Hasta La Gadget!

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

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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]

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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.

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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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Sony Ericsson launched its 12.1 megapixel Idou at Mobile World Congress yesterday evening, and while not a finished device, we checked it out anyway. The Idou will eventually roll with the Symbian Foundation’s OS, but the version we’re seeing here is somewhere in between. The resistive touchscreen (essentially the same as found on the XpressMusic 5800) is immense, glossy, and already brilliant. The transitions and sweeping gestures (check them in the vid) are really responsive and quick, with no real lag. We checked it against its nearest neighbor in the C905 and it is slim in comparison. Top notch stuff, we are anxiously waiting for more. Video and gallery follow.

Gallery: Sony Ericsson Idou hands-on and video walkthrough

Continue reading Sony Ericsson Idou hands-on and video walkthrough

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Sony Ericsson Idou hands-on and video walkthrough originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It was about this time last year when we heard that LG was aiming to push out Android-powered handsets by 2009, and sure enough, it looks like it’ll happen by this summer. According to T3, the company’s altogether bubbly KS360 will be relaunched with Google’s operating system, though the actual specifications (outside of the OS, obviously) will remain the same. Marketing Manager Jeremy Newing also confirmed at Mobile World Congress that LG would be releasing two other Android phones this year, though he wouldn’t divulge any model names or favorite colors for us to guess.

[Thanks, Kat]

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LG’s KS360 to be company’s first Android phone? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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