Mobiado's 712 Mokume Gane: because your Galaxy S lacks ancient Japanese metallurgical craftsmanship

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Is there any way to sensibly justify Mobiado's colossally overpriced, underspec'd handsets? Not as far as we can tell -- but Mobiado seems to be eminently aware of (and okay with) that, diving yet deeper into the bottomless pit of conspicuous consumption this week with the announcement of the 712 Mokume Gane candybar. What's "Mokume Gane" mean, you ask? Well, turns out it refers to an ancient Japanese metalworking technique used to craft decorative weapons in which several types of metals are folded into one another to create a wood grain look. Oh, and if you're wondering why they don't just simply things a bit and use real wood, the short answer is that Mobiado already does that -- see the 712EM model -- so this would be for people looking for a little more heft (and presumably, cost). As with most of Mobiado's models, this is a situation where you're going to have to hit up a retailer to find out how close to bankruptcy the phone is going to push you.

Via Unwired View

Puma Phone now available somewhere you probably don't live

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We never thought we'd live to see the day where we were talking on a shoe, Get Smart-style. Technology still hasn't advanced nearly enough to make authentic shoe-talking anything more than a distant dream, but the next best thing -- a phone from a shoe manufacturer -- is now available. Actually, "available" is a bit of a stretch since the Puma Phone has only launched in nine European, African, and Middle Eastern countries so far, but we'd hope that a wider launch is on the way. And hey, to be fair, we bet the solar panels on back work spectacularly in the African sun. Pricing will naturally vary by locale, retailer, and subsidy, but you can generally look to find it for about €399 ($500) SIM-free.

Via engadget

DirecTV mobile app now live on Android Market

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If you're familiar with DirecTV's iPhone app, then this fresh Android release should be no stranger as both free apps offer the same handy search and record functionalities. No official requirements published yet, but an educated guess would suggest they'd be the same as the iPhone counterpart. The lucky folks over at DBSTalk have once again had a chance to preview this DirecTV app before it went live on Android Market last night, so either get to downloading or head over now for their dandy walkthrough.

Via Droid Forums

Mobiado Classic 712ZAF – new luxury phone announced

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Mobiado, the Canadian manufacturer of luxurious (and often weird) mobile phones, has just announced its first phone of 2010: the Mobiado Classic 712ZAF.

Building on the heritage of the Mobiado Luminoso series, the Classic 712ZAF is a candybar “crafted with a strong and vivid visual identity” – well, at least that’s what Mobiado says.

The new luxury phone is made out of aluminum, stainless steel, sapphire crystal and ceramic coating. The Mobiado logo is “CNC machine engraved” on the back of the phone.

The Classic 712ZAF features quad-band GSM/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900) and tri-band WCDMA (900/1900/2100) connectivity, 2.2 inch QVGA display, A-GPS, “2 microphones for uplink noise cancellation”, email, web browser, music player, 5MP camera with LED flash, and the ability to “mute and reject calls by double tapping the phone.”

Mobiado Classic 712ZAF will be available in six color versions: Black, Black Satin, Silver, Grey, Blue and Red. The phone’s price was not announced.

Via Press release

Porsche Design working hard for the money, brings back P'9522 in black

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More than a year after releasing the P'9522, you'd think that Porsche Design would have something a little more... well, Porsche up its sleeve than just another color, but make no mistake: this latest incarnation of the pricey candybar is nothing more than a repainted version of the original. As a refresher, it's got a 5 megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi, microSD expansion, a 2.8-inch display (they make it look bigger than that in the press shot, don't they?) and a fingerprint scanner up front to make sure the baddies don't get all up in your business should the phone get stolen. For a company so steeped in the tradition of speed, you'd think they'd at least have taken the opportunity to add in 3G, but alas, this handset's fast in name only. Anyhow, you should be able to pick up this remixed version now in overpriced boutiques around the globe.

Via Autoblog

Synaptics Fuse touchscreen phone concept unveiled

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Synaptics has teamed up with a handful of companies (Texas Instruments, Immersion, TheAlloy and The Astonishing Tribe) to announce a new mobile phone concept called Fuse.

