Charge your phone batteries via USB

Here's a nifty solution for those who are just too lazy to carry an extra USB cable or AC adapter to charge their mobile phones. UK-based firm Moixa Energy has posted on its Web site an upcoming rechargeable phone battery that comes with a built-in USB connector. Called USBCell, this battery can be plugged directly into the USB port for charging. The best part is, you don't even need to remove the battery from the phone. The onboard wired connector can be extended to hook up with the USB port.

According to the manufacturer, the USBCell will be available for portable devices ranging from mobile phones and BlackBerries to digital cameras. The company has already launched an AA-sized Ni-MH rechargeable battery version of the USBCell with built-in USB port connector. A two-cell pack of USBCells is currently available online for 12.99 pounds (US$24.50). (Click here for larger images of the USBCell and USBCell charging in a Sony Ericsson W800i)

Nokia to announce new N-series handsets?

Well, we are not sure about it and Nokia's not talking, either, but according to the Finnish mobile maker's invitation card to its Open Studio/ Music Connects event in Manila next week, this seems to hint at new N-series handsets. Our best bet, if there are indeed new additions to the family is the much-alluded-to N95 on blog sites, which is rumored to sport a 5-megapixel camera, Carl Zeiss lens, 4GB hard drive, and which runs on the Series 60 Symbian OS and can record video, just like the N93.

We'll also be expecting to see some music-related announcements at the Manila showcase, be it new music phones, audio applications or song download services.

Hi ho, SLVR, away!

Ok, so this isn't fresh news anymore. The recent Motorola roadshow, showcasing the KRZR, RIZR and MOTOFONE, has been overshadowing all else to the point that the press release only finally went out to the media a whole month after. Still, better late than never.

So for fans of the L-series who may or may not have noticed a new color in town, the SLVR L7 has undergone a paint job. No surprises there, since Motorola is simply continuing its by-now recognized tradition of doling out popular models in different colors at intervals.

What's surprising is that the color is anything but electric, as has been the American company's wont recently (examples being the Bubblegum Pink L6 and the Beckham-endorsed red RAZR.

Instead, Motorola has reverted back to basics, with the SLVR L7 now offered in, well, silver.

Touch-up aside, the new SLVR L7 retains the same ultraslim frame that packs in a digital audio player, Bluetooth connectivity, email, VGA camera, 262K-color TFT screen and a microSD card slot.

What's new is the addition of SCREEN3, a solution which sees Motorola partnering M1 to provide consumers a one-click access to news, sports, entertainment, and other premium content. To subscribe, consumers have to activate a channel such as Financial Times, Channel NewsAsia, MTV Mobbed or Soundbuzz. Registration and subscription are free, but standard GPRS charges apply the moment users click the "More" button that links them to MiWorld Mobile.

Owners of older SLVR models can upgrade their sets to have SCREEN3 at the Motorola Service Centre at #B2-23, Plaza Singapura, or via Motorola's Web site.

Samsung unveils new card-sized phone

Following the success of the SGH-P300 (also known as the "Card Phone"), the Korean mobile phone maker has recently announced a successor model called the SGH-P310. Expected in Europe in late September, followed by Southeast Asia in late October this year, the new card-sized model will come with several cosmetic enhancements over the previous model, including an improved keypad design and a touch-sensor navigation control. (Editors' note: Samsung has confirmed that the SGH-P310 will be launching in Singapore in November.)

Interestingly, despite a thinner 8.5mm girth, Samsung has managed to pack yet more new and improved features into the tiny triband unit. Besides a larger 1.9-inch LCD display, the SGH-P310 also sports a higher-resolution 2-megapixel camera and a microSD memory expansion slot. Other onboard features include video recording and playback, TV-out, PictBridge and Bluetooth printing.

KRZR goes on sale Sep 16; others in Q4

Motorola today announced at a launch event that the much-anticipated KRZR K1 will be available in stores in Singapore from 16 September. The mobile phone maker also confirmed that the other upcoming handsets which includes the RIZR slider, Moto FONE, W220, RAZR V3xx and RAZR maxx will be expected in the fourth quarter of 2006. Two new Bluetooth headsets, the H670 and H800, will be introduced later this year, too.

While there is no word on whether the Moto FONE will make it to Singapore, a company representative has not ruled out the possibility of launching this basic candy-bar phone in the island state.

Built based on the trademark clamshell design of the RAZR, the quadband-enabled KRZR sports an overall smaller form factor (narrower in width but slightly longer in length) than its popular predecessor but ironically weighs a little heftier. Some of its key features include a 2-megapixel camera, expandable microSD memory and stereo Bluetooth support. Click here for more information on the upcoming Motorola handsets.

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