Mobile Devices

Posted Feb 6th 2008 8:29AM by Paul Miller
Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming
That didn’t take long. A mere day after the release of Nokia’s N-Gage First Access gaming preview exclusively to N81 users, the app has been cracked open to work with any N-series device with enough horsepower. The hack was performed by Nokia regular P@sco, and comes in a convenient downloadable form, or an only slightly involved guide to hacking the app yourself. No rocket science here, and while we’re sure Nokia could easily fight back, what we’ve really got to ask ourselves is why didn’t Nokia just open it to everyone in the first place?

[Thanks, Michael J.]

Joiku from Finland has made available hotspot capabilities on the S60 platform - something Windows Mobile users have had for some time now. Known as JoikuSpot Light, this application will turn your S60-powered handset into a portable HSDPA-backed Wifi hotspot. It is currently in the public beta phase, and so far no major problems have been unearthed. Limitations include the lack of an encrypted access point, letting all and sundry to hook up to your hotspot. Hopefully future iterations will see WEP/WPA support. Unless you have an unlimited data plan, I’d suggest giving this a miss. The best part of this news is, JoikuSpot Light is free, so all you Scrooges out there can rejoice. It currently supports WiFi-enabled Nokia handsets only (N95, N93i, N91, N02, N80, E90, E70, E61i, E61 and E51).

Guess we were right after all - the specifications on the HTC Magnum look a wee bit too far out for belief, and that has been proven true. The HTC Magnum has been revealed to be in the same class as the Shroud of Turin - a hoax and nothing more. Apparently, the photos and videos you have seen online actually consisted of a 20″ HP LCD display hooked up to a HTC X7500 Advantage.

Looks like after closing down its US operations, Disney Mobile will be taking its business to the far east - Japan, in particular. Disney Mobile will work with Softbank to offer co-branded cell phones including the Disney Mobile DM001SH that is in essence, a rebranded Sharp 821SH. Other than the cosmetic changes, everything else inside remains the same including 3G connectivity, a 2 megapixel camera, a 400 x 200 display, 1Seg mobile TV support and FeliCa. It will come in eye-popping colors like “Shiny Silver,” “Sparkling Pink,” and “Glittering Gold”.

So, you’re toting around that souped up laptop that is more capable than a desktop when it comes to playing the latest games? Unfortunately, you had better find a spot nearby to a power outlet if you’re going to extract more than an hour’s worth of battery life from such a laptop as they’re amazing power guzzlers. A group of researchers at MIT has managed to developed a new chip that requires extremely little power, allowing it to enable sensors, communications devices and different gadgets on a combination of body heat and movement alone. While that is a long way off from powering a computer, just imagine what further research into this theory could yield.

The alliance of Purple Labs and NXP Semiconductors is perhaps going to benefit those waiting for a cheaper but feature-studded stylish cellphone with both coming together with a new Linux-based 3G handset called the Purple Magic 3G, which is likely to cost below$100. Isn’t it amazing? Using this handset you can enjoy video telephony, music playback, high-speed Internet surfing and video streaming, even. Withal the handset runs on a single ARM926 processor core and 3.5G multimedia. Based on Nexperia Cellular System Solution 7210 for 3G and accompanied by the Purple Lab Linux Suite, this handset is a, indeed, a thing you can rely and enjoy!

[Source]

Kanguru has dropped their new KanguruDefender Pro drive which are available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities and come in red, green, blue, tan and yellow. The drive also features hardware AES encryption,along with a tamper-proof aluminum casing and password-protection.The drives will be going for $65, $85, or $130 depending on the capacity.
[Source]

Not sure where to begin with this post to be honest as it seems so way out in left field that I find it hard to believe, but researchers at the University of Washington “have developed a contact lens with the potential to project a telephone display directly on to the retina.” That means that in the future rather than pick up a text message of your mobile phone you could just “stare intently at a projected image in front of your eyes.”

“Our goal is to integrate a display which can do everything that an iPhone or computer does now – but in front of your eye. A user could manipulate the document by blinking or by using his voice.” said Babak Parviz, Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington

As someone that wears contact lenses from time to time I am both intrigued and slightly alarmed by this - especially when they expand the use to “monitor chemical levels in the body”, probably a good thing for sugar levels and diabetes etc. but not to sure that I want a lens telling me when I am drunk, although to be fair my eyes tend to tell me that already I guess.

Looks like there is still some way to go with the testing though which is good news as sticking anything that close to your eye that carries a functioning circuit must generate some heat. Still the potential is endless - night vision for soldiers, training information for service personal etc.

As I said pretty futuristic and hard to believe, but fascinating at the same time.

Via [The Times]

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Posted Feb 5th 2008 5:41PM by Joshua Topolsky
Filed under: Cellphones
We’re not really sure what to make of this supposed HTC “Magnum” that’s been doing the rounds today. Sure, it looks like a gigantic, touchscreen HTC phone — but we’d be hard-pressed to say this has any use outside of demo purposes and party time hijinks. Our guess is that this is a hilarious prank meant to thrill the interblogs, but it is possible that HTC has decided to move away from the tried-and-true handheld market to a more robust, manly line of products. Like a participant in a cat-fight, we won’t “go there” on the specs, suffice to say, they make it sound really, really real. Check the video after the break to see the “phone” doing its thing, Ten Commandments-style.

Update: Yep, not real.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

They say that necessity is the mother of all invention, and it could not be any truer for Australian Kevin Barr who realized that there is actually a need for purpose-built eye protection for folks involved in the extreme water sport market, and hence his brainchild in starting Barz Optics. This company kickstarted an innovation process that has not looked back since its humble beginnings, offering a wide range of products that help keep your eyes safe no matter what extreme sport you are involved in, protecting against a variety of elements such as wind, salt, water, dust, sand and glare.

Other than sports, Barz Optics eyewear have also seen action all over the world and is currently being used by special forces who have been posted to the thirsty deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan. Extreme water sports enthusiasts who laugh in the face of danger while engaged in PWC racing, Kitesurfing, Sailboarding, Water Skiing and Wake Boarding will also find the Barz Optics range of glasses handy. This company is currently seeking out international distributors in order to make a name for itself throughout the world.

In order to tempt buyers, Barz Optics has just released its latest pair of sunglasses that combines polarized sunglasses lenses along with non-polarized optical quality +1.5, +2.0 and +2.5 reading lenses, allowing those with poorer vision to be able to read important stuff like maps and road signs without missing a beat. Since polarization has been excluded, it will be even easier to read digital instrumentation, cell phones, PDAs, GPS navigation systems, and digital watches among others. Retailing for nearly $70, I’m happy to say that the price point does not make it out of reach for everyday folk who love outdoor and extreme sports. What kind of sunglasses are you rocking to?

Source: Gizmag