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

Digg for the iPhone

What are iPhone applications going to look and feel like? We saw yesterday a simple shopping list application, and here's another one bound to be a big hit: Digg for the iPhone.

This "app," like others to come, is really just a Web site designed for the JavaScript in Safari, and for the iPhone's small screen. (It works in Firefox and IE, too). The interface employs the "fling" feature that Steve Jobs and the iPhone commercials show off: When you drag down a list with your fingertip (or mouse), and let go, it feels like the list has inertia. It keeps going for a little bit. It also "bounces" off the stops if you try to fling past the end of the list. It's very intuitive.

Wired's Cult of Mac blog says this interface is even better than the full Digg site. I think it's a little small for that, but it is a lot more fun to fling Digg than it is to just click.

The fact that iPhone apps sites can be built so fast is going to make it a great computing platform. In fact, what we thought was the product's great liability--a closed development environment that would keep the cellular network overloads happy--may turn out to be its greatest asset. By forcing development onto the browser, a million more products will bloom than if developers had to code new iPhone apps for the operating system beneath it.

Via CNET Crave

Porsche dials into the cell phone market

Porsche is well-known for designing sleek, fast, and expensive cars. But cell phones? On June 4, Porsche Design Group and electronics maker Sagem Communication unveiled the first cell phone to carry the Porsche name.

The P'9521 is made from aluminum and the type of glass used to make watch crystals, giving it a gleaming silver and black finish. In addition to a swivel screen, it features multimedia functions including a music player and video camera.

The device is slated to arrive later this year in overseas markets at specialty shops and Porsche Design stores that already sell the automaker's luxury luggage, sunglasses, and watches. US consumers will have to wait until 2008. No pricing has been disclosed.

	The P'9521 is by no means the smallest phone going, weighing 139g and measuring 91mm tall by 48mm wide by 18mm thick. Its uniqueness lies elsewhere: The casing is made from a solid aluminum block. Another unique material giving this device a different look is ìmineralî glass, often used to make scratch-resistant watch crystals.
	The screen features large icons to enable easy navigation through applications such as playing music and accessing the Web at high speeds. The phone is equipped with a fingerprint reader that can be used to authenticate the owner's identity before allowing access to applications or phone numbers.
	A double hinge made of aluminum allows the phone's 2.2-inch screen to be rotated 180 degrees. The screen itself is a so-called OLED, or organic light emitting diode, an emerging technology that's still rare in consumer electronics. This type of LED consumes far less battery power while providing even sharper resolution, brighter colors, and a better view from every angle.
	The 3.2-megapixel camera is equipped with autofocus and a flash. It can capture still photos as well as video. The swivel screen allows for easier self-portraits.
	The phone also features a full-size USB port that allows it to sync with both PCs and Macs. Charging takes 3 hours, but then the device is good for 3.5 hours of talk time or seven hours of music listening. The full-fledged MP3 player lets users create playlists and record audio clips.

Text and picture credits: BusinessWeek

Nokia's Wibree to merge with Bluetooth SIG

Remember Wibree? Nokia's ultra-low-power wireless technology for devices with very low battery capacities? Well, it will become part of the Bluetooth specification and is expected to debut in the first half of 2008.

That's anywhere between January 1 and June 30 provided there aren't delays of any sort.

Touted as the missing link to connect low-powered devices to commonplace gadgets like mobile phones and computers, it is possible to deploy Wibree in toys, watches and perhaps even pacemakers when the specification is finalized in 2008.

Will we see a deluge of "mini" Bluetooth devices next year? Most definitely.

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