The bone conducting headset

Headsets that allow call pickups via bone conduction? NTT DoCoMo's Sound Leaf makes sure that the hearing impaired won't be too left out.

How does it work? Basically once linked to the handset, users can talk by placing the receiver supposedly anywhere on the scalp. You don't need to put the speaker to the ear but, of course, somewhere closeby is recommended. Clearly this will help those who can't hear too well.

The Sound Leaf weighs 52g, is powered by two AAA batteries which can last for about 25 hours of talking. This nifty device was released in the Japanese market in summer 2006 but no information was given as to when we'll see it released elsewhere. This handset retails for ¥8,000 (US$65).

More images of Sound Leaf:


More CommunicAsia 2007 coverage here.

You can gab on that iPhone for 8 hours

According to Apple, you can ditch your fears over the rumor that the iPhone has 45 minutes of talktime. The company announced Monday that the much-anticipated handset will ship with much better battery life than was expected when it was first announced in January. The iPhone will finally be released, as you probably already know, in the US only on June 29.

The numbers from Apple? The company had initially anticipated that the iPhone battery would allow 5 hours of talktime (though rumors around the blogosphere suggested it was actually much less than that). But now Apple is boasting that it'll last a full 8 hours with a whopping 250 hours of standby time. Apple is also saying that you'll alternately be able to enjoy 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback, or 24 hours of audio playback. That's twice as long as the ultra-efficient iPod shuffle.


A comparison chart from Apple pitting the iPhone against its rivals. (Click to see more comparisons)
Additionally, the touchscreen of the iPhone has been upgraded from plastic to optical glass to make it clearer and more scratch-proof. So, with that and the extended battery life, maybe you can take your iPhone on wilderness excursions.

locr geotags your photos; shows nearby pictures

To know when a particular picture was taken, we simply refer to the date and time usually included with the snap. That's old boring stuff and so Web 1.0. locr's GPS Photo application for Symbian devices takes things a little further by also letting you know where you took that picture.

By using geotags, longitude and latitude coordinates are saved into the EXIF data of the images. Once the photo is uploaded onto locr's community Web site, relevant descriptions will be automatically added to the picture from Wikipedia. And in line with all the Web 2.0 buzz about sharing, users can also view photos taken in the vicinity by other people on the handset.

To make all these happen, you'll need either a handset with a built-in GPS chip (for example, the Nokia N95, 6110 Navigator and the upcoming E90 Communicator) or an external Bluetooth GPS adapter.

The locr GPS Photo application is currently available as a free download online. It works on Symbian S60 2nd and 3rd edition devices. According to the company, it also plans to release a version for Windows Mobile in the near future.

More CommunicAsia 2007 coverage here.

CommunicAsia 2007 returns tomorrow

CommunicAsia 2007 (June 19 to 22), which is held annually in Singapore, certainly has a long lineage with its first biannual show in 1979. And it's large, too.

The organizers claim it's the biggest of its kind in Asia. Spread over six halls, with a gross exhibition area of 47,000sqm, it's kind of a wonderland for people who can go gaga over mobile phones. Technophobes certainly are not welcomed.

While some vendors have already announced their new mobile phone lineups for 2007 even before the show started, we're expecting to hear more initiatives and breaking news to be delivered at the almost week-long event.

For news, pictures and videos from the show floor of the sleekest handsets to come in Asia, stay updated here.

More CommunicAsia 2007 coverage here.

The iPhone requires an iTunes Store account

One of the first things you'll need to do with your new iPhone is register with the iTunes Store in order to activate the handset.

Apple revealed the requirement in an email sent Tuesday to those who had registered to receive email updates on the TMHGIH (The Most Hyped Gadget In History). Presumably, most of the iPhone early adopters will be Apple devotees with current iTunes Store accounts, but for those who don't have an account already, have your credit card ready during the iPhone setup process.

Why would Apple do this? For one thing, iTunes is the application that will handle email syncing between the iPhone and a Mac or PC, so registering the device with the iTunes Store might make it possible to wirelessly sync email. But it also gives Apple a way to promote iTunes in front of iPhone users who might also sign up for a Media Max account from AT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone. Usually the carrier controls the services available on a phone, but Apple appears to want that software and services relationship all to itself.

Via CNET Crave

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