The Synaptics Fuse is the first concept phone to integrate multiple interface technologies: haptic feedback, multi-touch, 3D graphics, as well as “force, grip, and proximity sensing.”

The concept extends the touch sensitivity beyond the display, as the phone features capacitive touch sensors on the sides (which let you pan and scroll), and a touch panel on the back, which provides 2D navigation.

Based on a Texas Instruments OMAP 3630 processor, the Fuse uses Synaptics’ ClearPad, TouchButtons and NavPoint technologies to provide features like two-finger input and high-resolution finger input – for precise pointing and navigation.

“The best touch experience requires the expertise and collaboration of ecosystem leaders to optimize what the user sees and feels. The improved sensory experience of Fuse will drive handset innovation to evolve, taking the current generation of touch-based interaction to the next level of human-device interaction,” declared Gopal Garg, senior vice president of Synaptics’ handheld business unit and corporate marketing.

Synaptics will demonstrate the Fuse during CES 2010 in Las Vegas, as well as durning Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona.


Via Press release

INQ Chat 3G available in the UK, £99.99 on PAYG

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Just in time for Christmas, 3 UK announced the availability of INQ Chat 3G – the second new phone unveiled this year by INQ (after the INQ Mini 3G, available since October).

The Chat 3G is INQ’s first handset to have a full QWERTY keypad. It features Twitter and Facebook integration, as well al built-in Windows Live Messenger and Skype (with free Skype-to-Skype calls).

The new phone also comes with iTunes and Windows Media Player syncing, a QVGA display, HSDPA, 3.2MP camera and MicroSD card support, and you can choose from several customizable colored backplates.

3 UK offers the INQ Chat 3G for £99.99 on PAYG, or for free if you sign a contract agreement of at least £15 per month.

Via Press release

ZTE X990 passes the FCC, looks like a… PalmBerry

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Not long after unveiling the MTV-branded ZTE F870E and the ZTE Vodafone 545, the FCC has now approved a new unannounced ZTE phone, namely the ZTE X990.

The X990 has the overall shape of a BlackBerry and a QWERTY keypad reminiscent of the ones used by Palm for its Treo Pro and Centro smartphones.

Even so, the ZTE X990 looks pretty good and, besides the QWERTY keypad, it comes with a landscape display (QVGA?), Bluetooth, MP3 player, FM radio, Web browser (with a dedicated key), 2MP camera, MicroSD card slot and a 3.5mm headset jack next to it.

ZTE X990 only has GSM/GPRS connectivity, so it will probably be released in China for an affordable price (or maybe Vodafone, one of ZTE’s most important partners, will pick the phone too and offer it for next to nothing on contract).

Via FCC

Dell creates communications division for push into handheld market

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Turns out Mini 3i is only the beginning. Dell has announced plans to create a new Communications Group with a focus on mobile phones and similar portable devices. Current consumer division head and former Motorola exec Ron Garriques will take the helm. Not much else to say at this point, but make no mistake, Dell is now officially in the phone business for the long haul.


Via The Wall Street Journal

Layar 3.0 mobile augmented reality browser launched

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Layar, the world’s first augmented reality (AR) browser for mobile phones, has reached version 3.0 – currently available only for Android 1.5 and 1.6 (an iPhone 3GS version is to follow).

In case you don’t know what exactly is Layar and why it is called an augmented reality browser, it’s an “application on your mobile phone which shows what is around you by displaying real time digital information on top of reality through the camera of your mobile phone.”

Layar 3.0 comes with a bunch of new features like: 3D objects, Unlimited POI (Point of Interest) types, local layers, enhanced layer validation, user authentication and cookies, flexible radius, new checkboxlist filter, and Support for more slider and textbox filters.

Layar 3.0 also lets you see how places looked in the past, “by displaying ancient photos overlaid on their current location or even by re-constructing the original buildings.”

Like the previous versions, Layar 3.0 is free and can be downloaded via Android Market.

