Recent Articles
Mobile Phone Chargers Soak Up the Watts
How many times have we done it? We plug our phone into the wall before we go to bed and then before we leave we detach our phone from the charger but leave the charger itself into the wall. Well according to an article posted on PC World, about two thirds of the energy used for cell phones are wasted and spent on chargers left idle and plugged into the wall jacks. This is the same concept as leaving the television and lights on when you leave the house but the waste of energy isn’t that apparent when it comes to phone chargers. I can bet that most consumers assume that the chargers stop sucking up energy when the phone is detached or when charging is complete. Nokia, LG, Samsung Electronics, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson have developed a system to alert consumers of the efficiency of charger left idle, the less the watts soaked up get some stars while chargers using more than 0.5 watts get none.
Cell Phone Displays Go Gumby
The Taiwanese have done it again and brings more innovation to the mobile phone world. ITRI, Industrial Technology Research Institute has developed the Thin Film Transistor Electrophoretic display that is able to be folded in a portion in the center, enabling it to be tucked underneath the keyboard and then pulled out when a fuller display is wanted. This allows for bigger display capabilities on cell phones. As of now the company has reached 5 inches but plans on growing the display size.
I remember reading an article talking about how smartphones may replace laptops. I thought that notion was a bit of an exaggeration but with this new technology I am thinking we will see amazingly larger displays. I wonder what sort of ideas phone makers are brewing. Any takes on the maximum practical size of a mobile phone display?
Picture and News Source: PC World
GPS Tracking from FindWhere Finds its Way in the BlackBerry Bold
FindWhere enables GPS tracking through iFind Mobile service on RIM’s BlackBerry Bold. This feature will locate the high priced phone should it be lost or stolen. Let the capers be warned, should you steal a Bold phone with this service enabled, plan on storm troopers barging through your door. The phone also has a panic button for desperate times. iFind works on all GSM networks across the globe. If you own the Bold or plan on buying one, check out www.findwhere.com to find out more about this feature.
Source: Market Watch
Cell Phone Stops Bullet and Saves a Life
What do you think your chances of getting hit by a stray bullet while mowing your lawn? Unless you’re in a worn-torn country, the chances are slim. Now if you are unlucky enough to get hit by a stranded bullet that just happens to hit you in the chest just over your heart, what are you chances of surviving? The chances are even slimmer. We’ve all seen the movies and read the stories where a Bible or a liquor flask that was placed in a shirt chest pocket saved a man from a deadly bullet; who would think a cell phone could stop a bullet? Ronald Richard of Covington, Louisiana now knows it can.
RIM BlackBerry Storm 9530 Now for the Taking-Full Review
With all the commercials and ads, blog posts, newscasts, podcasts, and other hype, the day finally comes when the RIM BlackBerry Storm 9530 is available for sale to the public through Verizon Wireless. The quality of this phone best match all the excitement that has been building up because consumers have a wide variety of phones put in front of them that are priced competitively and have the quality that is just as competitive.
Research In Motion brings in a new technology called SurePress that brings a unique feature to the touchscreen concept. This new technology is designed to bring more accuracy to the touchscreen. The practicality of this new technology is a matter of preference and opinion and with any new technology, it will be taken with both delight by those who appreciate the change and scorn for those that have been use to the touchiness of the iPhone and other touchphones that have been around. Perhaps a 30 day trial will be needed to decide if the usefulness of this phone matches the propaganda of its debut.
Samsung Glyde SCH-u940 Cell Phone Review
The Glyde is a practical phone with useful features such as IM, media capabilities, quality calling, and blends touchscreen technology with much appreciated QWERTY keyboard. This slider/touchscreen phone keeps up with other touchphones but fails to come out in front. We expect the second generation of the Glyde to be better and perhaps shadow the hype of the rest if Samsung can magnify its strengths while fixing the Glyde’s weak points. As for now, this phone is a welcome addition to the touchscreen community for those who like to follow the crowds as they go to the iPhone.
T-Mobile Chooses Yahoo for its Cell Phone Search Engine
To help Yahoo compete against Google and Microsoft, T-mobile has elected to have Yahoo Inc. as the default search engine for most of their handsets. Yahoo! What happened to the partnership of Google and T-mobile with Google’s Android phone? Apparently that’s a different matter and T-mobile is playing the field.
