The wait for Apple's iPhone continues

The wait for the iPhone to reach Asian shores is like the song that never ends--nerve-wreaking. Fret not. A Swedish company, Neonode, has an offer that could possibly tide us over meanwhile.

Okay, so the Neonode N2 is expected to be available in only European markets this spring and summer, but that doesn't mean it won't come to us eventually. In fact, any time before 2008 (when the iPhone descends in Asia) would be great.

At a glance, the N2 has its sights aimed at the Cupertino company's iPhone with a 2-inch, 176 x 220-pixel optical touchscreen display complete with the fancy finger gesture user navigation. The Neonode N2 is also a quadband phone with a 2-megapixel autofocus camera, MP3 playing facilities, Bluetooth connection and a miniSD expansion card slot.

So what do we good people have to do now? Simple. Wait patiently.

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Singapore to get 3D digital map

Two-dimensional maps are passé. Singapore users can expect full three-dimensional maps complete with realistic 3D rendering for their GPS devices in the second half of 2007. Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok to follow in 2008.

Tele Atlas, a global provider of digital maps and dynamic content, today gave a preview to the media how 3D GPS navigation will look like in the near future. Besides turn-by-turn instructions, these three-dimensional maps will display realistic 3D rendering of architecture and points of interests, right down to individual store fronts on the streets.

Mark Steel, APAC chief operating officer, and David Sym-Smith, chief marketing officer, both for Tele Atlas, also talked about the possible developments to the Global Positioning System (GPS) this afternoon. The press briefing also coincides with the opening of the company's regional headquarters in Singapore.

Here's a glimpse of what could happen. Running low on fuel? Voice prompts on the location of nearby petrol kiosks and which one offers a cheaper rate could help you save time and money. Looking for a parking lot? The map will show you the nearest carpark, how many empty lots it has, and where. Finally, when you step into a shopping mall, GPS signals will work seamlessly with GSM networks to provide continual coverage. With location-based services, it can also tell you which stores have the best bargains.

Mobile devices that are currently using Tele Atlas maps include the Nokia N95, E90 Communicator, 6110 Navigator and the BlackBerry 8800. The company also announced its partnership with BMW, which will see selected beemers sporting GPS maps provided by Tele Atlas in 2008.

Save lives, yours included, with a mobile phone

The next time anyone has a seizure, whip out your handheld for life-saving instructions.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has today launched its Ready Mobile service which provides a total of 15 emergency advisories in the form of .3gp video clips or text files.

Spanning a broad range of situations from chemical to biological and bomb threats, right down to cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) procedures, the SCDF aims to transform mobile phones into a portable reference tool for emergencies.

If you're on any of the three telcos (SingTel, M1 and StarHub), you can also stream the video clips to your 3G handheld.

One small step for technology, one giant leap in life saving?

SCDF Ready Mobile

Warner Music serenades Nokia with Paris Hilton

What's better than to have Paris Hilton wake us up every morning? At least, that's what we think might happen when the Finnish company partners Warner Music using the 5700 XpressMusic as a platform.

"This close partnership with Warner Music is allowing us to further improve the out-of-box experience for consumers in Singapore," said Chris Carr, general manager for Nokia Singapore in a press release statement. This will see three sets of video ringtones, soundtracks and wallpapers from artists such as Paris Hilton, P. Biddy (previously known as Puff Daddy) and Cassie preloaded into the music phone.

According to a Nokia spokesperson, the partnership with Warner Music is only for the Singapore audience, so if you're in the Philippines, for instance, you could be getting a different set of content. The new 5700 XpressMusic, which sports a dedicated audio chip for clearer audio playback, will be a benchmark for the XpressMusic line and is expected to be available this month.

Nokia's 5700 XpressMusic gets on the music highway

Dopod C500 to arrive in May

We first reported on the HTC Vox in our top 5 picks from 3GSM '07. This same smart phone will be branded the Dopod C500 in this region and come with Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard. This means the OS won't support touchscreen input, so it'll just have a regular 2.4-inch display. The good news is it has two input options--a numeric keypad under the display in portrait mode and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard when using the phone in landscape orientation. It also comes with Wi-Fi, though the lack of 3G is slightly disappointing.

The C500 will be available in Singapore and Malaysia from May. Pricing information is still unavailable. Read more here

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