Via Layar

Zii Trinity mobile platform packs 1080p punch, looking for OEM love

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Ready to start lusting after a new smartphone? If Creative has its way, you'll soon be enjoying Full HD video on a 3.5 / 4G device, with built-in WiFi, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, accelerated 3D graphics, and mini-HDMI and Composite video outputs. The newly announced 3.1-inch, multitouch-capable Zii Trinity has been designed by Creative subsidiary Ziilabs, and will be licensed out to clients who'll be able to customize a Zii-optimized Android install and Plaszma interface. As if we haven't got enough smartphone ecosystems knocking about already, this also marks the introduction of ZiiLife, which aims to be both a content delivery and productivity suite. Powered by the ARM-based ZMS-05 or ZMS-08, the new handset actually seems destined to perform plenty of KIRF and grey market duties, judging by Creative's "strategic partnerships" with Chinese manufacturers, but that might be no bad thing as, according to Gartner, the grey market is booming right now.

Via PRWeb

Phenom Dream Watch Phone with Two SIM Cards

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Watch Phones continue to gain popularity in the market of mobile devices and the company Phoenix Communications delighted fans with a new fashion novelty Phenom Dream Watch Phone.

The model combines compact size and good design. On board there is a 1.3-inch touch screen, which displays 262,000 colors, as well as 1.3-megapixel camera, FM-receiver , Bluetooth module. There is a place for microSD slot, for the memory cards up to 2 GB. Phenom Dream Watch Phone works in networks GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz standard. Manufacturers did not forget about the presence of an alphanumeric keyboard and built-in battery that can provide up to 2 hours of talk time or up to 120 hours of standby time.

Other significant features of the phone include the support of Dual-SIM functions, which is somewhat unusual, especially if we take into account the size of the device. Price of the Phenom Dream Watch Phone is 395 dollars.

Via mobileinfos

DROID Phone Holder and Multimedia Station go for $30 apiece

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Already got your DROID pre-order in and wonder what else you can blow your non-assured holiday bonus on? Well, that Phone Holder car dock and Multimedia Station home dock (pictured, our hands-on gallery is here) have just gotten price tags: $30 a pop. About in line with the general worldwide dock population, but horrifically overpriced in comparison with our own homebrew dual-purpose solution.

Via gearlog

Dell readying a MID for AT&T?

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We already know that Dell will launch an Android smartphone via AT&T in 2010 (most probably, the Mini 3i). Well, it turns out that the world’s second largest PC maker and AT&T may also introduce a MID next year.

China Times is reporting that Dell will actually have a variety of MIDs produced by Taiwanese manufacturer Qisda.

While there are absolutely no details about the MID for AT&T, this might be the Dell Streak (pictured below), recently appeared in Vietnam and featuring Android 2.0, 3G, Wi-Fi and a 5MP camera.

Of course, we still have to wait for an official confirmation on all this.

Via UV

OnLive demonstrates iPhone app, set to redefine mobile gaming?

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Okay, we admit to still being a little bit unsure about OnLive's pledges for high-end, high-resolution, lag-free gaming on any 'ol device with bandwidth, but we want to believe, and so it's with skeptical optimism that we report on news of mobile implementations. The company has demonstrated an iPhone app in which users are able to play against gamers on a PC or on the company's MicroConsole -- despite not having a single button to press. It's interesting stuff but, according to OnLive's CEO Steve Perlman, it'll be awhile before we see this in the wild, as plans for initial mobile apps will be limited to checking game stats and watching live gameplay. However, we presume it'll be a small step from there to flip the switch and two-way communications, meaning that perhaps by the time Modern Warfare 3 hits the wires you can keep gaming even while you're commuting.

Via Engadget

ITG xpPhone gets Windows 7, 5MP camera and 120GB storage

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The ITG xpPhone that we already told you about is going to come in more than one flavor. The future users will be able to pick the OS, CPU, storage and RAM memory as well as the display to create a device that suits their needs the best.

The handset will be available with Windows XP, MS DOS or Windows 7 (there goes the nice name) OS and AMD Super Mobile CPU. The options for the CPU speed are over and under 1GHz but the manufacturer doesn’t quote exact numbers.

