News

Any interest in the i-Mate JAQ3?

I know that some of my peers have got themselves i-Mate JAQ3’s to play with and review but I wondered what level of interest there was in this device?

The JAQ3, manufactured by TechFaith Wireless, is fairly similar to the Samsung Blackjack and not a million miles away from the HTC Excalibur (HTC S620).

Several people I know that have an HTC S620 like the device but have commented that they wish the S620 was PocketPC OS rather than Smartphone. The i-Mate JAQ3 may well suit those people wanting the form factor of the S620/Blackjack but the added advantage of PocketPC OS.

I am hoping to get myself a JAQ3 as I am one of the people that likes the form factor of the Excalibur but I’m not a fan of the Smartphone OS. One thing that worries me is the apparent size of the JAQ3, it looks like a large device. If you take a look at the image below (borrowed from The Unwired) you can see how the JAQ3 compares to the HTC Universal and the HTC Hermes. The other thing that bothers me is the lack of 3G.

i-Mate JAQ3 Specification:

EDIT: You can now buy a JAQ3 from Clove Technology and with our voucher code you can save £20! See this post for more details.

I’d be very interested to hear you comments about the JAQ3, especially if you already have one!

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): smartphone, Pocket PC, i-mate, JAQ3, Tracy & Matt]

SanDisk announce sponsorship of Ducati

Great news for motor sports fans; Today SanDisk announced a two-year sponsorship of Ducati Corse’s MotoGP race team, a performance leader in the high-speed world of motorcycle racing.

SanDisk’s name and logo will appear on Ducati Corse MotoGP motorcycles, team clothing and riders’ leathers, the two companies said during the unveiling of Ducati’s Desmosedici GP7 racing motorcycle at the Wrooom MotoGP Event in Madonna di Campiglio.

“SanDisk and Ducati share a passion for excellence in engineering and performance,” said Wes Brewer, vice president for consumer products marketing at SanDisk. “Our SanDisk Extreme® III and IV digital film cards have a global reputation for cutting-edge speed and innovation, much as Ducati has a global reputation for motorcycles that regularly beat the competition.”

Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Corse, said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome SanDisk as a new partner in our MotoGP Project. Ducati and SanDisk are both dedicated to maximum performance, making the partnership a perfect fit.”

MotoGP is among the world’s most popular motor sports, drawing annual season attendance exceeding two million and a worldwide television audience of more than five billion. The 2007 season features 18 races in 15 nations around the globe.

“Photographers face almost as many challenges at the track as MotoGP riders. Having the fastest CompactFlash card in the market at 40MB per second* makes high-performance photography, especially in fast-action sports, much easier,” said Tanya Chuang, worldwide senior retail product marketing manager for digital imaging at SanDisk. “The fast read speed also reduces time away from the viewfinder, because images can be quickly offloaded through an Extreme FireWire Reader.”

SanDisk plans to work closely with the wider photographic MotoGP community. Gigi Soldano, a highly respected MotoGP photographer said, “Capturing the many exciting moments of MotoGP racing, where riders can reach 200 miles per hour and can be millimeters above the track on tight turns, requires cameras and memory cards that are the fastest and most reliable in the world. SanDisk Extreme III and IV memory cards make my job easier, because I know I can shoot as rapidly as possible without worrying about losing that once-in-a lifetime image.”

SanDisk and Ducati expect to announce more elements of their agreement in the months ahead.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): MP3 Player, SanDisk, MotoGP, Ducati, Tracy & Matt]

‘3’ confirms scrapping of roaming fees

Mobile company 3 has confirmed that they are scrapping their international roaming fees in seven countries including Australia and Italy.

When 3 customers travel to another country in which 3 also operates, customers will be able to make and receive calls using the visited 3 network and be charged as if they were still using their home network. The same principle will apply to SMS, MMS, video calling and data services. The visited 3 network can be considered a virtual extension of their home network and can therefore be used as if the customer were not roaming at all.

3 said there would be no one-off fees, and that its users would automatically gain the service.

The other places in which it has abolished the fees are Austria, Hong Kong, Sweden and Denmark

This also covers data usage.

Now if they were to offer the same deal for the USA I would definitely move to 3!

[Technorati tag(s): cingular, smartphone, Tracy & Matt, Three, Roaming, mobile carrier]

O2 XDA Zinc delayed until March

I think this news item will disappoint some of you, but O2 have delayed the UK launch of the XDA Zinc. Now the Zinc will not be available until March at the earliest.

The March release date is evident on the O2 UK website where you can see the XDA Zinc listed in the coming soon section this is despite the fact that it’s already shipping via the Asia-Pacific website.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): smartphone, Pocket PC, Tracy & Matt, XDA Zinc, O2, ASUSTek, Mars 2, SPV]

ActiveSync 4.5 Beta 2 now available

Microsoft have just made the latest beta version of ActiveSync available for download.

“Changes in ActiveSync 4.5 Beta 2 help improve issues related to setup, partnerships, and connectivity with the PC and Microsoft Exchange. In addition, it includes a troubleshooter utility that scans your computer and device to identify problems and offers information and corrective actions to solve them.”

New version is available to download HERE.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): smartphone, Pocket PC, ActiveSync, Microsoft, Tracy & Matt]

Apple iPhone preorder on Amazon Germany

I think Amazon may have jumped the gun a little here but the Apple iPhone 4gb and 8gb are available for preorder on Amazon Germany.

