modu: World’s lightest phone underpins new multimedia platform

The diminutive modu has taken the title of "World's lightest mobile phone" with the 40.1 g (1.41 oz) handset's claim made official by the Guinness World Records. Although it's a great talking point, the record is secondary to the innovation offered by the multi-tasking phone that will launch in Q4 this year. As the name suggests, modu is designed as a modular device that will be complemented by a range of "ecosystem partners" - interchangeable add-on enclosures that transform the appearance and user interface of the phone and contain pre-loaded content, as well as dedicated consumer electronics devices such as MP4 players, digital photo frames, car stereos and cameras that directly integrate the modu.

With a footprint smaller than a credit card - 72.1 mm (2.8 inches) x 37.6 mm (1.4 inches)- and just 7.8 mm (0.3 inches) thin, the handset is a fully-functional standalone mobile phone offering Bluetooth connectivity, music playback and a built-in 1GB memory that doubles as a mass storage device. A bit like a SIM card with a brain, this forms the basic building block in a wide ranging personal communications and entertainment system offered by the "jacket" enclosures and compatible devices or "mates"... and that's where it gets interesting. Jackets on offer will include the PDA-like "modu executive" which offers a QWERTY keyboard and email access, the wearable "skin" necklace or "sport" arm strap and several options that allow you to change your phone fashion and functionality with the convenience of using a single device at the core. "Mates" will include a GPS enabled module for bicycles, digital photo frames and cameras that load content directly from the modu and a twin-slot "car mate" incorporating hands-free talking, voice activated dialing and MP3 playback. Check out the catalogue at the modu site to see the full range of possibilities.

Officially launched at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) event in Barcelona last month, the modu is the brainchild of technology innovator and entrepreneur Dov Moran. The company is partnering with several mobile network operators including Telecom Italia’s mobile division TIM, BeeLine (VimpelCom) of Russia and Cellcom in Israel, along with multimedia hardware and content specialists like Universal Music Group, Texas instruments and Blaupunkt to bring the project to fruition. “The mobile phone industry is ready for a revamp", says Moran. “There are hundreds of handset models on the market: the trouble is that as a consumer you can only have one at a time and you are usually tied to a long and expensive contract. modu is challenging that with a solution that offers freedom, boundless possibilities and the opportunity to change your phone without it costing a fortune.”

Pricing is expected to be around the 200 Euro mark for the modu and two jackets. It will be interesting to see the impact of this new take on the mobile companion as it comes to market - stay tuned for more details.

Source:http://www.gizmag.com

Napster Mobile coming to UK provider O2

Napster Mobile is heading across the pond, as Napster Inc. and Sony Ericsson have to bring the service to O2 UK, the United Kingdom's largest wireless carrier.

Napster Mobile users on O2 will be able to purchase any of the 5 million songs in the Napster catalogue directly from their Ericsson phone, placing a copy both on the phone and the user's home computer.

"We look forward to delivering a superior mobile music experience to O2 UK's customers, along with the largest mobile music catalog available. It's the perfect extension of Napster's online service in the UK," Napster President Brad Duea said in a statement.

Source:http://www.bizjournals.com

LG Fashion phones soon to hit the runway

CeBIT is no time at all away and already pics and specs are leaking onto the web of what will be the big draws of the show.

According to online reports, LG is going is release three "Fashion" or KF phones - the LG KF750, LG KF240 and LG KF300.

The two phones that are most likely to be on display there, are high end LG KF750 codenamed Libra, and a music phone - LG KF240.

LG KF750 appears to be a high-end touchscreen slider, with a new take on the navigation touchpad, as it seemed to be a mix of what you already have on the LG KF510 and LG KF600 handsets.

It also comes with a 5 megapixel camera, VGA camera for video calls, 160MB of internal memory and compatibility with microSD cards.

The LG KF240 is designed for music lovers but also has a 2 megapixel camera.

It should start shipping this coming week in Latin America, China and other Asian territories, before making its way to Europe.

No more info as yet on the LG KF300, but watch this space.
Source:http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk

Newcomer Onyx offers up its Liscio mobile phone

UK-based upstart Onyx might not yet be a world-renowned producer of market leading mobile devices, but it is certainly hoping to make its mark with the launch of the Liscio phone, a compact, lightweight and elegant mobile handset targeted at style-conscious consumers.

Looking to appeal to prospective mobile phone buyers not left weak at the knees by the likes of conventional handset brands, the sleek and diminutive Liscio “packs a lot into a small space” while measuring a mere 90mm in length, 35mm width and 17.8mm in thickness.

“If you appreciate beauty and design this is the mobile phone for you,” advised Zafar Mirza of Onyx (although she’s probably a tad biased). “The Liscio really is a hot, new handset that will turn heads wherever it goes,” she added.

Sporting more than just a pretty facade, the Onyx Liscio also comes complete with an onboard MP3 player, FM radio, supporting EQ, a 1.1-inch full colour display, 128MB of internal memory (expandable to 1GB via MicroSD -- card included), JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG audio formats, Bluetooth version 1.2, up to 11 hours of playtime and 3 hours of talk time, and Tri-band GSM 900, DCS 1800, and PCS 1900.

