Future Phones to be Protected in Diamond-like casing
January 31, 2007
Tired of getting your your handsets scratched from accidental bumps or falls? Not willing to get a bulky protective casing for it? Well, in the near future, you might not need to.
Nokia of Finland are experimenting on a way to give their phone casings a little more protection by coating their phones with a diamond-like substance created with graphite plasma. An electric current is fed through coal graphite, which creates plasma. This plasma is then directed towards the casing to be, well, encased via high-voltage elctrodes. The plasma penetrates the plastic surface and bonds with it to form a diamond-like coating just shy of 100 nanometers thick. The coating is both durable and anti-static, repelling dust and dirt. What’s more, if and when the owner decides to throw the phone away, the thin coating is biodegradable.
Apple have also been working on a technique to further protect their phones by extruding a Zirconia ceramic into the phone’s case shape instead of coating a plastic case. According to available documentation from Apple, the coating does not affect reception.
[ Diamond-like Coating Will Protect Future Phones via PhoneScoop ]
Cellphone copy Rumor: Meizu M8, iPhone clone and more
January 31, 2007
It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. With that in mind, one could say that the folks behind the Meizu M8 were merely paying homage to the Apple iPhone, except they seem to present an even better copy of the original.
Images the Meizu M8, have been floating online and appears to be a lot like the iphone. Features include an onboard 3 megapixel camera, 3.3 inch TFT display with 720 x 480 pixel resolution, an ARM11 CPU, 3g (chinese version), Bluetooth connectivity, TV-Out, 0.3 megapixel secondary camera, and GSM/TD-SCDMA Network support. It is unknown whether the handset will come out in time to rival the iPhone or how much it will cost. Details to come when available.
[ The Meizu M8 via SlashPhone ]
Cellphone Special Edition: Motorola MOTORAZRmaxx V6 Ferrari Challenge Mobile Phone
January 31, 2007
Motorola recently introduced the MOTORAZRmaxx V6 Ferrari Challenge Mobile Phone Limited Edition, the perfect merger between Ferrari style and Motorola tech.
The MOTORAZRmaxx V6 is unique. Elegantly designed, this handset has 3.6 MBps HSDPA capability, and has exclusive features like the Ferrari emblem on the exterior glass, the roar of the Ferrari F1 8 cylinder engine as you turn the unit on and off, images of the F430 engine on the mini external display, as well as the image of the Ferrari emblem on a grey Ferrari on the main internal display.
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Cellphone Special Edition: Motorola MOTORAZR Maxx to launch in US
January 31, 2007
Originally slated to launch in Europe, it would seem that die-hard Ferrari fans in the US will have their chance to get their hands on this special edition phone after all. Thanks to some promotional material exposed via Howards Forums, it is now believed that the MOTORAZRmaxx will be coming to the continental US via Verizon Wireless. The US version will come with EVDO, as well as V Cast video and music support. It is unknown whether it will be V Cast TV capable. Price and availability still unknown. Stay tuned for updates.
[ The Motorola MOTORAZR Maxx via SlashPhone ]
Cellphone: MySpace on Samsung A503
January 31, 2007
HELIO phone service has acquired a new Samsung phone in the form of the SPH-A503. The handset features a slim, slider form-factor, a 2 megapixel camera, bluetooth connectivity, an MP3 player, with 256MB ROM and 128MB RAM, with microSD expansion slot. Designed to work with HELIO’s CDMA (800/1900 MHz), this handset is compatible with their high-speed EV-DO internet. With such a connection, A503 users will be able to access their MySpace account via MySpace mobile services. It is currently available in all-black, white and silver. No word on pricing.
[ The Samsung SPH A503 via MobileWhack ]
Cellphone and Accessory: Toshiba 911T with Oakley Bluetooth Shades
January 30, 2007
Japan. Toshiba and Oakley have come together to develop a powerful combination phone and bluetooth sunglasses set, available from Softbank.
The handset, a Toshiba 911T, is a multi-media slider phone that runs on Softbank’s 3.6Mbps HSDPA network. Features include One-Seg digital TV service, Bluetooth A2DP, 3.2 meapixel CMOS camera (with anti-shake and auto-focus), a 3-inch W-VGA 480×480 pixel screen, 1GB of internal memory and a microSD expansion slot with support for up to 2GB of external memory. It also comes with MS office document reader, full HTML browser and FeLiCa electronic money chip.
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Rogers Wireless First to get iPhone in Canada
January 30, 2007
Rogers Wireless customers are no doubt jumping for joy at this bit of information, as the Canadian service provider has just confirmed that they will be the only carrier of the iPhone in the country. Whether or not they will be offering the free service that ATT/Cingular will be offering is still up in the air, but stay tuned for updates.
Next to Cingular, Rogers Wireless is just the second exclusive carrier of the iPhone. Whether the company’s investment in being the “exclusive provider” for the new handset will pay off and attract new subscribers, only time will tell. Regardless, the company’s current set of customers will have something more to brag about.
[ The Apple iPhone via SlashGear ]
Cellphone: Koreans get first crack at LG SB190
January 28, 2007
In the cellphone world, size doesn’t matter. Great things usually come in small packages, like the LG SB190. This slim slider, measuring just 100.8(L) x 48.8(W) x 19.8(H) mm, packs quite a punch, with standard multimedia features like the music and video player with DMB capability. It also comes with a GPS chip built-in. How all these features will affect the battery life, we won’t know until it leaves Korea as it will only be available to the locals for now.
[ The LG SB190 via SlashPhone ]
Cellphone Health: The Average Phone is a Bacteria colony
January 28, 2007
A study done by a phone retailer, Dial-a-Phone, reveals that your average mobile phone contains more bacteria than even a toilet seat!
By collecting swabs from everyday items, the study found that if you don’t clean and disinfect your mobile phone and keyboard on a regular basis, bacteria could proliferate, potentially making it a health risk.
Research reveals that skin bacteria, staphylococcus aureus being one of them, was found on mobile phones, keyboards, toilet seats and door handles. Swabs from shoes had soil and airborne bacteria.
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Cellphone Security: advanced fingerprint scanner on Willcom WX321J
January 28, 2007
PIN codes not enough security for your cellphone? Why not try Willcom’s new WX321J, with its built in finger print scanner. The WX321J’s scanner is unique in that it uses radio waves to authenticate the fingerprint. But when you do buy it, you’re basically paying for the scanner because the rest of the specs are average. The handset features a 1.3 Megapixel camera, 2.4 inch display, 2MB of internal memory, with microSD expansion slot that supports up to 1GB of external memory. While it will be available this February, it will only be available in Japan.
[ The Willcom WX321J via SlashPhone ]
