Gadgets Base

Posted Feb 10th 2008 2:45PM by Evan Blass
Filed under: Gaming We’re not gonna read too much into this just yet, but when everyone’s favorite fruit-flavored consumer electronics company files to protect its trademark as it relates to a wide range of gaming devices, well, we feel you’d want to know. The USPTO sleuths over at Trademork just gave us the heads up on this recently-filed application from Cupertino, which requests protection of the word “APPLE” for products that classify as “toys, games and playthings, namely, hand-held units for playing electronic games; hand-held units for playing video games; stand alone video game machines; electronic games other than those adapted for use with television receivers only; LCD game machines; electronic educational game machines; toys, namely battery-powered computer games.” And come to think of it, we did see Apple file for a videogame-related patent not too long ago, so who knows: perhaps the iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV will soon have even more friends among the company’s ever-expanding non-PC ecosystem. Then again, we’ve heard this rumor in one form or another countless times before, and right now pining for a resurrected Gizmondo is already giving us enough headaches.

[Via Trademork]

Posted Feb 10th 2008 1:51PM by Chris Ziegler
Filed under: CellphonesIt looks like the rumors about the brand spanking new G series from Sony Ericsson were absolutely spot on. Mobile World Congress has seen the introduction of the G700 and G900, phones that SE is referring to as “touchscreen organizers with a broad appeal.” The G700, the lesser of the two, features a 2.4 inch display (touchscreen, of course) with a 3.2 megapixel camera.

The G900 ups the ante with integrated WiFi and a 5 megapixel autofocus cam with a continuous shooting mode. The big draw on both models appears to be the ability to jot notes on the display using the stylus and save them as sticky notes right to the phones’ home screens — kinda nifty, we’ll admit. Both will launch in the second quarter featuring GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900 radios with UMTS 2100, so using them Stateside isn’t really in the cards. The G700 will be available in Silk Bronze, while the upmarket G900 will feature striking Dark Red and Dark Brown options. We’ll throw up larger images as we get ‘em.

Posted Feb 10th 2008 2:20PM by Chris Ziegler
Filed under: CellphonesThis is a phone we’ve seen in the wild on a couple occasions, but we had one detail dead wrong: the model number. It turns out that Sony Ericsson’s newest Z series flip is actually the Z770, not the Z660 we’d heard before. The company is billing the Z770 as a phone fit for people who need access to the internet (web and email, specifically) but aren’t necessarily interested in stepping up to a full-fledged smartphone, featuring “easy” email setup, zoom / pan features in the web browser along with an actual mouse pointer (anyone familiar with S60’s browser will get the idea here), and integrated support for Exchange ActiveSync. The GSM / EDGE 900 / 1800 / 1900, HSDPA 2100 handset will hit shelves in the second quarter in Vogue Red, Graphite Black, and Exquisite Gold.

Posted Feb 10th 2008 2:03PM by Chris Ziegler
Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras
So that rumored K820 has turned out to be the C902, and that waterproof model? Not so much waterproof — just “splash and dust resistant” — and it’s the C702. Starting on the bottom, the 3.2 megapixel C702 touts one-handed camera use for those spur-of-the-moment shots when you’re doing something, like, totally extreme that would necessitate the use of a splash resistant phone to begin with. GPS also finds its way on board, and Sony Ericsson is bundling Google Maps for Mobile (good call) to get the mapping done. Moving up, the C902 is a 5 megapixel beast with autofocus, face detection, a generous flash, and 160MB of storage before you add anything on with the Memory Stick Micro slot. Both models feature Cyber-shot branding and will be available in the second quarter; they’ll come in two versions — one with UMTS 2100 and one rocking quadband EDGE alone. Look for the C702 in Speed Black and Cyan Blue, while the C902 will do its thing in Swift Black and Luscious Red (pictured).

Posted Feb 10th 2008 2:31PM by Ryan Block
Filed under: Cellphones
Oh yes, this bad boy is real, alright. More over here.

Much like cartoons, most gadgets and videogames are really not meant for kids. Let your toddler play Grand Theft Auto for a while or mess with your iPod and you’ll probably not be too happy with the results.

As a safer and more education alternative, LeapFrog Enterprises has been selling the Leaspter educational gaming system for about four years in retail stores across the US. This Summer (2008), LeapFrog will update the Leapster with web connectivity and also release a new handheld, web-enabled system called Didj.

The web element for both systems will be LeapFrog’s upcoming Learning Path where parents will be able to log in to track their children’s progress in each educational area.

Read [Gamertell]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

We all know that cell phones are dime a dozen, and basically everyone I know has one. I suppose only the retired segment of the population couldn’t care less about new features that are introduced with each generation of handsets, but a cell phone is an essential item for today and no longer considered to be a luxury gadget to have. While phone manufacturers have been pushing a whole bunch of handsets down our throats with each quarter (remember back in the good old days where Nokia released just a couple of handsets each year?), there are a couple of companies who have decided that the consumer should be the one who chooses what they want to see inside each handset instead of getting features which they don’t want/need.