Available as a SIM-free phone, the slightly pebble-esque Liscio is available now for £129.99 GBP (visit the OnyxInnovation website). Helping boost its flexibility, the new Liscio happily plays host to any UK SIM card.

Overall
Despite showing some early promise the Liscio sadly falls foul of many of the typical afflictions that ’style’ phones have suffered from in the past. There’s no doubt that it looks very nice, and is even quite reasonably priced, but this doesn’t make up for the disappointing display and some usability issues that would make it rather frustrating to use if you’re looking at it as a mainstream mobile.

Source: http://www.thetechherald.com

Two New Windows Mobile Smartphones from I-mateWindows Mobile smartphone device manufacturer, i-mate has shown off its latest models -the Ultimate 9502

Windows Mobile smartphone device manufacturer, i-mate has shown off its latest models -the Ultimate 9502 and the Ultimate 8502. The Ultimate 9502 and 8502 are the latest devices from the Ultimate range, a collection of four devices in various forms to suit individual preferences, from classic PDA to a notebook replacement and were designed to provide the latest and best in phone and PDA technology.

The Ultimate 9502 represents the flagship of the Ultimate range and delivers an all in one Windows Mobile device. The phone is powered by HSDPA & HSUPA, and along with WiFI and Bluetooth connectivity, and integrated GPS functionality for navigation. There are dedicated shortcut keys all around the 9502, allowing easy and fast access to often used applications. The 9502 includes integrated support for Direct Video Out capabilities, providing you with the option to connect it to monitors or projectors and watch videos off it or even use Windows Mobile on a larger screen.

This feature was especially included in a business sense so users can perform video conferencing or project slideshows and presentations from the phone itself, making it a viable alternative to a notebook.

The Ultimate 8502 delivers a customised out of the box experience in a slim line QWERTY keyboard form factor. With a 2.6 inch touchscreen with 65k colour TFT backlight, it is fully loaded with Microsoft Office Mobile giving users access to applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint on the go. This device also comes with built-in GPS navigation functionality offering users satellite navigation. The 8502 can play video clips directly and a variety of music file formats on the inbuilt Windows Media Player 10 Mobile media player.

"2008 sees i-mate continue to deliver on its iconic devices and sophisticated services," said Jim Morrison, CEO, i-mate. "The Ultimate range has already won plaudits on its design and strong specifications. The Ultimate 9502 and 8502 will continue to build on i-mate's, the best of breed combination of innovation, design and technology. Each of our devices is designed with different users in mind giving our customers real choice."

Source: http://www.mobileburn.com

LG shows off watch phone concept

Make calls from your wrist

LG has shown off a concept watch phone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The phone, which seems to be inspired by Dick Tracy, will allow you to carry a mobile phone around with you on your wrist.

Although details are sketchy as to the specs of the watch, LG has told Pocket-lint that everything is controlled either via voice or a roller at the bottom of the screen similar to how the company's Shine handset works.

Other tech that will be included is Bluetooth so you can connect a headset to make calls.

The Korean company says that you will be able to talk directly to the microphone built-in to the watch if you want.

With no current plans to launch the phone watch at present, put this in the nice, but not yet box.

Sony Ericsson C702

More than just a cut down version of the new C902, the Sony Ericsson C702 is a Cyber-shot branded phone with a 3.2 megapixel camera and inbuilt GPS.

GPS is all the rage at the moment with several manufacturers adding GPS receivers into their handsets. But with the Sony Ericsson C702, GPS is used for geotagging as well as navigation.

In case you're not familiar with geotagging, then it is very simple. Most JPEG images include hidden information, called the metadata or EXIF information. The metadata includes all sorts of details, such as the camera used to take the shot, date and time of the picture, and if there is a GPS receiver in the camera, then it can record the exact location that the camera was in when the picture was taken. This geotagging is available in the Sony Ericsson C702, and it's a nice feature to have.

The Sony Ericsson C702 can also help users navigate using Google maps for mobile and Sony Ericsson's Wayfinder application, giving turn-by-turn directions. In addition, the GPS receiver is enhanced to A-GPS (advanced GPS) allowing a much quicker time to fix the handset's location.

Don't forget that this is a Cyber-shot branded phone, so the digital camera is also very important. In this case, it is a 3.2 megapixel unit with autofocus and flash. It isn't as advanced as some Cyber-shot phones, but it should be pretty good nonetheless

Other features on the Sony Ericsson C702 are a QVGA (240 x 320 pixel display), 150MB of phone memory expandable using Memory Stick Micro cards, a web browser, email client and RSS reader.

There are a few different variants of the C702 - the C702 itself (without a suffix) is a quad-band GSM phone with UMTS/HSDPA 2100 (3G) support - in previous versions of Sony Ericsson handsets, this would be called the C702i. Then, the C702a and C702c handsets are quad-band GSM only (although they do support EDGE data) aimed at the North American and Chinese markets respectively.

Source:http://www.mobilegazette.com/