 as originally planned (which was postponed to fourth quarter later anway).
Market sources indicated, that HTC has faced problems with both - hardware and software - which causes the delay. That’s definitely the worst case if a brand new device (and keep in mind, so far HTC was manufacturing PDAs and smartphones only but not PCs) faces problems with soft- and hardware.
While we have no further information yet what’s the problems are, I can see possible problems with the swivel-mounted display mechanism as well as with the cooperation of Windows Vista and the stripped-down Windows Mobile version which syncs anyway (while HTC isn’t using Windows Vista SideShow which was designed for exactly the same task).
MotoMing A1200 smartphone has been quite popular handset in Chinese market. But it’s been over 18 months since this phone was introduced and it’s time to make it better.
Enter Motorola A1600 MOTOMING 2.
Just like with the next generation of it’s popular RAZR 2 series, Moto Ming A1600 will not have any radical design departures. Just some design tweaks, better and faster chips/components for better overall specs.
Motorola Ming 2 A1600 specs include:
According to Chinese site Enet it will be launched next February (probably during 3 GSM show).
The geniuses from Monster and Friends have created an iPhone application which can record video up to 45 frames per second. They are still working in the final version, but to give you a taste they have published Drunknbass, a beta which records 5 seconds of video at 10 fps with a resolution of 2 megapixels. I’ve tested and it works perfectly. It doesn’t have any interface, so you just download it, put it in your iPhone’s Applications folder, click on the button and it will start recording.
When Drunknbass is finished with the five seconds recording it will replay the clip once. The final application will be able to record unlimited-sized clips (only constrained by your available space) up to 30 frames per second and it will have an interface to save your clips (they are looking for developers to help with the graphical side of the software).
This is good for three things: first, because this confirms that video recording works great on the iPhone and we will probably see this officially from Apple, as rumored, in a future update. Second, because it confirms there are no limits that third-party developers can’t overcome.
Verizon Wireless Unveils Enhanced Mobile Game Catalog From Smashing Ideas
Posted by VlAD @ 08:18 pmVerizon Wireless and Smashing Ideas, Inc., the largest independent developer of Adobe Flash® based digital media in the U.S., today announced the launch of Smashing Games. A mobile game catalog application, Smashing Games allows Verizon Wireless Get It Now® customers to choose from a variety of Flash® Lite™ mobile games that range from simple, quick games to in-depth memory, arcade and puzzle games.
With Smashing Games, customers can browse through featured, new and best selling games using the Dpad (up, down, left, right, and “Action” keys) on their wireless phones. In addition, customers can view information and demo each game before purchase, and play and manage purchased content right from the application.
On most mobile services, YouTube has been limited to a passive viewing experience without access to popular community and personalization features which have made YouTube such a huge success on the Web. Current YouTube offerings designed for mobile don’t let users “log in” and as a result, core YouTube features like rating and access to personal videos have only been available through the PC.
Those limitations are a thing of the past with the launch of Helio’s exclusive YouTube application. Available for Helio Ocean users at no additional charge and running over a nationwide high-speed 3G network, the custom application is complete with integrated video capture and upload for near real-time sharing of experiences, GPS tagging of videos, personalization and access to community features like rating and commenting on videos, all available for the first time in one place on mobile. Designed to work seamlessly with Helio Ocean, the YouTube application is another way Helio gives its members untethered access to their content and their friends.
The Open Handset Alliance‘s Android may not exactly be the platform we all anticipated, but the flood of developers we’ve already seen working on it suggests it won’t be long before some half-decent hardware running the open-source Google-spawn emerges.
The latest public demo comes from Willcom, with the PHS operator showing a core module based on Android in Tokyo last week. Aside from demo-ing a spot of multi-tasking by receiving a call while browsing Google Maps, everything is pretty much as expected. Check out the pics for yourself over at Keitai Watch at the link below.
When I first spotted LG MS25/MS20 full touchscreen smartphone at FCC, I thought it’s just plain old LG KS20 with FCC acronyms mixed up. It’s because of the looks. In pictures LG MS25 looks exactly like LG KS20 and the test model even uses the KS20 like case from Vodafone.
But the deeper look the documents on FCC site shows that LG MS25/MS20 is actually a different phone, designed specifically for the U.S. market.
First, there’s Users Manual, that clearly says that this is LG MS25 Video Mobile Phone.
Then there’s the radio frequencies/services that LG MS25 smartphone has been tested and approved for by FCC. They are GSM850, PCS1900, EDGE and Bluetooth. And GSM850/PCS1900 are exactly the bands that AT&T wireless is using.
Users manual also says that LG MS25 supports UMTS, GSM 900/1800 and Wi-Fi connectivity, but there’s no info in FCC documents that the phone has been tested or approved for them.
Other LG MS25 specs include:
The information about LG MS25 is pretty incomplete for now, but it’s certainly a different phone from LG KS20. Actually LG MS25 is more closer to LG Viewty KU990 in both display and overall size. And, most likely, LG MS25 is made for AT&T Wireless network in U.S.
I think, there are some kinks like 3G and (maybe, if AT&T opts for it) Wi-Fi connectivity certification being worked out now and we should see the announcement of this handset in the beginning of next year. Probably during CES.