The most important of these is the inclusion of EDGE data services, a first for a Sony Ericsson handset. The Z500 includes Class 10 EDGE, offering speeds of up to 240 kbps.
The Z500 also includes a VGA digital camera for both still and video recording. Pictures can be displayed on the 16-bit TFT main display, while the external 4096-colour display can function as a viewfinder or display picture caller-ID when closed. The external screen can also be used to read text messages and perform other simple functions.
Features include a Wireless Village instant messaging client, MMS, e-mail support, a full organizer with sync ability, and push-to-talk over cellular (PoC). PoC allows functionality similar to walkie-talkies and is aimed at businesses and consumers alike. Media functionality includes a polyphonic ring-tone composer, 3D Java gaming and force-feedback. [infoSync]
RSS Syndication Tools for the Palm OS
Nothing that I actually have not looked into, but a good summary in one place…
Are you a news junkie or looking to a mobile way to keep up with news from all over the web? Many sites use rss as a way to share headlines and content. PIC takes a look at some options for using rss with your mobile device. [PalmInfocenter]
Brain pacemakers
Can you say The Terminal Man? Michael Crichton wrote about this in 1988… The idea then was that by stimulating certain parts of the brain, doctors would be able to stop a particular type of seizure that resulted in severe violence.
You gotta admit that this is a little freaky: the Washington Post reports that scientists are experimenting with putting implants directly into people’s brains. The so-called “brain pacemakers”, which provide electrical stimulation directly to different parts of the brain, are ostensibly being created to treat a whole range behaviorial and neurological disorders, but you know that eventually someone is going to figure out how use a brain pacemaker for “recreational” purposes. [Via Slashdot] [Engadget]
Real.com internal memo
Tomas Jogin gets an internal memo from RealNetworks [via Webspiffy] and it is amazing insight into the works of the most hated company in the world of online music/media.
Japan’s 1Gbps 4G wireless network
From what I’ve read, I thought that Flarion and Nextel were working on 4G solutions, but I don’t recall it being anywhere near this fast…
While we languish under the tyranny of CDMA 1xRTT, GPRS, EDGE, and a whole lot of other acronyms which really just stand for disappointingly slow data speeds on our cellphones, Japan is already pushing forward with 4G and have been testing a standard for cellular networks which could potentially be as fast as 1 gigabit per second, or more than a thousand times faster than DSL. [Engadget]
Slow adoption of DVR technology
I could not agree more that this is a marketing issue. I’ve mentioned it here.
The marketing so far has been totally lacking and could use some serious direct marketing efforts. My thoughts… shoot a longer form edutainment “show” and cut down smaller segments for web demos. Use the show on a DVD and send it to highly targeted homes in the mail for acquisition but also use it for fulfillment of qualified information requests. I would partner with the big box stores and run the show on a TV/DVD set-up so that casual shoppers could get a real understanding of how the thing works. Be sure to have either representation from either TiVO or the device makers, or make damn sure the employees receive some actual training on what you are promoting.
Ditch the 30 second quirky and funny spots that are probably being worked on now to run in the near future…
Both Robert Scoble, Dave Winer and Marc Canter have weighed in the slow adoption of DVRs such as TiVo or Media Center PC in the marketplace. They are all correct to some degree but also miss the mark. One of the interesting things that happens when you apply research and analysis to the subject is you get a different picture about the paradox of adoption. In this case the paradox is relatively small sales but tremendous enthusiasm of those who DO adopt it.
So what’s the reason? DVRs by themselves are not “killer applications”. In fact, there’s a multitude of features that are totally contextual, that at a given moment in time BECOME the killer app. Want to pause TV when the phone rings? That’s the killer app at that moment. Recording a show using an EPG to simply search for it? That’s the killer app at that moment. Skipping commercials when you watch recorded content? That’s the killer app at that moment. Contextual functionality ONLY comes together when you get to see the whole, not a piece or part. When you see only pieces, you just get a very expensive VCR not a DVR.
This is a nasty marketing problem since there’s no good way to get the message across in 30 seconds. It’s also why leveraging the fan base is critical, since those are the folks who have made the leap of faith.[Michael Gartenberg]
Virgin to launch music jukebox, Net music store
I like the idea of using the store to distribute and promote the service, but wonder why they would not develop a way for customers to also download to supported devices. Maybe they are working on it and things will be reported on later… Too bad this is not a deal with Apple and the iPod… that would be a major win for many happy podders, but it will work with WMA files instead.
British billionaire Richard Branson’s latest company, Virgin Digital, is developing its own digital jukebox and online music store with music delivery company MusicNet that will be available by the end of August. [CNET News.com – Entertainment & Media]
Howard Rheingold on Mobile Socialization
When social networking, mobile telephony and locative media collide on the small screen, something altogether surprising will emerge, the way virtual communities, online markets and self-organized dating services emerged from wired cyberspace. [The Feature]
The Apex DVD Player
The payoff from a $29 DVD player is the cultural capital of savvy that goes with finding a bargain. [New York Times: Technology]
To understand how powerful that urge can be, don’t think about multipacks of paper towels or huge jars of mayonnaise. Think about DVD players — specifically, Apex DVD players. Of the 31.1 million DVD players sold last year, roughly 10 percent were Apex models, according to the NPD Group, the retail tracker. That puts the brand in second place, just behind Sony, but the two companies could not be more different. Sony is a storied innovator, a name familiar to consumer-electronics buyers for decades as a technological leader. The Apex name — for those who even notice it — has been around for about five years and basically means ”bargain.”