As of September of 2008 Google dominated the cell phone search market with 60.1% compared to Yahoo’s 36.4%. T-Mobile had said that Yahoo was best suited for their lower end phones. Not much of a compliment but since these lower end phones make up the bulk of mobile phone sales, Yahoo will take the commendation.
Waupaca County of Wisconsin Gets on the Cell Phone Ban Wagon
Waupaca County of Wisconsin has been added to the list of places where talking and texting on a cell phone while driving in banned. Hands-free devices will still be allowed. Violating this ban will cost the perp a fine of $75. Include court costs and the amount could be well over $200.
According to the ordinance, any use of the cell phone that would keep the driver from having both hands on the wheel is prohibited. Phones can be used while parked, however.
A problem with this ban is there are no requirements for signs at the gates of the county, warning county visitors who may not even know about the ban. Perhaps they figure people should just know better. Could this be entrapment? Probably not.
The sheriff’s department supported the ban because they have first-hand awareness of fatal and serious injury car accidents caused by the use of cell phones.
source: PostCrescent.
Samsung Tobi S3030 Made for Mother Earth and Her Teens
Cell phones and mobile phones will be a part of this world for a long, long time. It’s a part of our culture and the kids are taking part in the craze just as much as the adults. Keeping with tradition to start them out young, Samsung has come out with the Tobi S3030. This colorful phone is made with teens in mind, available in Apple Green, Bright Oasis Blue, Orange, Loyal Blue, Sweet Pink, and Snow Silver. For those young adults refusing to get as lame as the rest of us old-timers, this phone may be for them as well.
Keeping eco-friendly a hip thing, this phone is made from recyclable and biodegradable bio-plastic. We’d like to see more phones made with this type of eco-enthusiasm.
The phone is pretty basic when it comes to features: Read More
Donating Cell Phones Yields Calling Cards for Soldiers
No matter what your position on the war is, we all can agree that the soldiers need our support. Being an ocean away from family and constantly in harms way, not knowing if their next patrol will be their last, a major comfort for them is being able to talk to their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, wives, and/or children. We take for granted our reasonable monthly rates and being able to reach our family via cell phone in an instant. For our soldiers across seas, talking to their loved ones can get extremely expensive. Click Here to read on.
Ocarina for iPhone Inspired by Legend of Zelda?
The Ocarina is a wind instrument that has been in existence for thousands of years. It has helped Link save Zelda and has been played by countless musicians. It does have a very pretty sound and if you only knew how to make one, you could win over that special gal you’ve had an eye on. Well, for 99 cents a month for the application, if you own an iPhone you can easily learn how to play your iPhone as if it were a real ocarina. It works by placing fingers over virtual holes on the touchscreen display of the iPhone and by blowing into the phone. The sound is impressive. Listening makes me want to go back and replay the original Legend of Zelda.
Nokia is Still #1 Smartphone Seller with Apple in 2nd
We have seen that smartphones have been all the rage since the iPhone came out. And the numbers show: Globally, smartphones topped 40 million sales so far this year. Now with all these smartphones hitting the market like the Blackberry Storm, Blackberry Bold, Sony Xperia, Sony Ericsson, and the granddaddy of them all, the iPhone, we wonder who’s number 1?
Nokia is number one. They have 38.9% of total sales at the end of the 3rd quarter 2008. Apple comes in 2nd with 17.3% of smartphone market share. RIM is close behind with 15.2%. Now Apple achieves 2nd place with just one smartphone on their roster. I remember when I was a tiny kid and Apple was always thought of as cheap. What a comeback.
HTC Fuze Released
HTC Fuze becomes available November 11th 2008. It will be a touch display phone using VGA resolution. It will have quadband GSM/EDGE and triband HSDPA supporting Korean/Japanese sub-bands. Other goodies will include Wi-Fi radio, Windows Mobile 6.1, 512MB of internal memory and available extension slot for a microSD card, 3.2 megapixel with auto-focus, GPS transceiver having A-GPS support, Video Share support, and all of AT&T’s cell phone applications and services.
Now the price will make you shiver:
$299.99 with a 2-year contract and $50 mail-in rebate, $374 with 1-year contract and a $50 mail-in rebate, and $499 with no ties to AT&T - unlocked.
