Mobile

Mobile phones are on the verge of becoming powerful tools to collect data on many issues, ranging from global health to the environment.
Computer scientists at the University of Washington have used Android, the open source mobile operating system championed by Google, to turn a cell phone into a versatile data-collection device. Organizations that want a [...]

Mobile phone owners make similar mistakes to physically impaired computer users when using the technology, according to new research from The University of Manchester.
The first set of results from research funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) indicates that many able-bodied people make the same errors — and with similar frequencies — [...]

We would love to call the Z9 an innovative, new cell phone, but that wouldn’t be quite right. Unfortunately for Motorola, the company is still stuck in its past and can’t let go of its RAZR days of success. A single concept and its rehashes won’t win over the crowd every time, and Motorola is [...]

One of the most important things to me in terms of purchasing a new cell phone is how well it could be used on the Internet. Long before the iPhone, I wanted a device that gave me full e-mail and Web support so that I could always be connected wherever I was, but whenever I [...]

Ever since the early news came out that Google was working on some sort of mobile phone (or gPhone, if you will), there’s been a lot of speculation about what it would actually be like. Google has pretty much been involved in every type of technology project known to mankind, so it only makes sense [...]

The iPhone is finally here after months of waiting, and reviews are pouring in. The overall consensus is that the iPhone delivers on a lot of its hype, and is worth the price tag. Whew! At least Apple dodged that bullet. However, there are still a few quirks with the first-generation of Apple’s wonder phone, [...]

As we get closer to iPhone’s launch day, perhaps the most anticipated gadget of 2007, you have to wonder how the launch will play out. If PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii launches were any indications, you can bet the iPhone launch will put the console launches to shame. With Apple getting ready to ship millions [...]

All right, well, this is interesting. The Motorola RAZR V9m is the entry level model of the three phones: V8, V9, and V9m. You would think that the V8 would take over the entry level spot, but apparently the model numbers are assigned in an interestingly odd way. We would be interested to hear Motorola’s [...]

All right, this is not fun. RIM recently added the BlackBerry Curve 8300 into its product mix, and what’s annoying is the updated version is now available only after a few months of the original 8800. For you 8800 users, we feel your pain. However, let’s be a little more positive. The BlackBerry Curve 8300 [...]

Usage of Opera Mini, the Web browser for mobile phones, continues to grow worldwide. With more than 15 million cumulative users, Opera Mini is the most popular downloadable Java software for mobile phones.
“With more than six million Java technology developers and 1.8 billion Java technology-enabled mobile handsets, the Java technology ecosystem continues to expand. Opera [...]

Dutch researcher Paulette Prins has demonstrated that plastic does not have to be a poorer conductor than present-day semi-conductors. This opens up the way for a revolution in consumer electronics: mobile phones and MP3 players will soon survive being dropped.
Just imagine it. Consumer products that do not break if accidentally dropped, devices with flexible screens [...]

Paul Bishop of the Seattle P-I reports:
More than two decades after leaving Microsoft Corp., Paul Allen still has designs on the computer business. But this time, hes aiming for something smaller.
To be precise, its less than 6 inches wide and weighs just about a pound and a half.Its a miniature computer, dubbed FlipStart, and its [...]

Today, Icebreaker Inc. announced the launch of Crush or Flush, the dating platform designed first and foremost for cell phones. Crush or Flush provides an easy way to flirt, chat, and meet real people with similar interests in your area - right from your cell phone. If you see a picture profile of someone [...]

Apple today introduced iPhone, combining three products - a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, Web browsing, searching and maps - into one small and lightweight handheld device. iPhone introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering [...]

AmpedMail, a consumer company specializing in hands free emailing and online social networks, has launched a free email service that allows everyone to hear and send their emails by phone. Users can listen to emails from their inbox and dictate emails to be sent over any phone: work phone, landline, or cell phone for free.
This [...]

Mobio Networks today announced the availability of Mobile Movie Times, the first mobile application that enables moviegoers to find local movie details and buy tickets on their handsets in three clicks or less. The free service launch is in conjunction with Universal Picture’s Nov. 17 release of Let’s Go To Prison.
Mobile Movie Times takes the [...]

Fractus, the pioneer developer of fractal antenna technology, has launched a suite of DVB-H internal antenna solutions for all three mobile TV frequencies; VHF (200MHz), UHF (600MHz) and L-band (1.4GHz). Fractus offers a fully customised internal antenna solution for 200MHz, and a customised and integrated solution for 600MHz and 1.4GHz. The TVNow range also includes [...]

Vizrea today announced its new next generation social network service that lets people share their life from anywhere. With Vizrea, users can now share their photos, videos, blogs, and podcasts with friends and family, privately or publicly by mobile, PC, or the Web. On 3G and other high speed networks, Vizrea additionally provides access to [...]

Penn State researchers have developed a new algorithm which enables cell-phone users to fetch data from music to TV shows as quickly as feasible with minimal channel switches.
With the computing technique, mobile devices can pick up data that may have been “missed” when first broadcast, thereby alleviating the wait for subsequent broadcast cycles. Because it [...]

Is there anything that’s not going to be incorporated into your cell phone at some time or another? This time, it’s your wallet. Eileen Ng of The Associated Press (via The Seattle Post-Intelligencer) writes: