CES 2008: Video Review mobile phone accessories
Bluetooth, cases, chargers, iPhone speaker docs ... even Crocs for your cell phone. Hands-on with mobile phone accessories from CES 2008 in Las Vegas.
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Showing posts with label CES 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CES 2008. Show all posts
Sunday, January 13, 2008
CES 2008: SanDisk announces 12GB microSDHC card
Sandisk announces at the CES 2008 a 12GB microSDHC card.
Sandisk already started shipping samples of the 12GB microSD card to mobile phone manufacturers. So you can expect mobile phones in 2008 that will support microSD cards with up to 12GB capacity.
SDHC is the designation for any SD or SD-based card that is larger than 2GB and adheres to the new SD 2.00 specification required for cards and hosts to support 4GB to 32GB capacities.
The specification was developed by the SD Association, an industry standards board, which has also created three classes to define minimum sustained data transfer speed. These cards adhere to the SD Speed Class 4 Rating.
CES 2008 officially started and we report about the hottest product releases, and there are plenty of them. We are in Las Vegas and will be covering the CES 2008 first hand.
Sandisk already started shipping samples of the 12GB microSD card to mobile phone manufacturers. So you can expect mobile phones in 2008 that will support microSD cards with up to 12GB capacity.
SDHC is the designation for any SD or SD-based card that is larger than 2GB and adheres to the new SD 2.00 specification required for cards and hosts to support 4GB to 32GB capacities.
The specification was developed by the SD Association, an industry standards board, which has also created three classes to define minimum sustained data transfer speed. These cards adhere to the SD Speed Class 4 Rating.
CES 2008 officially started and we report about the hottest product releases, and there are plenty of them. We are in Las Vegas and will be covering the CES 2008 first hand.
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CES 2008: LG Viewty 5.0-Megapixel Camera Phone
Viewty(LG KU990) is still not available in the States, it was given prime position at the LG booth next to the live DJ, with multiple units mounted around a large rotating animated robotic looking display. Viewty is a 5.1 megapixel quad band GSM camera phone. It boasts low-light capabilities, high-speed video recording (120fps), direct-to-YouTube uploading, a DivX player and handwriting recognition. The menu navigation is intuitive, the camera functionality extensive and styling minimal with an understated matt-black finish. Only criticism aside from the name (it's a viewty) is the missing lens protection, although it will be a while before we see that addressed in camera phones.
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CES 2008: LG Watch Mobile Phone
Dick Tracy would be proud. At LG’s booth we spotted this concept watch phone behind glass (thus the blurry pics). While I was peppering the product rep with questions, about a half dozen people asked when the device would be available, and each time he said that LG had no plans to bring the watch to market. Hmmm, maybe LG should rethink its stance on this product.
Here’s the deal with watch phones. They sound futuristic-chic on paper, but they’re just not practical. LG’s concept is a bit different than previous attempts. It has a built-in speaker, but it also has integrated Bluetooth so you can can gab without having to hold your wrist up to your mouth.
You can also view text messages on the concept watch’s huge display (I asked if it was OLED but no one knew the answer). There’s even a little scroll wheel on the bottom of the watch so you can send canned or full text messages, as well as call up contacts. I also found out that the concept rides on GSM, which means one would be able to insert a standard SIM card and then start making calls–if you could buy one.
We say “bring this concept to market.” Judging by the looks of disappointment on showgoers’ faces when they learned that the LG Watch Phone wasn’t for sale, we think it could be the must-have timepiece for gadget geeks.
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CES 2008: Motorola ROKR E8 and Z10 - Short Review
Motorola takes music phones to a new level with the ROKR E8, which uses innovative ModeShift technology to transform this glossy handset into a music player. With the touch of a button the perfectly flat virtual dialpad disappears and is replaced by music playback controls, and they feel like real buttons because of the amazing work Motorola has done to improve haptics technology. A variable-speed FastScroll navigation wheel makes it simple to scroll through the ROKR E8’s menus by sliding your thumb, as well as up to 1,500 songs stored on the 2GB of memory. And the sound quality rivals what you would expect from standalone music players, whether you’re listening through traditional earphones (plugged into the 3.5mm jack) or the powerful speaker.
Just when you thought Motorola only knew how to make RAZRs in different flavors, the company busts out two multimedia phones that truly impress, one a music-focused handset that morphs personalities based on how you’re using it and the other a highly evolved camera phone that lets you shoot, edit, and share high-quality videos on the spot. We had a chance to go hands on with both phones last night, and they both have a lot of potential.
