Mobile Technology
Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) for Law Enforcement
March 22, 2007 As new technologies become available to law enforcement agencies around the world, the climate for offenders look set to become particularly uncomfortable, and Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) will become one of the first technologies they are likely to encounter as it increases law enforcement efficiency manyfold. Pips Technology has a new police-car-mounted camera that can automatically recognise over 3000 number plates an hour, while police simply cruise through the district. The plates are automatically compared to all wanted vehicle databases, sounding an alarm within a few seconds so police can apprehend the vehicle. At the same time, every plate recognition is logged in a central computer so that if a vehicle is involved in an offence, all prior sightings of the vehicle with time and GPS coordinates can be retrieved. The technology also recognises number plates in all weather and in complete darkness. See the video here and be frightened.
Full financial management from your phone
March 22, 2007 CellTrust is offering a free download beta version of its WALLET automated, secure software and subscription service for cell phones. CellTrust WALLET on your cell phone will let you manage personal account information, including real-time flight and travel information, finances/banking, as well as retail accounts and to securely purchase goods and services anywhere, anytime. Read More
TDK pocket-sized Tremor Xa-10 flat panel stereo speakers
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March 19, 2007 There’s a growing percentage of people out there, like many who work for Gizmag, who frequently find themselves working somewhere else, with a desk and chair combination created by an interior designer who skipped his ergonomics classes and yearning dearly for the comforts of your own comfortable desktop. Well here’s something that you can take with you to provide the comfort of high quality sound without taking too much space in the luggage – US$25 TDK pocket-sized Tremor Xa-10 flat panel stereo speakers that are small enough to fit in your pocket and connect directly to portable CD, DVD and MP3 players, laptops and gaming consoles enabling music to be shared in transit, while at the beach or enjoying the great outdoors thanks to their lightweight compact size and ultimate portability. Not to mention being space efficient while travelling! Magnets hold the flat panel speakers together so the surface panels are protected while in transit. Read More
Bellperre exclusive mobile phones to be made of 0% plastic
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March 13, 2007 A new brand of luxury mobile phone is set to hit the market with the promise its phones will be ‘0% Plastic.’ mobile phones - made of leather, steel, gold, hardwood, sapphire and other fine material. The aim of the new Bellperre brand is to “design masterpieces without compromising on the technology.” The fact that there are no plastic components does not negatively influence the weight of the handset. Read More
The first universal mobile phone charger
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March 12, 2007 March 12, 2007 The world’s first universal mobile phone charger is being introduced at CEBIT this week. Designed by Professor Luigi Colani, a nearly 80-year-old legend in the field of industrial design, the Anyfix can recharge more than 80% of mobile phones on the market in Europe, and certainly recharges all of the major brand products. It is also terribly exclusive, in purest Colani style, which makes it as much of an object of art as it is a basic commodity! Read More
FlipStart ultra small PC to ship this month at US$2000
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March 8, 2007 Paul G. Allen’s FlipStart Labs has taken a while in bringing its first product to market but the highly-anticipated FlipStart will ship to customers before the end of the month. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates and since bowing out of Microsoft he has shown a keen eye for investing in key technologies before their time. He is now one of the world's richest men and the Flipstart is one of his passions – it’s based on the premise that mobile professionals have too many devices and need full functionality in one pocket-sized device. "I've always been captivated with problems that really need solving,” says Allen. “What should exist and how we could create a solution. Years ago, I began to imagine a super compact computer that would allow us to connect, communicate, work and relax, no matter where we are. One that is intrinsically intuitive to use. FlipStart is the first commercial product to meet that vision; it simply works as expected."
