Mobiles

Nuance Communications today unveiled a ground-breaking prototype for voice search capabilities shown on the Apple iPhone.

Through Nuance speech recognition servers, mobile consumers can simply speak requests into their phone like “Find the Apple store in Boston, Massachusetts”, “Score of the Boston Celtics game,” or “Play Hannah Montana Best of Both Worlds” to quickly and accurately search the mobile web or in the future dictate an IM, SMS or e-mail message. The prototype, code-named “OVS” for open voice search, will allow mobile operators to offer simple ’say anything’ search capabilities and is search engine agnostic, able to link to any search engine of an operator’s choosing. 

 

Wow! While Apple has announced the new iPhone 3G, we are getting unusual big number of rumors in this 2 days. Here comes the Sony Ericsson C905, codename Shiho, could be the best camera phone with its 8.1 megapixel camera module!

According to se-nse blog, the upcoming Sony Ericsson C905 camera phone has a full features of what you will see in a digital camera. It gives you a full 8.1 megapixel high resolution of photography, assisted by auto focus, face recognition, image stabilization, red-eye reduction and Xenon flash module. The Xenon flash module can also be used in video recording to help in low light condition. The camera phone has also a new feature called smart contrast. With the built in A-GPS module, geo-tagging is supported to note your photo taking location.

It is said to have accelerometer, and will auto switch to landscape mode when you tilt your phone. Other features includes the WiFi with DLNA support, Bluetooth, USB 2.0 connection and TV-Out capability.

The Sony Ericsson C905 Shiho will be available in 3 colors, Copper Gold, Ice Silver & Night Black when available. There is no confirmed date of announcement, but the source said it will be available in Q4 this year! Check out the specs list below and more live photos at next page.

• 8.1 Megapixel camera
• Xenon Flash
• 2.4″ QVGA Display Screen
• UTMS / HSDPA / HSUPA
• A-GPS / WLAN
• TV/Out (VGA @ 30fps)
• Bluetooth 2.1
• A300 / A3 platform
• Memory Card Slot
• 160MB internal memory
• Size: 104 x 49 x 18 mm
• Weight: 136 grams
• Up to 9 hours GSM talk time
• Up to 380 hours GSM standby time
• Up to 4 hours UTMS talk time
• Up to 360 hours UTMS standby time

Source 1 [se-nse] / Source 2 [mobile-review]

Polaroid PoGo - short for Polaroid-on-the-go - is a pocket-sized, inkless digital photo printer that produces full-color photos wirelessly from Bluetooth-enabled cell phones and via PictBridge from digital cameras. Introduced at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2008, it will be available in US at Best Buy stores on July 6, 2008, for $149. Polaroid PoGo will be available in Target stores on July 20, 2008.

Weighing only eight ounces, Polaroid PoGo provides consumers with a convenient solution for sharing digital images trapped on cell phones and digital cameras. Connecting via Bluetooth or PictBridge, Polaroid PoGo uses a ZINK Zero Ink Printing Technology to produce borderless, full-color, 2-inch by 3-inch prints in less than 60 seconds.

The full-color digital photos are created without ink cartridges or ribbons using ZINK Photo Paper, keeping the printer to about the size of a deck of cards. The paper is a durable material that contains colorless cyan, yellow and magenta dye crystals. Heat activation brings photos to life, colorizing ZINK dye crystals, so digital photos can be shared instantly.

ZINK Photo Paper is manufactured by ZINK Imaging and will retail for between 33 and 40 cents per print; 10-packs will cost $3.99, while 30 packs will cost $9.99.

DivX announced a licensing agreement with Advanced Micro Devices. This agreement will bring DivX video technology to AMD Imageon application processors, extending existing licensing and certification relationships between the two companies. AMD Imageon application processors are designed to power a range of handheld multimedia devices, including next-generation mobile phones and smartphones.

“Including the DivX codec in the AMD Imageon application processor brings additional value to our OEM customers, helping them to deliver a robust mobile media experience,” said Mark Bapst, CTO for AMD’s Handheld division. “DivX technology is an attractive ingredient that enhances our offering for handheld devices, providing excellent quality and a high degree of accessibility.”