What makes the ROKR E8 so innovative is its ModeShift technology, which morphs the device from phone mode to music mode with the push of a button and displays only those controls you need on the slick glass front surface. So when you’re in music mode, for example, the dialpad disappears and you’ll only see the playback controls on the bottom part of the phone. And in camera mode the playback controls give way to zoom buttons. In each mode Motorola employs haptics technology in a new way to make it feel like you’re pushing a button instead of providing an overpowering and imprecise buzz.
We also dig the new FastScroll navigation wheel, which replaces the traditional D-pad and allows you to scroll through everything from the Linux/Java-powered main menu to 1,500 tracks stored on the ROKR E8’s 2GB of built-in memory, which you can expand with a 4GB microSD card.
Motorola claims that the audio quality surpasses that of many standalone MP3 players but we’ll need more hands-on time before we can agree or disagree. Other features include a 2-inch display, 3.5-mm headphone jack, and compatibility with WMP 11. The only bummer is that this sleek candybar doesn’t rock 3G; there’s only an EDGE data connection inside.
Motorola also provided more details on its Z10 kick slider, which makes it easy to capture video, edit your clips, and even add transitions and music right on the phone. From there you can watch your masterpieces on the crisp 2.2-inch QVGA display with more than 16 million colors and upload your masterpieces to sites like YouTube and ShoZu. And don’t worry about running out of memory: this device can record up to 24 hours of video when equipped with a high-capacity memory card.
The still pictures from the 3.2-MP camera didn’t look too shabby either. More important, the Z10 is the fastest camera phone available, turning on in 1.5 seconds and able to shoot up to three images per second. And, unlike the ROKR E8, this one has a 3G HSDPA connection for fast uploads and downloads. Add in a polished metallic finish and you have a serious multimedia powerhouse that could put the Samsung FlipShot to shame.
Both the ROKR E8 and Moto Z10 should be available in the first quarter, but Motorola told us last night to expect the E8 to come stateside first. We can’t wait to bring you full reviews.
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CES 2008: Intel Presented its iPhone-ish Mobile Concepts
Intel, the Californian microchip manufacturer, revealed back in September 2007 a new mobile concept, similar to Apple's iPhone but with a length that surpasses any othermodern handset's length (and that, of course, isn't a good thing at all). But Intel said the new device, which isn't actually a mobile phone but a UMPC with phone capabilities, brings the Moorestown platform with Silverthorne processor and is able to offer a 10x reduction in power usage. Along with the iPhone-like design and touchscreen interface, that should make a pretty good device, right? Well, until now it is only a nonfunctional concept and it's not clear whether it will be commercially available or not.
At this year's CES, Intel came not only with the previous mentioned handset, but with a whole range of iPhone-ish prototype devices based on Silverthorne processors. Unlike the UMPC unveiled last year, some of the new devices are fully functional and are also prepared to be launched during 2008. The devices are powered by the Intel Menlow mobile platform and are presented as being able to outperform any other device of this kind by using very little battery power. This performance is achieved thanks to a chemical element known as Hafnium, used on transistors to prevent energy leaks.
One of the functional Intel mobile devices, unnamed yet, comes as an UMPC with a User Interface similar to iPhone's and a full sliding QWERTY keyboard. Apparently, the device will hit the market in the second quarter of 2008, packed with either 3G or WiMAX, not both – in order to reduce the device's cost and the battery life. Other details about the future Intel mobile device are not available.
Currently, Intel powers Apple's Mac computers and it's said that the next iPhone, the 2.0 edition, will also pack Intel processors, more exactly the Silverthorne ones. We're now waiting to see how Intel's own iPhone-ish devices will be and how they can influence the mobile industry.
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Saturday, January 12, 2008
Sony Ericsson W760 Walkman phone - Announced
[CES 2008] Sony announced the Sony Ericsson W760 Walkman phone that will be available sometime in Q2 2008 for approximately $99 after an operator rebate and subsidies. You cna pick from three colors then - Fancy Red, Rocky Silver and Intense Black. This tri-band HSDPA, quad-band EDGE slider handset comes with the following features :-Shake Control
- 2.2" display
- Built-in motion sensor with accelerometer for tilt gaming
- Integrated stereo speakers
- 3.2 megapixel camera
- Memory Stick Micro media slotShake control and built-in motion sensor? If my memory serves me correctly, Sony did chide the Wii about their "gimmicky" controls, and here they are playing catch-up by implementing such controls on their handset while trying to tout this feature as something new in the market. Where's the innovation, Sony?
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