Software from Georgia Tech Creates Music with a Cell Phone
Creating Music With Your Cell Phone from PhysOrg.com
(PhysOrg.com) — If you own a cell phone, then new software created by Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology director Gil Weinberg and his students will allow you to be the next composer and performer of your own original music.
LG Voyager VX10000 Review
This phone just may take you on a Voyage to dream land with its modern style, nifty touchscreen display that has great resolution and clarity, with a reasonable price for the features it holds. It is a phone with CDMA technology and high-speed EVDO for data transmission that offers internet using 3G. The style is similar to that of the enV with features and quality comparable to the iPhone. To keep with the tradition of being corny; go on a mobile dream voyage with the LG Voyager VX10000! (Sorry, I just had to.) Read on for the full review.
Sprint Nextel Loses Profit and Customers in 3rdQuarter
There’s more trouble for Sprint Nextel. The 3rdquarter of 2008 put them at a loss of $326 million, compared to a profit of $64 million the year before. Don’t feel too badly for them, they still had revenue of $8.8 billion for the same quarter. However things could turn ugly for Sprint when you consider the class action lawsuit that may very well cost them over $1 billion.
They have also seen a loss of customers by a net of 1.3 million wireless customers of the same quarter. My mom happens to be one of them since she switched to Verizon so that our family could enjoy the saving of In-Network. My sister, however, keeps her loyalty with Sprint.
For those working for Sprint, this may be an unfortunate sign of a lack of job security. For consumers, this may mean that Sprint Nextel will come out with some awesome deals to lure new customers.
Qualcomm Reports Slower Demand from Cell Phone Makers
Qualcomm, a company that supplies wireless chips and tech licenses, has had lower than expected profits this quarter and it doesn’t look too good for the coming year. The average analyst for the company for fiscal year 2009 revenue is $12.1 billion, but the forecast is $10.2 billion to $10.8 billion.
Shares of Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) fell 3.5%. The CEO, Paul Jacobs, blames said that the problems arising from the credit crunch will probably last for a few more quarters. The average price of the stock was $2.56 but it’s barely $2.00 a share now.
Qualcomm reported that they have seen a ‘significant contraction’ in the inventory orders for the first two quarters of 2009. It makes sense that people will not be buying expensive cell phones when they are worried about the certainty of their employment.
Source: Yahoo News
Picture source: Santosh
Bursor Now Sues Sprint for $1.2 Billion in Large Class Action Lawsuit
There’s a post on Engadget that talks about the class-action lawsuit against sprint swelling from $73 million to $1.2 billion. This arises from $150 to $200 of termination fees from 1999 that violated the Federal Communications Act as well as State laws across the country. Scott Bursor, who also sued Verizon and got them to pay over $21 million this year, is leading this class-action suit. Will he have the same success? For his own pocket book, I’m sure he hopes so.
Scott Bursor has had his share of big class-action lawsuits. Check out his site and you’ll see how well the guy’s doing.
Vertu Offers Vertu Ascent Ti Collection Inspired by Ferrari
Ferrari and Vertu are joining in matrimony to launch a new collection of Ascent Ti phones that have the inspiration of Ferrari’s cars. These phones support Quad-band GSM/EDGE with WCDMA 2100. They are Bluetooth enabled, have a 3.0 megapixel camera with auto-focus and flash, 4GB of internal memory, and talk time is 5 hours with 12 and a half days of standby time.
Three phones: Nero, Rosso, and Gaillo; which are named after their respective colors. The Nero phone is black, the Rosso is red, and the Giallo is yellow. They feature PVD coated keys and battery covers, which have been redesigned to look like the hood of the Ferrari. The ringtones of this car also resemble the Ferrari by sounding like engine is being revved up. Limited edition means limited edition; only 2,009 Vertu Ferrari Ascent Ti Nero will be manufactured. This is truly a collection and although expensive, more affordable than an actual Ferrari.
LG Venus VX8800 Review
The LG Venus was apparently named in attempt to equal the glamour and awe of the planet, Venus and the goddess, Venus. With CDMA technology this slider phone, with its metallic, mirrored, front-side shine, and its soft gripped back, is sure nice to look at. But as we pound this in again and again, it’s not just how it looks; the functionality must match the glamour. Read on to the full review.
