Hasta La Gadget!

While we weren’t originally cheering fans of the Toshiba TG01‘s somewhat odd “stripey” interface, checking it out in person tells a different tale. It actually makes sense and works surprisingly well, and really, there is a reason why we’ve seen so many Windows Mobile skinning efforts, the shipped interface needs it. Most functions you need can be found in Toshiba‘s homescreen UI or can be added — the video demos some of the options for making changes and panel color choices if the default isn’t tickling your fancy. This handset is thin and light and makes the iPhone we used for some scale pics look positively chubby — it’s like having a PSP-sized display in your pocket. The 4.1-inch Regza-inspired screen is clear, the resistive touchscreen is typical hit and miss with fingertips, video and gaming are fast on the 1GHz Snapdragon processor and look gorgeous. You know, if Toshiba sees fit to add some 3G bands other than the 2100MHz included in the first effort, we could easily see this living — almost unnoticed — in our pockets. We’re still pretty far out from the rumored summer launch of the TG01 so we’re expecting to see some changes between now and then, and we also have some concerns about battery life while driving a screen like this, but for now, wow. Video walkthrough, some gaming action, and a big gallery are just past the break.

Continue reading Toshiba TG01 hands-on and video walkthrough

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Video

Toshiba TG01 hands-on and video walkthrough originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Feb 2009 05:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You’re looking at live, broadcast TV playing on an Apple iPhone. I’ve actually seen two iPhone TV apps here at Mobile World Congress. This one uses the box in the foreground to connect to Qualcomm’s MediaFLO service, which then beams the signal via Wi-Fi to an app on the iPhone. TV looked sharp, clear and smooth – broadcast quality. A Qualcomm rep I spoke to said that Qualcomm doesn’t intend to sell this device themselves; instead, they’re going to try to find a retail partner to bring it to market. Considering that AT&T, the iPhone’s carrier, also works with MediaFLO, it looks like this may actually come to pass.

I also saw an iPhone app from PacketVideo running streaming TV that could be provided by MobiTV, another AT&T partner. The PacketVideo app was running over 3G, so the video was choppier than the smooth MediaFLO broadcast. But TV over 3G will work where you can’t get Qualcomm’s signal, which is broadcast on TV channel 55 in many US cities. PacketVideo said they were trying to sell their app to partners, who would then take it to retail.

True to our word, we popped in to visit modu day one to get some one on one time with some of the recently announced kit. So we checked out the jackets, the new reworked set, and like last year, we’re happy with the whole ecosystem. Sure, you have to approach this with the understanding that for now, modu is aiming at the middle of the road — and price point — and not to take on the iPhone, Palm Pre, and others. But what they have done and done quite well is offer up a really small set, a pile of fun jackets that actually change the phone’s functions and kick in a wee bit of color and style. The biggest standout in the collection was a bike snap on with a thumb controller that connects wirelessly — or dangerously, your call — to the handset for “while cycling” control of your calls. Lots new is going on with the Israeli startup, a pilot project with Telefonica in Mexico, Argentina, and Chile, plus it has secured a $38 million first offer with Lynk Communication in the Philippines, here’s hoping 3G is just around the bend. Take a peek at the gallery for more of the madness and nice video guided by Dov Moran himself.

Continue reading modu hands-on with the set, jackets, and some far out visions

Filed under: Cellphones

modu hands-on with the set, jackets, and some far out visions originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s not a whole lot to look at with the GD900 slider, but in this case, that’s exactly the effect LG was shooting for. The high-design phone was being carefully guarded by plastic and metal not its own at MWC this week, making a true hands-on impossible — but the good news is that we were able to get a good look at the phone’s headline feature. That nearly transparent keypad has a glow applied around its edges to illuminate etched numbers, but with tactile feedback hovering near zero, this is a situation where you’ve really got to value form over function (and in this case, we just might). Interestingly, documentation by the GD900 says it’ll start launching in May, though LG’s press documentation claims we won’t see it until the second half of the year — so it’s unclear when you’ll be able to get one imported. Question is, do you really want people to see your cheek while you’re on the horn?

[Via Engadget Spanish]

Filed under: Cellphones

Eyes-on with the well-camouflaged LG GD900 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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File this one away in the “man, I should’ve thought of that” category. Here at Mobile World Congress, Oberthur Technologies is making a name for itself by introducing the planet’s first motion detecting and handset-independent SIM card. SIMSense, as it’s so eloquently named, could open up a whole new world of interaction with phones that don’t come with any sort of accelerometer built in. For instance, a user could simply shake their cellphone upon receiving a second call in order to send out a pre-written SMS that explains the situation. Or they could navigate phone menus by simply moving or tapping. Or, better still, they could program their handset to dial an emergency contact if it detected a sudden fall while close to the person’s body. There’s been no indication of anyone grabbing this thing and running with it, but we can’t imagine this not making it out to the commercial realm.

Filed under: Cellphones

Motion detecting SIMSense SIM card opens new world of possibilities originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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