The price is quite worrying though, according to the early preorder pricing, the 4GB model will cost around £600 while the 8GB could cost as much as £660!! If this is correct I cant imagine that many people will fork out that much cash for it.

Interestingly the page says that the product has been “In the offer of Amazon.de since: 17. August 2004”!

Take a look at the product page on Amazon.de.

Posted by: Matt

[Post tag(s): iPhone, Apple, OS X, Amazon, Tracy & Matt]

Parrot CONFERENCE Bluetooth spakerphone

Parrot have been announcing a lot of new devices lately and here is another, the Parrot CONFERENCE Speakerphone.

Parrot is introducing Bluetooth convenience to corporate boardrooms, offices and conference rooms with the launch of its new high-performance Bluetooth wireless speakerphone.

Called the Parrot CONFERENCE, the speakerphone features Parrot’s proprietary advanced digital signal processing technology with full duplexing for clear, echo-free conversations in both small and large rooms. Its three highly sensitive microphones provide complete 360-degree voice pickup and a powerful 5-watt speaker allows conversations in normal voice levels for all participants.

Because it is wireless and powered by three rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries, the speakerphone can be easily moved from office to conference room to accommodate phone meetings wherever they occur. The batteries provide 10 hours of continuous talk-time, and fully recharge in five hours. And the Parrot CONFERENCE can be paired with up to 50 phones.

The Parrot CONFERENCE has fully integrated Internet communications (VoIP) software. And, for the Skype subscribers, the Parrot CONFERENCE comes with an integrated Skype(TM) interface so it is ready to use out of the box.

The Parrot CONFERENCE also features a large, bright active-matrix TFT color display that makes its menus, settings and phone listings easy to see and read. The Parrot CONFERENCE will store up to 6,000 contacts that are automatically loaded wirelessly via Bluetooth-enabled cell phones, PDAs, and laptops. A built-in digital keypad also allows manual dialing if required.

The self-contained Parrot CONFERENCE is relatively lightweight and has a small footprint for convenience and easy portability. It measures about 10 inches in diameter, sits less than two inches high and weights only 22 ounces including the batteries

Parrot CONFERENCE Specification:

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): smartphone, Pocket PC, Parrot, Parrot CONFERENCE, Speakerphone, Bluetooth, Tracy & Matt]

Samsung announces the T9B (YP-T9B) MP3 player

You might be forgiven for thinking that the device below is a Samsung Mobile Phone. In actual fact the T9B is an MP3 player.

The T9B MP3 player takes features a step further and allows consumers to listen free as a bird with Bluetooth-enabled wireless stereo. Now listeners can enjoy their favorite songs wire-free using compatible Bluetooth enabled headphones. And with advanced remote control functions on headsets including play, pause, seek and volume control, the T9B player can stay safely tucked away in a pocket or bag.

The T9B player can also be paired with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. Music lovers won’t have to worry about missing a call while listening to their favorite tunes; the player tells its user when they have an incoming call. While the mobile phone is in a pocket or bag, users can talk to friends and family by using the embedded microphone within the T9B MP3 player. When the call is over, the T9B player takes the user back to where they left off with their music.

The T9B MP3 players is available in jet black and deep purple, come in 2GB and 4GB version. The T9B pricing and availability will be announced at a later date.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): smartphone, Pocket PC, Tracy & Matt, Samsung T9B, MP3 Player, Samsung]

Vodafone launch 1210 3G Smartphone in Portugal

Vodafone Portugal announce the release of their 1210 Smartphone. Here is the official release:

Vodafone Portugal is launching its first 3G Smartphone under its own brand, the Vodafone 1210. Its characteristics, design and functions were specified by Vodafone to facilitate the use of mobile services by its customers.

This exclusive Vodafone phone has the lowest price in its range and combines the most advanced functions of a Smartphone with the multimedia characteristics of a telephone. With this phone it is possible to access the Internet, view Word, Excel, PDF and Powerpoint files and process multimedia content such as music tracks and videos.

The use of 384kbps 3G technology enables broadband access to a range of content, making it ideal for using – via the Vodafone Mobile E-mail service – e-mail, calendar, address book, Internet, Intranet and other corporate applications. These characteristics and functions are complemented by an elegant design and an attractive price of 190 euros.

In order to make the Mobile E-mail service even more accessible to corporate customers, it will be possible to purchase this phone for only 20 euros, with 20 euros of free calls included, by subscribing to a 24-month contract with activation of the voice service and Mobile E-mail.

Vodafone 1210 Specification

See the 1210 on Vodafone’s Portuguese website.

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): smartphone, Pocket PC, Vodafone, 1210, Vodafone 1210, Tracy & Matt]

3 new devices for Orange.NL

Three new phones have appeared in the Dutch Orange magazine further adding to the choice of Windows Mobile devices available to our friends from the Netherlands.

The devices showing up are the SPV C100 (HTC Oxygen), SPV M650 (HTC Artemis) and SPV M700 (HTC Trinity).

In the past Orange UK have not been far behind the Netherlands launch (if they launch at all) so fingers crossed that it wont be long before we begin to see these devices for sale here in the UK!

Orange SPV C100 Specification:

Orange SPV M650 Specification:

Orange SPV M700 Specification

Matt

[Technorati tag(s): smartphone, Pocket PC, Orange SPV M650, Orange SPV M700, Orange SPV C100, HTC Oxygen, HTC Trinity, HTC Artemis, Tracy & Matt]