Mobile Devices

The SurfaceSound Compact may be simply another bluetooth car speakerphone on paper, but its interface and design has definitely grabbed our attention. The visor-mounted SurfaceSound connects to your phone after the microphone is pulled down into position. This simple, tactile method of activation is superior to the usual button press and would make speakerphone usage easier to become a habit.galleryPost(’bluetrekss’, 3, ”);

Though the $100 MSRP seems steep, it’s on par with other bluetooth devices at launch. The SurfaceSound Compact has a rechargeable battery rated for 15 hours of talk time or 22 days of standby, and features Bluetooth 1.2 connectivity. We just hope Bluetrek and Contour Design have paid equal attention to sound quality, as now we need devices like this to stay legal. [Product Page via iLounge]

We all knew that Sony Ericsson would be expanding their PlayNow over the air music service and dub it PlayNow arena (and no, for whatever reason “arena” is not capitalized). Today it’s official, and as expected, Sony Ericsson has added TrackID to the service, allowing users to ID and snag songs off of radio broadcasts.

But in addition, PlayNow arena will have 5 million new songs added to their old library through agreements with Sony BMG (of course), Warner Music Group, EMI, The Orchard, IODA, The PocketGroup, Hungama, X5 Music, Bonnier Amigo and VidZone. That’s a lot of music to add for a day’s work…especially when you consider iTunes’ library is just 6 million songs or so.

For all the details, we’ve posted the full press release after the jump.

Sony Ericsson expands PlayNow(TM) arena with 5 million new tracks

Signs deals with 10 major record labels to broaden content offer and bring enhanced PlayNow(TM) service to consumers

Cannes, France - 27th January - Sony Ericsson today unveiled the next stage in the evolution of PlayNow(TM) arena, its popular over-the-air (OTA) download service. At the MIDEM conference in Cannes, Sony Ericsson announced deals with 10 major record labels, adding over 5 million new tracks to its extensive catalogue. Sony Ericsson also unveiled the design and URL for PlayNow(TM) arena and launched PlayNow(TM) Uncut, (formerly M-Buzz(TM)) a music promotional space for new, unsigned and developing artists.

Record label partnerships

Today Sony Ericsson announced partnerships with 10 of the largest international and regional music labels including: Sony BMG, Warner Music Group, EMI, The Orchard, IODA, The PocketGroup, Hungama, X5 Music, Bonnier Amigo and VidZone, adding over 5 million new tracks to PlayNow(TM) arena. Sony Ericsson is currently negotiating further deals with a host of regional labels to further broaden the variety of music available and bring a wealth of localised content direct to the consumer.

Sony Ericsson introduced PlayNow(TM) in February 2004 as the easiest way to pre-listen and then purchase polyphonic ringtones directly to your phone. The service has proved a hit with consumers and is now available in 32 countries around the world, with annual free and premium downloads through both PlayNow and Fun & Downloads having reached more than 200 million. Since launch, the scope of the service has expanded to mirror the functionality of Sony Ericsson’s phones to include mastertones (MP3 ringtones), games, full music tracks, themes and wallpapers. In November 2007 Sony Ericsson announced its intention to further develop its PlayNow(TM) service with PlayNow(TM) arena, offering access to a greatly expanded range of content and combining the power of the PlayNow(TM) catalogue with unique applications like TrackID(TM), which identifies songs and allows them to be downloaded directly to your phone or PC.

Speaking at the Sony Ericsson event at MIDEM in Cannes, Sony Ericsson’s Executive Vice President, Anders Runevad, presented the enhanced PlayNow(TM) arena service and emphasised the importance of industry partnerships delivering digital content and an unparalleled multimedia experience:

“We are delighted to announce deals with such high calibre record labels. This will help realise our vision for PlayNow(TM) arena as a service that will be developed in collaboration with our partners. Our commitment is to work with the industry to ensure we are building an experience-based and intuitive content delivery platform, enabling the development of an ecosystem that provides a unique experience for the consumer and a business model where everybody prospers.”

With mobile games remaining a key focus, Sony Ericsson has also added 250 new games through existing deals with leading games manufactures such as EA Games, Gameloft, THQ, Glu, Digital Chocolate and I-Play. Sony Ericsson users download more games to their phones than users of any other mobile phone brand*. These deals take another step in cementing its number one position in the mobile games market.

PlayNow(TM) Uncut

PlayNow(TM) Uncut (previously know as M-BUZZ(TM)) is a pro motional space for breaking new and emerging artists via Sony Ericsson’s product, content and marketing channels. PlayNow(TM) Uncut showcases selected, pre viously unreleased tracks, videos, artwork, interviews, tour dates and other artist information on Sony Ericsson mobile phones and the web at www.playnow-uncut.com.

The rebranding and alignment with PlayNow(TM) opens up new channel opportunities for artists and enables the site to target consumers worldwide, including the United States of America for the first time. With an international reach, the service has always been about presenting the best new talents from around the world, whatever their style or native language. Apart from the current streaming possibilities, the highest rated and most listened to tracks will be made available for sale in the music section of PlayNow(TM) arena. For artists, this will add revenue possibilities to the already extensive promotional benefits of appearing there.

