Today at ITU Telecom World 2006, Samsung Electronics and Microsoft launched the Samsung Ultra Messaging i600 powered by Microsoft ® Windows Mobile ® 5.0, the first 3G smartphone with HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) support. Measuring only 11.8mm and weighing a mere 99g, the Samsung Ultra Messaging i600 is the world’s thinnest 3G smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard.

It blends the feature-rich, desktop functionality of the Windows Mobile 5.0 platform with multimedia capabilities to help people work on the go, stay in touch with family and friends or just have fun.” I am proud to introduce the Ultra Messaging i600 Windows Mobile smartphone with Microsoft. It represents the best innovation from both Samsung and Microsoft and makes it a perfect solution for today’s mobile professional,” said Kitae Lee, President, Samsung Telecommunication Network Business.

“Samsung will continue to explore new market opportunities with Microsoft and we look forward to collaborating together to bring more innovative products to market.” The Samsung Ultra Messaging i600 is the first smartphone in Asia Pacific and Europe that supports the HSDPA network for faster data transfer speeds, as well as seamless communications through high-speed connectivity via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR. It is also the first smartphone to support web applications such as podcasting and RSS Feeder.

Samsung Ultra Messaging i600 users can listen to stereo-quality music and view high quality video clips with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile and a Bluetooth stereo headset. Internet browsing rivals the PC experience due to the device’s large 2.3” high quality color screen and wireless broadband capabilities. The Samsung Ultra Messaging i600 also includes a speakerphone, built-in voice recognition and support for a 1.3 megapixel digital camera that can record video. Built-in Pocket MSN offers consumers the consistent and familiar user experience that they currently enjoy with MSN Messenger on their desktops. With this offering, users will automatically have a separate Inbox for Hotmail messages on their device.

Connecting your PC to your TV provides a world of entertainment options, but it is only worthwhile if you can control it without having to work too hard. The last thing you want to do when you are watching TV is have to get up off the sofa. The new Logitech diNovo Mini is a palm-sized keyboard complete with media remote and click pad. It allows you to have fully effective yet simple control of your PC entertainment in the palm of your hand.

The device uses Bluetooth to give you up to 30 feet of range. Rechargeable Li-ion batteries can last a full month between charges, so the painful search for batteries when your remote goes dead is a thing of the past. It has two back-light modes - orange for touchpad mode, and green for media remote mode. I’m not sure how that makes the world better, but it’s kinda cool. The device will be shipping in late February at a cost of $149.99.

The specifications of Samsung’s F490 multimedia phone slash another iPhone wannabe, have been released. This 3G ready, HSDPA and EDGE enabled tri band mobile features a large 3.2 inch TFT touch screen display and sports a resolution of 240 x 432 pixels, so it still falls a bit short of Apple’s created benchmark. On the plus side the display actually features a 16:9 widescreen ratio, which does have merit when it comes to videos. Where it would do better than the iPhone would be in the camera section as the F490 features a 5 megapixel camera (no auto-focus) that runs a on the Croix UI. It also has an LED flash and is capable of recording video in MPEG4 format with QVGA resolution at 15 frames per second.

From the multimedia angle the F490 supports Bluetooth with an A2DP profile as well so it supports wireless stereo Bluetooth headsets. But in case that seems like too much for an average users it also has a 3.5mm earphone socket so you’re free to use any headset you may already own. The video player supports WMV, MPEG4, H.263, H.264 file formats in up to VGA resolution at 30fps. The F490 has a 130MB of internal space that can be extended with the support of microSD cards.

I have been a cell phone user since 1985 and have used countless different cell phones.  My first cell phone (really a “car phone”) was a far cry from the battery-powered, handheld devices of today.  In those days, all a cell phone did was making and receive calls.  The phone itself was mounted on a pedestal attached to the car’s console, but the phone’s guts were located in the trunk in a box the size of a small suitcase.  The whole system had to be professionally installed at a cost of $250 to $300.  Obviously, I could only uses the phone when in my car. I’ve also been using a Pocket PC or Windows Mobile device since the days of the HP Jornada 548.  I switching away from a Palm V that I’d used before the Jornada.  About a year ago, I purchased a T-Mobile Dash Windows Mobile v5 Smartphone.  Since that time, I stopped carrying two devices. 

