Hasta La Gadget!

Pico projectors are swell, but they’re not wildly popular. Very few smartphone manufacturers can find a way to embed them into devices without making them incredibly thick and expensive, and without sucking the battery dry in no time at all — the Samsung Galaxy Beam comes to mind regarding all of the above concerns — and carrying around a separate accessory is just plain impractical and expensive. (Plus, most devices can wirelessly mirror content onto TVs and monitors anyway, making the actual market even more limited.) But what if you could find a clever way of incorporating it into another useful accessory while keeping it small, simple and inexpensive? Well, we’re not sure about the latter qualification, but Alcatel OneTouch is at least keeping an eye on this niche with a new docking station that doubles as an aforementioned pico projector. It’s a prototype accessory that’s compatible with the OneTouch Hero, thanks to its set of magnetic docking contacts on the back — all you have to do is clip it on and the phone recognizes that it’s been attached. The projector is 12Lm, which is a little dimmer than we’d prefer (we were told that the final product may actually be brighter than this, but they can’t confirm for now), and the company claims it can show a screen larger than 70 inches.

Company reps tell us that this nameless accessory isn’t officially coming onto the market just yet, and they’re trying to determine how best to proceed (the Hero’s press release suggests that this for sure will be available later, however, so we’ll take it with a grain of salt at the moment). It’s a clever idea that could come in handy for a number of business travelers who need to carry on impromptu presentations, but price (of both the projector and the phone itself) will be a key factor in its success. Check out a few images below that show off the prototype in all its miniature glory.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Mobile

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Granted, the picture we see above us would’ve been much more intriguing a couple days ago, prior to Samsung Unpacked, but it shows the Samsung SM-V700 (aka Galaxy Gear) getting the official stamp of approval by the FCC, which means it’s one step closer to store shelves. The docs don’t give us any juicy tidbits that we didn’t already know — essentially, the device has Bluetooth and not much else in the way of wireless connectivity — but this doesn’t come as a surprise for an already-announced gadget. Still, the Galaxy Gear’s appearance in the FCC is at least a clear indication that things are going in the right direction, and folks in the US may see it closer to the September 25th launch date than they initially feared.

Filed under: Wearables, Wireless, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: FCC

You can go ahead and consider Aio Wireless an option the next time you’re shopping among mobile carriers, because the prepaid subsidiary of AT&T is now available nationwide. Service plans at Aio feature unlimited voice, messaging and overage-free data, and start at $40 per month for simple phones. Smartphone users can expect to pay at least $55 at Aio, which fetches 2GB of high-speed data, whereas the $70 plan comes with a healthy 7GB allotment. As one potential gotcha, the carrier throttles its high-speed data to a relatively paltry 8 Mbps — a shame if you’re sporting an LTE handset. If you’re on a budget, it’s worth mentioning that Aio Wireless is one of the sole providers of the Lumia 620 within the US, and at just $100 outright, it’s a very tempting proposition.

[Thanks, Krishan]

Filed under: Wireless, Mobile, AT&T

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Source: Aio Wireless

Looking to capture some vocals or record a few guitar riffs while you’re out and about? Well, IK Multimedia has yet another gadget that looks to lend a hand. The outfit’s iRig Pro serves up a digital audio and MIDI interface that connects to the full gamut of iOS devices and Mac machines via USB. Battery-powered and quite diminutive in stature, the device wrangles microphones, guitars, MIDI devices and other Hi-Z instruments for mobile recording — with those audio and MIDI inputs able to be employed simultaneously. The connected phone, tablet or laptop actually powers the add-on, but that internal 9V kicks it when needed to provide phantom power to a mic. A smattering of the company’s apps come packaged with the unit including AmpliTube, SampleTank and iRig Recorder. Folks with older Apple devices shouldn’t worry: the iRig Pro ships with cables compatible with Lightning, 30-pin and USB connections. If all of that sounds too good to pass up, $149.99 will be the required investment later this month. For now, venture past the break and take a quick look at the setup in action.

Filed under: Peripherals, Mobile

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Source: IK Multimedia

In a commendable move, the NFL Players Association is contracting with Uber for the 2013-2014 season in an attempt to keep intoxicated athletes from getting behind the wheel. Each player will receive a personalized keychain card that contains $200 credit for the on-demand ridesharing service, which will complement an existing telephone-based service that’s offered by the union. Uber currently operates in 17 of the NFL’s 31 cities, which isn’t ideal, but the service is expanding at a respectable pace. The agreement stands as Uber’s biggest deal with major league sports to date, which previously provided a trial service to the San Francisco Giants. Naturally, we’d like to see other players’ organizations and teams get on board with similar programs, which could help prevent tragedies such as the one that took the life of a Dallas Cowboys player last year.

Filed under: Transportation, Software, Mobile

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Via: CNET