Posts in Mobile Phones
'Zune phone' patent application: It ain't ZenZui
Caroline McCarthy, CNET News.com | Apr 24, 2007
Earlier this week, Microsoft filed what appeared to be a patent application for a smart phone interface, causing many a blog to begin speculating that maybe it was for a "Zune phone" (for better or for worse)--something that's been talked about for some time now.
The images in the application, showing a tiled graphical interface, definitely look somewhat iPhone-ish, and plenty of buzz arose that perhaps Microsoft was trying to develop an "iPhone killer."
The mysterious patent application image
(Credit: Mad4MobilePhones)
But a few sharp eyes (namely, those of our Microsoft guru Ina Fried) noticed that the interface also bore a striking resemblance to that of the software made by ZenZui, the Seattle-based mobile Web start-up that's using Microsoft's research labs to develop a "zoomable" user interface for smart phones. (Not to be confused with Deepfish, a "zoomable interface" browser developed by Microsoft Labs that aims to facilitate Web surfing on small screens.)
So we called up ZenZui to check it out. But company co-founder John SanGiovanni was quick to debunk the speculation: The patent application, he said, does not depict a "zoomable" interface and is unrelated to ZenZui's technology. As for what it actually was, he said he didn't know.
So maybe it is a "Zune phone." Or not. I suppose tiled interfaces are just rather hot right now.
Picture left is the ZenZui's tiled user interface. Credit: ZenZui
This article was first published on CNET News.com.
Qantas' in-flight texting on three-month trial
Damian Koh | Apr 19, 2007
In-flight mobile phone use may soon be a reality if the three-month trial on a Qantas Boeing 767 proves to be successful.
| Editors' note:
19 April 2007--CNET.com's Kent German wrote that Air France will join Qantas to implement a trial allowing passengers to use their mobile phones in the air. The French program will run for six months with the first three trial months for passengers to send text messages and emails only. For the last three months, they will be able to make voice calls as well. That makes Air France the first airline to allow in-flight calling from cell phones.
|
According to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald, Qantas is one of the first airlines to launch a program like this, with Emirates and Ryanair planning to follow suit later this year. The three-month trial will help the airline decide if the use of mobile phones onboard flights is possible in the near future.
Previous concerns were with handhelds emitting high power outputs to reach a distant base station, thus interfering with the aircraft's navigation and communication systems. British company, AeroMobile, has come up with a solution by installing a wire in the plane above the passengers' heads which acts as a base station cell so phone-to-base communication requires minimal power.
Passengers will be allowed to send only text messages and emails, and they won't know if they can use their mobiles until they board the flight. The company has no current plans to ban text alert tones, which can be very disruptive to other passengers.
A spokesman for Singapore Airlines said that the airline is not conducting any trials on the use of mobile phones onboard flights at the moment nor does it have any immediate plans to do so.
WiMax-enabled Nokias in 2008
Reuben Lee | Apr 18, 2007
The Finnish mobile phone maker recently announced in a press statement that it will be launching WiMax-enabled handsets early next year. According to news reports, Motorola is also expected to start selling phones with WiMax technology in 2008.
Nokia will join Intel, Motorola and Samsung in supporting the open network standard that allows wireless broadband access from mobile devices over long distances. WiMax, which also stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is expected to make wireless broadband much cheaper to implement than the current 3G networks.
Toshiba announces 16GB flash memory chip
Donald Bell, CNET.com | Apr 18, 2007
Toshiba announced today that they have created a 16GB flash memory chip intended for consumer products such as cell phones and MP3 players.
This is the highest capacity NAND flash memory chip to date, doubling the existing ceiling of 8GB. The 16GB chip is set to ship in the Fall of this year (just in time to make Apple's flash memory-based 8GB iPhone seem cramped).
The chip is designed around eight 2GB chips and boasts a copy speed of 6 MB/sec, with a 15 MB/sec read speed. Expect a wave of tiny 16GB flash MP3 players for the holidays.
This article was orginally published on CNET Crave.
Cell phones help reduce traffic accidents!
Kevin Massy, CNET.com | Apr 18, 2007
We've heard plenty of stories recently about how cell phones can visit all manner of disasters on the human race, from rendering us infertile to burning our houses down, not to mention the death and destruction that they wreak on the roads.
So it's about time we got a good news story about the world's favorite gadget. Nissan announced today that it is working on a program that will enable cell phones to communicate with their cars in order to reduce the risk of the pedestrians being knocked down. Nissan's Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) uses 3G cellular communications networks to collect GPS data on the position of mobile-phone wielding pedestrians in relation to cars on the road. If the system detects that a pedestrian is directly in the path of a vehicle, it will alert the driver of a potential accident by activating a visual or audible warning in the cabin.
The pedestrian-location system is part of a wider trial of new technologies that Nissan is conducting in partnership with Japanese wireless company NTT Docomo in Kanagawa prefecture near Tokyo, so don't expect it to be available on your next Sentra. If the technology does make it to production, however, it raises some interesting questions about the idea of banning gadgets in order to protect pedestrians from traffic accidents.
Via CNET Crave
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