Posts by: Mats Lewan

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Ordinary handsets to get Wi-Fi via microSD cards

Mats Lewan | Jul 24, 2009

KDDI is showcasing two microSD cards at Wireless Japan 2009.
(Credit: Techon)

Japanese mobile carrier KDDI is showcasing a neat way for providing ordinary cell phones with Wi-Fi. The trick is to integrate Wi-Fi technology on MicroSD cards, used for storage in most modern mobile phones.

At Wireless Japan 2009, now under way in Tokyo, KDDI is exhibiting two different cards manufactured by Mitsumi Electric and Renesas Technology, Japanese Web site Techon reports.

Both have a wireless LAN IC compliant with IEEE802.11b/g, a transceiving antenna, and passive components. There's no information on release date, compatibility, or battery consumption, which could be an issue, but if the product comes to market it could prove handy. As opposed to smartphones, traditional cell phones often lack Wi-Fi for a fast Internet connection.

Via CNET Crave

Filed under: Mobile Phones
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Touchscreens to track 10 fingers soon

Mats Lewan | Jul 23, 2009

New sensors from Synaptics will let devices recognize the touch of up to 10 fingers at a time. (Credit: Synaptics)

Touchscreens that track two fingers will soon seem basic. At least if you compare them with the multitouch-sensor ClearPad 3000 Series, recently announced by Santa Clara, Calif.-based Synaptics.

The transparent sensor tracks up to 10 simultaneous finger touches--we assume that should cover most uses--making possible complex multifinger gestures such as closing an application by "crumpling" it with several fingers, or playing polyphonic sounds on a virtual piano keyboard.
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Filed under: Future Tech, Gadgets, Mobile Phones
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Symbian's answer to App Store on the "Horizon"

Mats Lewan | Jul 17, 2009

Symbian, the world's dominant but seriously challenged operating system for smart phones, on Thursday announced its take on application distribution--the Symbian Horizon application-publishing platform.

Symbian compares the program, which it has hinted at before, to a book publisher or record label. It's a one-stop-shop for developers to reach a series of phone application stores--those offered by phone carriers and manufacturers--and get revenue in return. Horizon, scheduled to launch in October, will also offer assistance with technical development issues and language translation.

Symbian, which has been nonprofit since Nokia acquired the British company last year and created the Symbian Foundation, will not charge anything for the program.
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Filed under: Mobile Phones
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Virtually waterless washing machine coming soon

Mats Lewan | Jun 19, 2009

Nathan Wrench, program manager at Cambridge Consultants, holds the nylon beads used in Xeros' washing process. (Credit: Xeros)

Just a cup of water and a bit of detergent. That's all that needs to be added to a virtually waterless washing machine from British company Xeros that's poised to hit the North American market.

The dirty job is done by small nylon beads that pull stains off garments and lock them into the nylon's molecular structure. The beads don't even seem to suffocate easily--they can continue to absorb dirt over hundreds of washes.

The technology builds on research out of the UK's University of Leeds and has been applied in a concept washing machine with the help of Cambridge Consultants.

Now, after three years of testing, Xeros, a University of Leeds spinout (forgive the pun), has struck a deal with Kansas City-based GreenEarth Cleaning. It aims to start reselling Xeros washing machines throughout North America next year. (The concept device is being demonstrated Thursday at the Clean Show in New Orleans.)
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Filed under: Home Appliances
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Zeo "sleep coach" tracks your ZZZs and wakes you up

Mats Lewan | Jun 15, 2009

The Zeo bedside display shows you personal sleep information such as how long you really sleep each night, and how long it takes you to doze off. The headband sends personal sleep data wirelessly to the bedside display. (Credit: Zeo)

It seems like the market for alarm clocks and smart wake-you-up gadgets is getting more competitive than cell phones, MP3 players, and autos. But here's a new entry worth noting for those who already tried starting the day with the obnoxious Clocky, the Shocking Alarm Clock, the Philips Wake-Up Light, or even the Wake n' Bacon.

It's called Zeo, and it's a "personal sleep coach" that can give you data on the quantity, quality, and depth of your slumber. The product is being released now by Newton, Mass.-based Zeo, formerly known as Axon Labs, a Rhode Island startup.
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Filed under: Gadgets
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