The Archos 704-WiFi Portable Media Player with 7-Inch Touch Screen
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March 7, 2007 Archos continued its charge towards a significant market share in the Portable Media Player (PMP) market yesterday when it announced the Archos 704-WiFi, the only PMP with a 7-inch touch-screen and full wireless capabilities. The new 704-WiFi presents the highest quality screen with 800x480 resolution and 5x7 dimensions, making it similar in size to a standard photograph and will be priced at US$550. The Archos 704-WiFi joins the company’s 604-WiFi in offering complete PMP features — video, music and photo playback — with full Internet access for surfing the Web and sending email. The new 704-WiFi features an 80GB hard drive with the capacity to store 100 hours of video, or about 70 DVD-quality movies, as well as two high-quality speakers for enhanced audio even without headphones. The 704-WiFi also supports video downloads from the new online stores of leading retailers, giving consumers the flexibility to enjoy their entertainment wherever they want, in their own place, on their own time. Read More
Logisys Optical Finger Mouse turns any surface into a mousepad
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March 3, 2007 - Every now and then, devices pop up and offer a glimmer of hope that some day soon, the mouse and keyboard will be as hilariously old-school as Pong and eight-track cartridges, and Logisys' Optical Finger Mouse is one of them. Attached to your index finger with a velcro strap, the device has two buttons (left and right click) and a scroll wheel accessed with your thumb, and lets you use your finger as the cursor and any non-glass surface as a mousepad. Read More
Dual screen mobile now with Intel Dual Core Processor
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February 28, 2007 Study after study shows the efficiency of using two monitors on the desktop, so Estari’s announcement that it has upgraded its 2-VU dual-screen mobile computer is worth looking into as it offers the same efficiencies in a mobile environment. Estari’s 2-VU dual-screen computers are two touch screen, full-page, full-color, multimedia electronic computing devices and the latest Model DC15 uses the Intel Core Duo Processor and the base model will sell for US$4350. The dual-screen mobile computers combine aspects of a laptop, desktop, tablet PC and e-Book reader into a solution that provides increased functionality, productivity and mobility with an unprecedented visual workspace. When in transport mode, the DC15 looks just like a briefcase. Read More
Fully customisable in-ear monitors
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February 25, 2007 The evolution of the in-ear monitor. Not long ago, the in-ear monitor was the province of wealthy rocks stars and those in the audio industry. But the MP3 revolution has seen such vast numbers of audio listening devices manufactured that the science is progressing very quickly. We’ve previously written about ROBRADY in relation to the industrial design company’s electric superbike, but this time they’re involved in developing Sleek Audio’s completely adjustable in-ear monitor compatible with state-of-the-art audio equipment, including iPod products. The US$250 SA6 design boasts customized sound (bass and treble options), fit (three use options plus various-size ear tips) and application (replaceable / interchangeable swivel cables), as well as a protective case.
The PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer for on-the-go professional photo and document printing
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February 23, 2007 Canon delivered a very useful new capability for road warriors in its raft of imaging-related announcements yesterday, in the form of the PIXMA iP90v Photo Printer which has the ability to print high quality photos or documents on the go. The iP90v fits easily in a briefcase or carry-on bag, weighs just four pounds, has a fast print speed, wireless printing and will sell for around US$250. Read More
Apple cleared to use iPhone Trademark
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February 23, 2007 All those people who feared that Apple’s iPhone might be delayed due to the fact it didn’t have the rights to use the name, need fret no longer. Cisco and Apple have announced that they have resolved their dispute involving the "iPhone" trademark. Under the agreement, both companies are free to use the "iPhone" trademark on their products throughout the world. Both companies acknowledge the trademark ownership rights that have been granted, and each side will dismiss any pending actions regarding the trademark. In addition, Cisco and Apple will explore opportunities for interoperability in the areas of security, and consumer and enterprise communications. Other terms of the agreement are confidential.