One Arena. Unlimited experiences

“The PlayNow(TM) arena is an open environment that offers something for everyone. We see PlayNow(TM) Uncut as the edgy version, whilst the PlayNow(TM) music section is more a case of familiarity, giving consumers something they know and are already comfortable with. Consumer experience is our absolute priority and we will continue to develop PlayNow(TM) arena as a service that appeals to all consumer segments and lifestyle trends,” said Martin Blomkvist, Head of Content Acquisition & Management at Sony Ericsson.

The PlayNow(TM) arena will be brought directly to the consumer at: www.playnow-arena.com

The PlayNow(TM) arena will launch in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland in May 2008 with more European markets to come at the end of Q2 2008 and further expansion in Europe, Americas and Asia during Q3 and Q4. Sony Ericsson predicts that the PlayNow(TM) arena will be active in close to 30 markets by the end of 2008.

TrackID(TM)

The growth in popularity of the TrackID(TM) application has rocketed around the globe, presently recording more than 200,000 hits per day equal to more than two each second, a figure that has doubled in the last three months. TrackID(TM) will be an integral part of the PlayNow(TM) arena experience, offering an instant way to first hear a track - for example, in a coffee shop or on the radio - and then get it to your phone and PC. The PlayNow(TM) arena itself will feature TrackID(TM) Charts, created by consumers in real time using TrackID(TM) around the world. This will allow consumers to see what songs other users are searching for and wanting to hear the most, both globally and in their own market.

Sony Ericsson at Midem 2008

Sony Ericsson will be showcasing its PlayNow(TM) arena music store as well as demonstrating its latest handsets and accessories at booth R31.01 at Midem 2008 in Cannes, France.

Bell is currently running a new promotion, offering four BlackBerry 8703e smartphones with the purchase of either a BlackBerry 8830 World Edition or BlackBerry Pearl 8130 smartphone. This offer also extends to sharing the monthly data plans, for an additional $20 per user the data plans can be shared. The data plans range in size from 4MB per month for $25 up to 1GB per month for $100. This buy-one-get-four offer is available through March 31, 2008.

Read [Bell] Via [WirelessInfo.com]

According to Wikipedia’s entry on world population, there are about 6.6 billion people on Earth. According to market research firm, Strategy Analytics, 1.1 billion cell phones were sold in 2007. That means, that assuming that no one had a mobile before, 1/6 of the people in the world would now have one. Of course, that’s not the case, and it’s pretty easy to assume that well over that number currently have cell phones. Pretty amazing. It wasn’t that long ago (early 90s) that cell phones were these heavy brick-sized devices that sat in your car and were hardly portable. We’ve certainly come a long way.

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The ad featured below almost makes me wish I was a farmer. Almost. Personally, I would drive the Valtra Revolution everywhere and after you watch the video, you will see why. I want one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUNKnmbfcHM

[via Fresh Creation]

Levitating Sports Concepts - Incredible Anti Gravity Sports Ball

Amazing anti-gravity sports objects float in mid-air! Computer-controlled levitation ? operates with ease Dynamic design looks great on a desk, mantle or in a den A must for the sports or tech enthusiast! An Incredible conversation piece

Technorati Tags: Toys 4 Boys

I’m still hesitant to shell out $399 for an iPhone, but Case-Mate’s Diamond Case makes me appreciate my frugality even more. Because, how could I rationalize spending $399 on my iPhone and then not protect it with a $20,000 case?

It’s handcrafted with 42 diamonds (3.5 carats) set in 18K gold; the diamonds are VVS1 clarity and H color. To protect the diamonds and gold is the Diamond Case, crafted of Carbon Fiber leather “previously available only in high end after-market cars (Techart Porsche) and very high end cell phones (Vertu).” As the site explains, quantities are “extremely limited.”

My favorite part? - the link on the site for “Customer Testimonials.” Um, yeah, there are none to date. But, if you submit yours, you’ll be entered into a contest to win a $25 gift certificate, which basically means that you can buy yourself a small meal after you drop the initial $20k.

I wonder . . . shipping included?

Price: $20,000 at casemate.com.

Posted Jan 27th 2008 11:33AM by Joshua Topolsky
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
Good news, everyone! According to reports, a US spy satellite which has lost power and propulsion is weeks or even months away from striking Earth. Officials say that the space junk — which can now no longer be controlled and could contain hazardous materials — is due to come smashing into some location on our planet’s surface, but they can’t really say where. “Numerous satellites over the years have come out of orbit and fallen harmlessly. We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause,” said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the Nation Security Council. Government agencies are still considering options such as shooting down the stray equipment, though they say they’d be just as happy to let the potentially radioactive / alien-filled hunk of metal crash into a small village in a developing country.

While we’ve already been impressed by Lexus’ self-parking car, we’re even more intrigued by a good omni directional wheel design. We’re not certain of the source behind this video, but whoever worked on this project really needs to get in touch with Ford, Honda and our insurance adjuster ASAP. Just imaging the perfectly round donuts you could create with a full-sized version…or how much more fulfilling cutting off that jackass in the other lane at a 90-degree angle would be. [uberreview]

Who would’ve thunk? A month after Christmas, retail-priced Wiis are still pretty much sold out everywhere. And while ours sits in our entertainment center gathering dust, many others still only own Wiis in their hearts, hopes and dreams.

The moral of the story? Apparently those who scored a Wii in Gamestop’s Wii Raincheck offer weren’t so foolish for plunking down $250 upfront to receive their console one month later. Just as Alanis Morissette warned us back in the 90’s: you live, you learn. [i4u]