Excuse me, your ring is ringing...

Talk about giving someone a ring. Literally. That is if said person was wearing one of Nokia's Icon Handsfree Kits for good measure. We've no word yet from the local office if this upcoming Finnish creation will see light of day in this part of Asia. But it's hip enough to show up on our radar. Hopefully, the sticker price won't be too much of a shock.


Meanwhile, if the Nokia Icon nudges at your memory box, that's because it resembles the 7280 in color and styling, and is, in fact, meant to work with it (via Bluetooth). However, the Icon is a darn sight more versatile when it comes to accessorizing.

For one, the rubberized pair of thumb rings and wristband set come with interchangeable sections for mix-and-match customization. For another, the kit not only features a duochromatic OLED screen which displays SMS, incoming calls and graphics, it also doubles as a watch. Argentine designer Manuel López Revol clearly has high fashion taste.

In terms of operation, when a caller rings in, the wristband will flash messages from the handset. The ring will also glow in different colors of red or white to alert you when you get a message or a call.

For potential fun and fashion, this one gets our Icon-ized thumbs up.

Palm adds Wi-Fi to future Treos

Better late than never. The US-based PDA manufacturer is finally setting its sights on the seven-year-old wireless networking technology, citing high battery drain for previous no-shows. In an interview with Washington Post in May, Palm CEO Ed Colligan reiterated the importance of Wi-Fi and the company's plans to introduce such onboard capability in its future lineup of Treo Smartphones. He stopped short of providing specifics such as a product roadmap and release dates.

However, thanks to a leaked document from Palm's partner Cingular Wireless, the first Wi-Fi-enabled Treo may come in the form of a 3G smart phone under the codename Lennon. Networking aside, the upcoming Lennon is also rumored to be equipped with Windows Mobile 5.0 and a 1.3-megapixel camera.

More Cyber-shot phone details unveiled

Sony Ericsson has finally announced the launch date and pricing details of its much-anticipated Cyber-shot phone. According to the company, the K800i will be available in handset outlets around Singapore from July 20, at a recommended retail price of S$938 (or S$798 with a two-year contract). The 3G-enabled phone has already been launched in Indonesia and will be introduced across other parts of Asia over the next few weeks.

At a preview event held this evening for local press, Sony Ericsson also confirmed that the K790i, which is the non-3G version of the K800i, will not be sold in Singapore, but will be available in selected Asian markets. Both the K790i and K800i, the company's first handsets under the Cyber-shot branding, were first announced in March this year. They feature a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus and 16x digital zoom, Xenon flash (viz-a-viz an LED photolight), active lens cover and a built-in image stabilizer. The highlight on both camera-phones, though, is Sony Ericsson's proprietary imaging technology BestPic, which aims to help users capture the desired image.

Palm to pull the plug on LifeDrive?

A rumor has been circulating on several Web sites that handheld maker Palm has stopped production of its LifeDrive PDA. However, Marlene Somsak, Palm's vice president of Corporate Communications, has reportedly debunked the rumors, saying the company will continue to produce LifeDrive devices. Who to believe? Well, we've contacted Palm Singapore and should be able to give you an update soon.

The LifeDrive is Palm's first PDA to be branded under the Mobile Manager line, and is possibly the only handheld with an onboard 4GB hard drive. Launched in the first half of 2005, it was a revolutionary handheld that many people thought would put the company back in contention with its Windows Mobile rivals. However, it has so far not been able to create the kind of expected impact on the PDA market.

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