The US$4000+ Gresso 1GB MP3 player
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February 19, 2007 In November we wrote about the newest of the elite mobile phone manufacturers, Gresso, which makes phones from 200 year-old African Blackwood and Gold. Now Gresso is to diversify and has announced a collection of ultra-exclusive Mp3 players, to be called Symphonia, and the idea to create an Mp3 player that is dedicated to create a device for those customers who demand the ultimate craftsmanship and exceptional design. Four Symphonia models will be released in Q2, 2007, being made from Blackwood and White Gold, Blackwood and Pink Gold, White Gold and Pink Gold respectively, with the same ancient blackwood and 18 carat gold in each case, with prices ranging from EUR 3000 (US$4000) to EUR 5000 (US$6500). Read More
Sony VAIO L series all-in-one PC
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February 16, 2007 Presenting the iconic VAIO L series, a revolutionary new all-in-one PC concept from Sony. As much a design showcase as it is a functional unit, the L series has transformed a computing device into an integrated business and entertainment tool that combines the power of a PC with a quality LCD and stylish chassis. The VGC-LA38G features a floating design, which fits into any interior. The polycarbonate frame contributes not only to the sleek transparent look of the VAIO L series but also provides a chassis that is light, strong and durable. Providing a portable centre of entertainment for the home, Sony created the VAIO L series to double-up as a stereo. The sound from the unit is enhanced with a Sound Reality audio chip, 3Wx2 high quality speakers and Sony’s SoundFLOW software. This unique audio feature lets you play music and view artist information, the time and calendar even when the keyboard is folded up. Read More
The doPi iPod Karaoke Machine
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February 14, 2007 There seems no end to the interesting things you can do with your iPod. The doPi Karaoke system turns your Video iPod, MP4 player or DVD player into a fully functional karaoke machine! You can hear the music, minus the lead vocals and see the streaming video lyrics right from the screen of your video iPod, MP4 player or straight up on your TV. The US$60 system includes all the cables, the mixer and a professional quality microphone, and songs can be purchased for US$0.99 in audio format without streaming lyrics, or US$1.99 with streaming lyrics in video format.
OmniVision debuts 5 MPX camera module for mobile handsets
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February 14, 2007 The 3GSM World Congress is on this week in Barcelona and lots of interesting and significant announcements are being made which will shape the next generation of mobile handsets. One that will certainly have an impact was from OmniVision which is a major supplier of CMOS CameraChip solutions for high-volume imaging applications. OmniVision announced the details of a 5.17 megapixel auto-focus camera module for mobile handsets based around the OV5623 CameraChip sensor. The new 14mm x 14mm x 8.75mm module, which OmniVision is premiering at, paves the way for high-resolution cameras to enter the mainstream mobile handset market. Read More
NVIDIA enters mobile application processor market
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February 13, 2007 - NVIDIA have unveiled their latest product geared for the mobile market, and contrary to what you might expect, it's not a new 3D card for laptops. The NVIDIA GoForce 6100 is the first in a coming family of processors that offer an integrated multimedia solution to power the myriad new handheld devices that will influence our lives in 2007 - and it uses less than half the power of anything on the market today. Read More
Global Mobile Phone Shipments Top 1 Billion Units in 2006
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February 9, 2007 Just a few days ago in our article on the exciting prospect of Near Field Communication capabilities for the mobile phone, we wrote that global mobile phone sales were heading for a billion units a year. We were wrong - according to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global mobile phone shipments in 2006 grew a healthy 25 percent year-over-year, to reach an all-time record total of 1 billion units in 2006. Mobile phone sales have exploded from less than 100,000 units in 1983 to 100 million units in 1997 and have now passed the 1-billion level in 2006. Given there are only 6.5 billion people on Planet Earth, that means one in 6.5 humans (regardless of age, poverty or location), purchased a new phone last year. "Mobile phones have become a critical driver of innovation and profit for the world's semiconductor, memory, battery and display industries”, according to the Strategy Analytics. Nokia (347.5 million handsets sold) and Motorola (217.4 million) continued to dominate volumes, but it was Sony Ericsson who shone brightest. Growth, volumes, revenues and total profits are all at their highest ever levels for the Japanese-Swedish company which grew volumes from 51.1 million in 2005 to 74.8 million in 2006. In doing so, it became the world's third largest handset vendor (in revenues) overtaking Samsung.