The two companies will work together to achieve DivX Certification for the AMD Imageon A250 application processor. Products that bear the DivX Certified logo have undergone a rigorous testing program to ensure a high-quality DivX media experience, including reliable video playback, interoperability with other DivX Certified devices and the visual quality users expect from DivX.

Designed to deliver total, encapsulated iPhone protection, Fuze takes its name from the fusion of its shock-absorbing soft inner layer, and hard, impact-resistant polycarbonate exterior. It also features a rubberized outer-finish for enhanced grip, and provides built-in docking port protection that guards the iPhone’s most vulnerable and exposed component.

In addition, the Fuze’s thoughtful engineering and design allows for unhindered screen, sensor, port and headphone access. Fuze is fully compatible with the iSkin revoClip: a belt clip that keeps iPhones and their owners safely connected. (sold-separately)  Available in “Titan” (sleek black with silver trim), Fuze retails for $39.99 USD and is on sale now at www.iskin.com  

It appears the government is taking monopolistic tactics of some wireless companies very seriously of late. The Justice Department says that Verizon Wireless must rid themselves of some cellular assets in the states of New York, Vermont and Washington if they have any shot at earning government approval of its $2.67 billion purchase of Rural Cellular Corp.

The Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to actually block the proposed transaction but along with a proposed consent decree that, if approved by the court, would withdraw its competitive concerns (and the lawsuit itself).

The bottom line is that the government is growing concerned with Verizon's takeover of Rural Cellular Corp. (RCC) in terms of the juggernaut's domination of the market place.

The Justice Department said Verizon Wireless and RCC are the most dominant competitors in Vermont's two rural service areas and the Burlington market. The same is true of these two wireless carriers in rural markets in New York and a couple in Washington as well.

According to the complaint, the proposed transaction would substantially reduce competition in these areas, where at present Verizon Wireless and RCC already serve more than 60% of wireless subscribers.
See full article.

Related Entries:

Verizon Counters Sprint's Expansion Plans, Buys Rural Wireless - 30 July 2007

Verizon Wireless Wants LTE, Will Switch to GSM - 21 September 2007

Rural Cellular Association Argues Against Cell Phone Exclusivity - 22 May 2008

Verizon Faces Governmental Intervention - 10 June 2008

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The Department of Justice has filed suite against Verizon Wireless in an effort to force it to sell off assets in Vermont, New York state, and Washington state where they overlap significantly with Unicell, which it plans to buy.
Read the full story here.

We had reported last week that iPhone games might cost as much as $25, but during Apple's keynote yesterday, we learned that premium games would run about $10.

The new iPhone version of Sega's Super Monkey Ball was amongst the first iPhone apps to be demonstrated, and you can watch a video of the gameplay here.

The game will be made available from the iPhone App Store for $9.99, with more to come from the Japanese publisher, according to the company's associate producer Ethan Einhorn.

If you watch the video, it is pretty impressive seeing the capabilities of the iPhone as a gaming platform. And from the mouth of Einhorn:

"This is not a cellphone game. This is a full console game. If anything, we underestimated what the machine was able to do."

Read the full story here.

Interesting article in the NY Times today about the growing use of Smartphones by women.

Smartphones are becoming increasingly popular among women, according to cell phone sales figures. The number of women using smartphones has more than doubled in the U.S. over the past year to 10.4 million, and one-third of the customers for Apple's iPhone were female as of March numbers, according to Nielsen Mobile.

Why the increase?

Well, for one, Smartphones are cheaper now — as little as $99 for the petite BlackBerry Pearl — and are also better designed. Additionally, many are finding that the phones can help manage their families’ hectic schedules and keep them in touch with friends and stay on top of their email.

I've seen this firsthand at home where my wife recently upgraded her old LG G4015 to an iPhone. She absolutely loves it and besides the fact that it is a lot cooler, she's a lot more productive when she is away from home.

Apple's announcements yesterday will only help to accelerate this shift.