Apex is one smart-ass company. They have about 100 employees and did about $1 Billion in sales last year. While they are based in California they outsource the tech stuff to Asia and pass the savings back to the consumers… They’ve also teamed with stores like Walmart to create “door-busters” like their feature-reduced, loss leader, $29 DVD player last Christmas.
Gateway FMC-901X Family Room Media Center
No secret I am not a huge windows fan, but you have to respect what is starting to happen with these Media Centers. More and more digital media is being created by the consumer and easy access to share it or simply view it in the living room is (or will be) desired.
At once both a powerful PC and a consumer-friendly device, Gateway’s FMC-901X Family Room Media Center goes to the top of the Media Center stack. [CNET Reviews]
Psion faces opposition over Symbian
So much for a smooth transition for Nokia…
Psion’s biggest shareholder on Thursday announced its opposition to the mobile computing company’s £135.7m sale of its stake in the Symbian joint venture and urged other shareholders to vote down the proposal next week.
Phoenix Asset Management Partners, which holds 56m shares representing a 13.1 per cent stake, said the conditions for an IPO of Symbian had been met and the management of Psion should instead pursue this option aggressively.
Phoenix is the first big investor to come out against the stake sale to handset-maker Nokia, although a number of private investors have suggested a shareholder revolt on online messageboards.
[FT.com]
Chameleon Card Changes Stripes
This is one of the more out there ideas. I would think it would be easier to use an electronic device like a phone or PDA than to have a master card you morph into the card you need. How do you convince merchants you are not pulling one over…
An upcoming product promises to lighten your wallet in a good way — by replacing all those credit, bank and customer-loyalty cards with a single, programmable card. [Wired News]
Circuit City picks up Vonage VoIP phones
Moving to Cross the Chasm…
The broadband phone provider moves beyond its early “geek” adopters, reaching its first deal with a national retailer to sell its services. [CNET News.com]
Will DVD mean VoD is DOA?
DVD is going to be single biggest roadblock for massive deployment of Video On Demand. Mike Walsh writes that, “After a decade of whispered promises, the prospects of video on demand are finally looking up. Certainly the current buzz about a possible Comcast/Disney tie up has started the rumour mill up again. But with Hollywood already addicted to the consumer love affair with DVD, is it too late for VoD?.” [GigaOm: Om Malik’s Broadband Blog]
Just my opinion here, but I don’t think so. VOD is pretty damn convenient and if they can get a deeper catalog going and even add HD, I don’t see it going away just yet. Sure DVD offers a great high quality experience, but you have to buy or rent it, which takes planning, when with VOD you can just click it with the remote. In theory, you could enhance the broadcast further with multiple streams and data layers… I think they are just beginning to get going.
New Clear Flip Cases for the T3 and Zire 71
These look very slick!
Javoedge has a interesting set of new cases out for the Tungsten T3 and Zire 71. They are a clear plastic that wrap around the handheld for protection that also features a flip cover. [PalmInfocenter]
Xitel debuts Ground Loop Isolator
Xitel has announced its Ground Loop Isolator designed specifically to stop the ground loop hum that can result from connecting computers to home stereo equipment. “As the trend towards more and more consumers playing digital audio from their computers through their home stereo systems continue, many are discovering an annoying hum in their speakers. The most likely cause of this hum is not their PC or home stereo, but a ground loop in their home or apartment mains power wiring, which can occur through differences in resistance in the electrical system.” It is available for $30. [MacNN]
mehack
Raffi Krikorian, author of TiVo Hacks and occasional contributor to this site has launched a new site of his own called mehack. It’s along the same lines as TiVo hacking but goes beyond to cover how to hack just about any electronic device in your home or car, and covers news and equipment necessary to do the job right. [PVRblog]
Best of Luck to engadget
Back in August of 2002 I helped found Gizmodo, the gadgets weblog. It was a labor of love, but never intended as more than a part-time freelance job. After nineteen months I’ve decided to take a risk and launch a new site that will let me do what I want: Blog about gadgets full-time. In partnership with The Weblogs, Inc. Network (WIN), I’ve launched Engadget (www.engadget.com), where I’m already posting obsessively about everything exciting on gadgets and personal technology. [engadget.com]
Samsung Preparing i530 Palm OS Smart Phone
Samsung has announced a new addition to its collection of Palm OS smart phones. [Brighthand]
According to this site, it will run Palm OS Garnet 5.2. Its processor isn’t known at this time, but the i500 uses a 300 MHz Intel processor. The i530 will have 32 MB of RAM and an SD/MMC slot for extra storage.
The i530 will supposedly have a 324-by-352-pixel, 16-bit, TFT, touchscreen as its primary display. It will also include a smaller 96-by-128-pixel, full-color, OLED display on its exterior to display time- and phone-related information.
This will be a tri-band GSM/GPRS (900/1800/1900) device. It won’t support EDGE but its current data capabilities will allow users to send and receive emails and SMS and MMS messages. It will also allow web surfing and WAP.
Reportedly, the i530 won’t have built-in Bluetooth short-range wireless networking.
The smart phone will, of course, run most Palm OS applications and it will support playback of MPEG-4 and MP3 files.
The resolution of its built-in camera is not yet known, but it is expected to be better than that offered by the i500.
The Samsung SGH-i530 will be available in late spring or early summer. The company plans to give one of these to over 22,000 VIPs, athletes, and officials at the Olympic games in Athens, Greece this summer.
Sounds like a great device though I wonder why no bluetooth… An interesting way to seed these as well by giving them away to the Olympics crowd. I guess we can expect to see quite a bit of Samsung advertising this summer.
Tungsten C Update 2.0 Released
palmOne has released a second user installable ROM update for the Tungsten C handheld. The update new support for Wi-Fi roaming, a digitizer fix and other wireless bug fixes. [PalmInfocenter]