NFC morphs the wallet and the mobile phone
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The mobile phone is taking society by storm. Currently, one third of all the people on the planet carry a mobile phone, just a quarter century after its introduction. In just over three years time, we’ll pass the half way mark, and we expect the world will be a very different place a decade from now as the mobile phone takes on ever more remarkable qualities and function. And with sales of mobiles heading for the one billion a year, mobile phones are heading for ubiquity. Although more and more features are packed in every year, the mobile phone is still a long way from achieving its full potential. In tomorrow’s world, things we do every day, like paying at the till, buying a ticket for the bus or entering competitions, will all go through your mobile phone…using NFC technology. NFC stands for ‘near field communication’, a short-range wireless connectivity technology that enables two peripheral devices to exchange data via radiofrequency 13.56 MHz @ 424 Kbps) – i.e. without physical contact – over short distances of up to 5m. NFC technology has been approved as an ISO, ECMA and ETSI standard.Sagem is already trialing this exciting technology in Europe and would like to keep you abreast of the possibilities. NFC is not a new technology, and certain underground rail systems have already implemented it via contactless rail passes to offer seamless walk-through travel rather than turnstiles, making the system quicker and more convenient. However, when NFC is built into mobile phones, it adds the humble wallet to the convergence mix, and at the rate we're going, our personal identities might become incomplete if we're not "carrying" Read More
Ruggedizing the BlackBerry
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January 25, 2007 You want the convenience and functionality of the Blackberry but you’re a klutz and/or you work in a very hostile or rainy outdoor environment – there’s now a simple solution that we quite like. The OtterBox 1930 and 1931 cases are designed to ruggedize BlackBerry handsets while allowing water-resistant access to keypad, scroll wheel, escape button, power button, mute button and programmable side button, all through the case. A rigid screen cover protects the LCD from scratches and drop damage with a rigid screen cover and Donaldson acoustic membrane vents allow sound transmission while keeping the case sealed. Read More
PRADA and LG launch touch screen mobile phone
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January 20, 2007 LG and PRADA have unveiled a mobile phone controlled entirely by a touch-screen which is sure to draw comparisons with Apple’s recently announced iPhone. LG and PRADA have apparently worked closely together on every aspect of the product, from handset development to marketing, first announcing their intentions in December, but no doubt sensing the opportunity presented by the worldwide iPhone publicity and the possibilities of an iPhone delay given that Cisco is in litigation with Apple over the name. The PRADA Phone by LG (KE850) has a touch interface which eliminates the conventional keypad making the overall usage experience a highly tactile one. An extra wide LCD screen maximizes visual impact, allowing the user to benefit from several key features of the phone, including the 2 megapixel camera featuring Schneider-Kreuznach lens, video player and document viewer capacity. The PRADA Phone will be available with prices starting from 600 Euros in mobile dealerships and PRADA stores in the UK, France, Germany and Italy as of late February, 2007, followed by countries in Asia such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore from late March, 2007. The Korean version of the phone is scheduled to launch in the second quarter of 2007. Read More
Paper 2.0 - Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology enters the market
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January 19, 2007 The second coming of the book, the paper and ink mainstay of human knowledge for most of the last 5000 years, appears to be almost upon us. Despite thousands of years of technological development, paper has maintained its readability advantage of over modern display technology but technology is just about to surpass it and the logical big players are getting ready tp produce readable displays that offer an experience akin to that of reading on paper - this is known as Electronic Paper. E-Ink’s Electronic Paper Displays are the current dominant player in the marketplace, with its displays used in the iRex Iliad and Sony Readers, with other implementations in clocks, watches, smart cards, billboards and mobile phones but there will be others and Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology (TMD) entered the fray this week when it announced not only that it has developed a high-resolution, 16-level grayscale, highly-reflective, 5-inch VGA monochrome thin-film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) which offers the combined features of high resolution and high reflectance, but that it had started mass production. The display technology looks fantastic (see images inside), and is well suited for monochrome applications such as found in electronic dictionaries and books or operating panels of multifunctional office automation equipment.
