Office Mobile to come as an optional download?

Heard from a Microsoft representative at the recent Motorola Q 9h launch in Singapore. According to the source, smart phone users will be able to download the Office Mobile application and run it alongside whatever Office viewer/reader already preinstalled in the device. We even had a demo of a Q 9h unit with both the Documents To Go (which is the default Office application for the handset) and Office Mobile installed. We were told that this standalone version of the Office Mobile, which will support the latest Office 2007 files, is expected to be available as an optional download from Microsoft before the end of this year.

There was no mention of whether the Office Mobile download will be available for other versions of the Windows Mobile 6 (WM6) OS other than the Standard edition for smart phones. Nor could we get a fix on the price for the Office Mobile download.
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Charm your dates with Thrrum

It's always good to impress your gal the old fashioned way with wads of cash or a swanky new ride. But today's women want their men to be well-informed and well-read. That's where Thrrum steps in to help sweep your date off her feet with your amazing knowledge.

Here's how we imagine the scenario. You're out to impress your partner at a posh restaurant and you're at a loss which tipple to order. Now pretend to scrutinize the wine list while pointing the camera on your phone at the name of the alcoholic beverage. With a click of a button, you'll get relevant information, prices and more on the Thrrum Visual Browser.

What's the catch? The software costs US$5.99 and that includes 12 months of access to the camera-phone search service powering the Visual Browser. Currently, it works only on the Nokia N73, N95 and select Sony Ericsson models such as the K810, K850 and T650. You'll also need to have a wireless data service plan from your telco operator.

Now, go on, impress your date with your newfound knowledge.

Via CNET Crave
Picture credit: Thrrum

Is this the new Windows Treo?

The designs of the Treo 500v and Palm Centro are quite different from the previous lineup, including the Treo 750 and Treo 680 PDA-phones. It's therefore not far-fetched to imagine that Palm will introduce a new Windows Mobile device to succeed the 750 and in a new form factor, too. Well, over at the TreoCentral forums, someone claims to have seen the new 800w (second from left in image), a device meant for use on CDMA networks.

According to the source, the new Treo will run Windows Mobile 6 Professional, has a proprietary connector (yucks) and, get this, will come with built-in Wi-Fi. If that is true, it will finally mark the end of Palm's dogged stubbornness not to include Wi-Fi in its PDA-phones.

Even if the 800w is real, a CDMA is useless for our region. But going by Palm's pattern, a GSM version will follow. It's all speculation now, so let's wait and see how it pans out.

Via TreoCentral

Battery powered cell phone

My word, when was the last time a battery-powered cell phone made it to market? That said, Sanyo's cell-based cellular bucks the traditional look for a cylindrical cannister design that sports braille-like keys and probably looks as awkward talking on as the Nokia N-Gage was. Dressed in that signature Cupertino white we all love, this is one phone that knuckles down to barebone basics in order to wring the most charge out of a single AA Sanyo Eneloop battery. So no 3G, no camera, no MP3 player, no SMS, and not even an LCD screen!

The end result is a battery life that's touted to last a good 5 hours of yaktime and 250 hours on standby.

Did we also mention that this runs only on Willcom's PHS network in Japan? Ah well.

Via Japan Today

Living up to the Ultimate name

i-mate is not the most famous of brands when we talk about handhelds, but the Dubai-based company created quite a buzz a few months back when it introduced the Ultimate series of PDA-phones. Such an audacious-sounding name needs to be backed up, and i-mate did have impressive specs for its announced 8150 and 6150 devices.

Fast forward to today and we have yet to see the PDA-phones in the market. And we all know that a few months in this industry is a lifetime--specs and features that were cutting-edge become old really fast. Thankfully, i-mate seems to have an answer. It has introduced two more in the series with feature lists that still manage to wow. These are the 9502 and 8502 PDA-phones, both with QWERTY keyboards.

The form factor of these two devices may not be for everyone, but power users must certainly give it a second look. Besides more common features like HSDPA, Wi-Fi and GPS, these two also come with HSUPA for fast uploads over the cellular network. Like the 8150 before them, they also come with a video-out connector for doing presentations, too.

Let's just hope we don't have to wait too long for the devices to hit the market. Read on for more information about the new Ultimates, and decide for yourself if they live up to the title.

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