First off we have Modu from Israel who rolled out a GSM handset that will be released this October, coming in the form of a tiny phone which can slide into special “jackets” that are actually phone exteriors with extra functionality. Not only that, you get software which instructs the phone about special color schemes in addition to other features. Imagine needing to snap a photo with your Modu at that moment, where you will slide in a camera “jacket” only to take it off and replace it with a QWERTY keyboard “jacket” whenever you don your business suit. The company is also working on other jackets that aren’t phone-based including GPS devices. Sounds like a dream, but do you actually want to carry different “jackets” with you wherever you go or one handset that has already everything packed inside?

zzzPhone is banking on its build-to-order phone business model, claiming that you order a cell phone in pretty much the same way one orders PC from Dell. Head over to its website, select your desired features and the customized version will be sent to your doorstep. A base model retails for $149, where you can throw in extras such as a 7-megapixel camera, TV tuner or GPS module for extra dough.

Source: Computerworld

Jim Rapoza’s list of 10 most overhyped products, technologies and technology trends of the century does not necessarily mean the products or technologies had failed, but instead they had received so much hype that it was impossible for them to ever live up to early expectations.

1. iPhone
2. Social networks
3. Grid computing
4. Outsourcing
5. RFID
6. Virtualization
7. Blogs
8. Green technology
9. VOIP
10. Video on the web

Did he miss any from your list?

Via [Emerging Technologies]

Keep up with the latest gadget goodness! - Subscribe to our feed →

Posted Feb 10th 2008 1:44PM by Thomas Ricker
Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video
var It’s here, the XPERIA X1 QWERTY from Sony Ericsson. Yes, full QWERTY to make the most of that Windows Mobile 6 operating system. SE’s new XPERIA brand will focus on multimedia and mobile web communication. The X1 then, brings a 3-inch wide VGA (800 x 480) touchscreen display, 3.2 megapixel camera (with photo light), A2DP Bluetooth, aGPS, WiFi, and microSD — just 400MB on board. On the phone side you’ve got quad-band GSM/EDGE, and 900/1700/1900/2100MHz UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (or 850/1700/1900/2100MHz in what must be a US-bound model). Navigation is accomplished via touch, arc-sliding QWERTY, 4-way key and optical joystick. Now just replace that Internet Explorer Mobile browser with Opera Mobile 9.5 or Skyfire and the 110 x 53 x 16.7-mm X1 is ready to live up to its potential. You know, when it ships in “select markets” in the second half of 2008. Full specs posted after the break.

Gallery: Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X1 QWERTY with Windows Mobile and HSUPA

Update: We’ve got the first in the wild picture.Sony Ericsson XPERIATM X1 – At a Glance

Camera

• Auto focus
• 3.2 megapixel camera
• Photo light
• Video recording

Music

• Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP)
• Media player
• Music tones
• PlayNow™
• Windows Media Player Mobile
• 3D games
• FM radio
• Java
• Video streaming
• Video viewing

Internet

• Internet Explorer® Mobile
• RSS feeds

Communication and Messaging

• Polyphonic ringtones
• Speakerphone
• Vibrating alert
• Video calling
• Email
• Picture messaging (MMS)
• Predictive text input
• Text messaging (SMS)

Design

• XPERIA™ panels
• Optical joystick navigation
• Navigation key
• Picture wallpaper
• Touch navigation

Organiser

• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Document editors
• Document readers
• Flight mode
• Handwriting recognition
• Notes
• Phone book
• Tasks
• Touchscreen

Connectivity

• aGPS
• Bluetooth™ technology
• Modem
• Synchronization
• USB support
• WLAN

Windows® Mobile® Operating System

• Microsoft® Outlook Mobile: email, contacts, calendar, tasks
• Microsoft® Office Mobile: Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Internet Explorer® Mobile
• Windows Media™ Player Mobile
• Windows Live™
• Exchange ActiveSync®
• Voice control
• Utility Applications: file explorer, calculator, pictures & video, notes

Facts and Figures

• Size: 110 x 53 x 16.7 mm
• Weight: 145 grams

Available colours

• Black
• Silver
• Main screen: 65,536 color TFT
• Resolution: 800 X 480 pixels
• Size: 3 inches

Memory

• Phone memory: up to 400 MB
• microSD™ memory card support
• Availability and versions

Networks

• GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
• UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 900/1700/1900/2100 MHz
• UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA 850/1700/1900/2100 MHz

Samsung has a new handset for this year that will be a culmination of all that it stands for, and what better moniker to choose than the Soul. This slim slider handset comes with an aluminum finish exterior complete with a 2.2″ QVGA display, a touch capacitance navigation panel, and navigation icons that change depending on the applications used. The Samsung Soul is also ably equipped with features such as a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus, face detection, an image stabilizer, quad-band GSM/EDGE, HSDPA support, Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, an integrated FM radio, MP3 playback and a microSD memory card slot. Heck, a Bang & Olufsen digital power amplifier rounds off the list of impressive features. No idea on how much this costs, but it will be launched in Europe this April.

Source: MobileMag