As soon as it the Windows Mobile 6 upgrade became available, I made the operating system switch without looking back.  For me, it’s darn near the perfect converged device. For the last few years, I’ve used several different Bluetooth headsets and hands-free devices to make talking on my phone more comfortable and safe when driving.  My biggest frustration was that the Bluetooth batteries always needing charging.  I lusted for the fully integrated Bluetooth systems in luxury cars!  No more!  I now have what I need in my new 2008 Honda Accord!

Motorola expanded its ROKR family of music products with the introduction of the ROKR E8 mobile device, the EQ5 and EQ7 wireless speaker systems and new stereo headsets at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (Booth #8545, Central Hall).

This new generation of ROKR products offers consumers a complete music ecosystem that can help them enjoy their favorite tunes while on the go. “ROKR E8 is a no compromises device – it’s both an MP3 player that makes great phone calls and a mobile phone with tremendous audio capabilities. With our unique ModeShift technology, we’re dispelling the myth that mobile phones with music features are inferior to stand-alone audio devices,” stated Stu Reed, president, Motorola Mobile Devices. “Rounding out our ROKR portfolio, our new music accessories provide consumers with a number of ways to enjoy their music.”Dimensions115×53x10.6mm

BandQuad Band; GPRS/EDGE class 12

Weight100 grams

Battery970mAh

Display2.0” QVGA 240×320 262K TFT

FeaturesModeShift technology transforms the device from phone to music player to imaging device with the touch of a buttonFastScroll navigation wheel allows for scrolling through songs, contact and image library with the slide of a thumbInnovative haptics technology provides tactile response when a virtual key is pressed2GB internal memory4; optional external memory support up to 4GB capacityMicrosoft™ music ecosystem support3.5 mm stereo headset jack, stereo Bluetooth wireless technology (A2DP)³2.0megapixel camera with 8x zoom, multi-shot feature, video capture and playbackAirplane mode to play uninterrupted music in the air, even without a SIM cardTalking phone offers a voice readout of text messages while dialing number or when receiving a callMIDI, MP3, AAC, AAC+, Enhanced AAC+, WMA, WAV, AMR-NB, Real Audio (RA) v10

The game, called CellMill, is a traditional two-player board game that can be played by two players over Bluetooth, or as a single-player game against the smart phone.�Bluetooth enabled smart phones, like Nokia�s 7650 with Symbian OS, are more suitable for multiplayer games than traditional PDAs and portable game consoles. Our goal has been to develop a user-friendly gaming experience, which is almost as real as players sitting at the same table in real life. CellMill is our second game for this emerging multiplayer game market�, says Esa Ketola, President, Cellsoft, Inc.�We have received a lot of positive feedback from players who really enjoy the Bluetooth multiplayer feature of both CellMill and CellPoker, which we released earlier this year �, Ketola continues.Initially, CellMill will run on Nokia 7650 and other Symbian OS handsets will be supported as they become available.

One of the little known secrets of cell phones is that many models can act as modems, and connect your computer to the Internet through a cell carrier. In some cases, you can use a USB cable; in others, a laptop with Bluetooth can be tethered wirelessly with the device. You don’t need a special data card.Costs are another matter. Providers are more than happy to charge you a special rate to connect to their data networks, an additional $30 to $60 per month for unlimited use depending on the carrier and speed.

Or you can get a data plan a la carte that charges by the amount of information you use, which works if your only usage is the occasionally download of a few e-mails.In practice, you may not need the service. The way some networks are set up, you may gain entry without a data plan and be charged the same rate as you would for a voice call — pretty steep during weekdays, but an excellent deal when you have free calling nights and weekends. Carriers tend to frown on this arrangement and may retroactively impose charges if you’re caught using their network contrary to terms of service. Still, look around the Internet and you’ll find a lot of recipes for this sort of hack.