The storage memory ranges from 8GB SSD to 120 GB HDD and the RAM will be 512MB, 1GB or 2GB. There will also be three different versions of the touchscreen LCD – 4.3”, 4.7” and 7” with resolution of either 800 x 480 or 1024 x 600 pixels.

Finally, the users will be able to pick between VGA, 1.3 MP, 3MP and 5MP for the xpPhone’s camera. WiMax connectivity can also be added to the 2G and 3G GSM and CDMA-enabled phone.

There isn’t information about the exact pricing of the device just yet but the form for pre-order is already available at the company’s website. Though we wouldn't advise you to get your credit card right away - not at least we see some live images of the thing up and running.

Via xpPhone

Bellperre Finest Woods luxury phone series launched

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Bellperre announced the availability of a new luxury phone series, made out of “the very finest authentic materials”, including hand-crafted wood (Walnut, Elm, Zebrano or Wenge).

The new Finest Woods Bellperre phones weigh 120 grams and measure 100 x 44 x 15,3 mm each, and can be customized with hand-polished Steel, Yellow Gold, Rosé Gold or Platinum. 110 types of genuine exotic leathers can be added (shark, lizard, alligator or buffalo). Moreover, Bellperre can add “diamonds and gemstones or initials, logos or personal messages on request.”

Feature-wise, the Bellperre phones offer tri-band GSM connectivity 900/1800/1900, a 2 inch Sapphire Crystal scratch-resistant display, stereo Bluetooth, email and a version of Windows Mobile.

Bellperre says that its phones are handmade in Holland. No word on the price of the new luxury handsets, but interested customers should try and contact the manufacturer via its official website.

Via UV

Mobiado's Grand 350 Pioneer is fit for an extraterrestrial

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Say your phone is accidentally lost in the void of space, never to be seen or touched by a human being again. Wouldn't it be comforting to know that any alien creature coming in contact with it a hundred, a thousand, or a million years from now would be able to deduce that you come in peace? With luxury phone maker Mobiado's latest version of the Grand 350, finally, you have that option available to you. As its name suggests, the 350 Pioneer is some sort of oddly-conceived tribute to NASA's Pioneer missions that features an engraving similar to the ones launched on its early craft; it describes our solar system, Earth's orientation within it, and basically tries to let your foreign friend know that you mean no harm using diagrams alone. The out-of-this-world spec sheet doesn't end there, though: you also get a meteorite embedded behind the display's sapphire crystal and etched text on the side letting everyone know your commitment to supporting the Pioneer program in as gaudy a way as possible. The Nokia E71-based phone is limited to just 37 examples, so you'd better get in line now -- and don't forget your space suit.

Via Mobile Phone Helpdesk

TI's OMAP-DM5x coprocessors promise 20MP cameraphones, 720p recording and freedom from heartache

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Another season, another Texas Instruments coprocessor for us to wonder about. For what feels like ages now, TI has been pumping out silicon that promises to bring high-def recording capabilities to cellphones, but by and large, most everything has been stuck at VGA or below. Oh sure, we've seen our first batch of 12 megapixel cameraphones, but it's not like those things are replacing DSLRs en masse. Bitterness aside, the OMAP-DM525 coprocessor is supposedly capable of bringing 20 megapixel imaging to handsets along with 720p video recording, while the OMAP-DM515 hits the ceiling at 12 megapixels. Of course, the DM525 won't actually be ready for volume production until sometime next year, but here's hoping a sample or two slips out at CES.

Via LetsGoDigital

Vertu Constellation Ayxta luxo-flip slums it at the FCC

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You might think you're hot stuff for carrying around a new Vertu Constellation Ayxta, but this is America, bub -- and your blinged-up Nokia has to kick it at the FCC just like everyone else. Of course, without that fancy always-on-call Concierge service and Vertu Select, all you're really looking at here is a pretty anonymous featurephone wrapped up in high-end garb, but you're not spending your $10,500 on features here -- you're spending it because you're too lazy and rich to buy something good.

Via FCC