In an effort to raise money for the Singapore Children's Cancer Foundation (CCF), HTC has teamed up with Singapore fashion designer Nic Wong to create four limited-edition HTC Touch handhelds. Titled Season of Hope, these devices are no different functionally from a regular Touch, but have unique designs on their surfaces in four different colors.
To be auctioned off on eBay starting tomorrow, all proceeds of the sale will go to the foundation, which provides services like financial assistance, counseling and organization of support groups, among others, to children who suffer from cancer.
If any of the designs tickle your fancy (we think the back looks better than the front) and you're in the market for an HTC Touch, this isn't a bad way to give to the charitable organization. You don't even have to be in Singapore to bid for it, though shipping will have to be factored in if you win and need it to be shipped overseas. For more information, check out HTC's special eBay page.
Avid gamers will know about the Triforce, a symbol from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series of video games. Now, without having to don a green costume and funny hat, you, too, will be able to wield the power of the Triforce. Pictured here is the Triforce pointer, a handy Swedish invention which replaces your stylus.
This plastic contraption at the end of a lanyard is an excellent idea. It's tied to your device so you can't lose it and looks pretty comfortable to use. We don't know where you can buy one, but it looks like something companies give out as swag during exhibitions. So start scouring those tech conventions if you really want one.
If you haven't already heard, a new Paris has been hogging the tech headlines lately. While the Paris (Hilton) we know so well (and too well from her sex tape exploits) is apparently turning over a new leaf, this other Paris is a rumored upcoming smart phone from Sony Ericsson.
According to an article on USEB a.k.a. the Unofficial Sony Ericsson Blog, the new handset codenamed Paris is said to be a slim slider with a large touchscreen display. The back of the phone is metallic, while a sliding lens cover protects a 5-megapixel camera sensor. It will sport multifunctional QWERTY keys much like Sony Ericsson's P1i touchscreen smart phone, and features standard Bluetooth and 3G as well as onboard Wi-Fi and GPS. Paris will run on the Symbian UIQ 3.3 platform, with Mobile Opera 9.5 Web browser and Google Maps also preinstalled.
From the blurry image (supposedly captured from a video) posted, this Paris reminds us of the LG Chocolate with its touch-sensitive directional keypad, though it does seem slightly wider and features a round navigation control instead of a square one.
As expected, our Sony Ericsson contact in Asia gave us a "no comments on future products" response when contacted about the Paris. That said, with the source coming from USEB which has proven to be fairly accurate with upcoming Sony Ericsson product releases, we have a feeling we'll be hearing more of Paris sooner than you can say Hilton.
UK-based wireless charging technology company Splashpower has gone out of business. In a press release, it cited the reason as being unable to secure funding, and is offering up the company for sale to interested parties.
About two months back, MWg announced it would be partnering with Splashpower to provide wireless charging for its products in the middle of this year. We contacted MWg to find out how this would affect its plans. As expected, MWg said it could not comment at this point as it is still discussing plans with Splashpower. We'll bring you more information as updates become available.
Current HTC TyTN II users got the good news that their devices will receive an official upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1. Now, here's the icing on the cake for potential owners--HTC has lowered the retail price to S$1,188, down from its original of S$1,348. This will come into effect tomorrow, so those who were planning to get one today, breathe a sigh of relief and wait one more day. Price cuts for the TyTN II have also been announced in Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, so if you are in one of those countries, check with your local HTC office for the new price.
Though we know HTC does this as a habit (reduce retail prices after a period on the market) for many of its products, it's uncanny that it came at a time when Samsung just released its SGH-i780, which trumps all other Windows Mobile PDA-phones for value at S$828. That's fine by us--let the companies duke it out, while consumers reap lower prices across the category.