The sleek slider-style and powerful handset, Samsung SCH-r610, is now available to customers of Cricket, a subsidiary of unlimited wireless service company Leap Wireless International. This ultra-slim mobile phone is packed with a high-resolution, 262K TFT display, MP3 Player with microSD memory slot, 1.3 megapixel camera, WAP 2.0, stereo bluetooth and a loud, clear speaker phone. Because Cricket customers have unlimited wireless access, it has a digital talk time of up to 3 hours and standby time of up to 350 hours. Cricket customers can get all these features inside a 4.06 x 1.96 x .5 inch handset weighing only 2.92 ounces. In addition, SCH-r610 is data capable, giving Cricket customers access to mobile Web and ability to download games or apps.

Verizon Wireless announced the newest flavor of Chocolate by LG – Blue Ice. The newest addition to the Chocolate line-up, the silky-smooth slim slider design comes coated with a frosty blue finish and includes the must-have multimedia capabilities for the music and entertainment lover on your holiday list.

The Chocolate in Blue Ice includes the same features chocoholics have come to love, such as vibration feedback on the touch-sensitive keypad, navigation wheel with classic red trace motion lighting, and a microSD™ memory card slot that supports up to 4 GB of memory. Customers who purchase the Chocolate will love the quick and easy access to V CAST Music, the Verizon Wireless service that offers more than 2.4 million songs for download over-the-air, and V CAST Video, which offers news, sports and entertainment video clips, 3D games and more. VZ NavigatorSM, a popular tool available on the Chocolate, includes mapping, audible turn-by-turn navigation and access to information on more than 14 million points of interest. A 1.3 megapixel camera, speakerphone and Bluetooth® headset capabilities round out the features wrapped in frosty blue.

Chocolate by LG in Blue Ice is available today for $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and new two-year customer agreement at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores within Circuit City. It will be available at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com on Friday, Dec.7.

Nokia brings new mobile technologies to life at CTIA Wireless 2002 Eleven new products feature innovations such as color displays, Java(TM), GPRS, CDMA2000 1X, Bluetooth, MMS and XHTML ORLANDO, FLA - Kicking off day one of the Cellular Telephone and Internet Association (CTIA) Wireless 2002 show, Nokia showcased 11 new products incorporating the latest wireless technologies.

Included were two dual-band GSM/GPRS 850/1900MHz handsets, two CDMA2000 1X phones, a combination GPRS/802.11b wireless LAN PC card and a new machine-to-machine (M2M) terminal and gateway. Two handsets being shown for the first time in the Americas are a pair of tri-band GSM/GPRS products that will be offered in GSM markets globally, which launched during last week’s CeBIT fair in

Germany. Two new fashion category phones, the CDMA Nokia 8270 phone and the TDMA Nokia 8265 phone will be shown to the general public for the first time along with the world’s first GAIT compliant handset, the Nokia 6340 phone. Integrated within this diverse new product line are a number of new wireless technologies including Java, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) and next generation XHTML browsers.

Evolution to new GSM networks supporting the transition of operators in the

Americas to GSM/GPRS networks on both the cellular (850MHz) and PCS (1900MHz) networks, Nokia spotlights a pair of new dual-band GSM/GPRS handsets designed to facilitate this network evolution. The ‘expression’ category Nokia 3590 phone combines innovative customization options with an XHTML over GPRS wireless Internet browser, while the ‘classic’ category Nokia 6590 phone, also with an XHTML browser, integrates a number of features for the connected businessperson. Introduction of CDMA2000 1X handsets A new line of Nokia-designed CDMA2000 1X chipset-based handsets are being showcased to demonstrate Nokia’s commitment to CDMA operators transitioning their networks toward the next generation.

The Nokia 6370 and Nokia 6385 phones are CDMA2000 1X handsets with a full suite of business-focused applications, including an extensive calendar, phonebook and to do list as well as a wireless Internet browser. The Nokia 3585 phone is designed for the self-expressive mobile user with new cover designs, and the ability to personalize content with downloadable Java applications. Tri-band phones with a global focus Two new tri-band (GSM 900/1800/1900MHz) GPRS handsets unveiled at the CeBIT show last week will be marketed and operated in the

Americas and around the world by using the global reach of GSM networks. The business-minded Nokia 6310i phone features a high-speed GPRS data connection for the global business traveler, while the fashionable Nokia 7210 phone boasts a vibrant color screen to complement is unique design and palette of new changeable Xpress-on covers.