Samsung SCH-W559 Mobile Phone with Immersion’s VibeTonz System for Tactile Touchscreen Feedback
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January 18, 2007 Relevant feedback from an intelligent device is very important to the feel of that device, how you relate to it and how efficiently you use it. Immersion Corporation is the company that has enabled touch feedback technology to dominate video game interfaces and now we warrant, it’s set to do the same for mobile phones. The new Samsung SCH-W559 phone is the first to use Immersion's VibeTonz System to provide tactile feedback in response to touchscreen presses. VibeTonz offers a broad range of touch feedback effects to make user interface features, applications, and multimedia content more intuitive and engaging. For example, virtual onscreen buttons feel more like mechanical keys, and the phone’s full-fidelity, vibe-enhanced ringtones are help identify callers in noisy environments. So compelling and useful is the vibration feedback system that global research and consulting firm Strategy Analytics believes that “market conditions are almost ripe for an explosion in touchscreen phones”, and “by 2012, 40% of mobile phones could be using some form of touch sensitive technology. Read More
Lithium batteries for the iPod extend listening time up to 60 hours
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January 12, 2007 Advanced technology vehicle and energy pioneer ZAP has graced our pages many times over the last few years, each time with something very special and usually very different such as the Powerski, XEBRA, or OBVIO! About the only thing these products all have in common is their electric power source, and ditto for the company’s latest launch - a new iZAP series of lithium battery packs designed specifically to work with the iPod. ZAP also introduced a new Recharge-It-All line of Portable Energy at CES. The new rechargeable power packs can power a wide range of mobile electronics like cell phones, digital cameras, laptops and more. Read More
iLane Hands-Free and Eyes-Free Email Solution for In-Vehicle Use
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January 12, 2007 With the automobile quickly becoming a key node in our personal networked universe, the ability to significantly enhance our productivity and travelling experience is yielding myriad opportunities. One company focussed solely on this telematics and automotive safety solutions area is Intelligent Mechatronic Systems (IMS), which released details of its iLane solution at CES after announcing the product at IFA in Berlin last year. iLane is a hands-free and eyes-free email solution for in-vehicle use with a target price of US$700 and will be available Q2/2007. iLane provides drivers with voice-based access to their inbox, alleviating the dangerous practice of reading or typing on a handheld device while driving. By using iLane you can instead keep your hands safely on the wheel, and your eyes on the road; which allows you to stay connected to critical information in a way that puts on-road safety first. Email attachments, calendar appointments, SMS messages and phone calls are likewise managed in a hands-free manner. Read More
US$230 Handheld Translator speaks 12 languages
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January 12, 2007 The barriers between cultures that create fear, mistrust and conflict seem to be dissolving – first distance and now language is going the same way as the Berlin Wall. At CES, electronic handheld information publisher Franklin Electronic showed its new 12-Language Speaking Global Translator (Model TGA-490). The US$230 pocket-sized handheld contains over 450,000 words and 12,000 phrases in twelve languages and features recorded human speech providing accurate and clear pronunciation of words and phrases in all twelve languages. Basically, this means that if you speak Chinese (Mandarin), Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish, you now have the basics to have a conversation with anyone who speaks one of these languages, though this communication tool was specially designed with the non-Asian language speaker travelling to the Far East in mind. The new PDA-sized device has a slide out keyboard and a rechargeable battery and also includes an MP3 player, a currency converter, world clock, alarm, and voice recorder. Read More
New S-XGen Ultra Mobile Personal Computer with almost full-sized keyboard eight hour battery life
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January 11, 2007 An interesting new communications device debuted at the 2007 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas, this week. The US$1400 S-XGen from Seamless Internet is an Ultra Mobile Portable Computer (UMPC) integrating all of the computing and digital functionality of other UMPC's in a design that offers a near full-size keyboard and an ultra-productive eight-hour battery life. Created for serious business users, the S-XGen combines several digital products into a single, easy-to-access device. The unit's extra long battery life and fold-out keyboard makes the S-XGen a serious full-day work partner that puts an end to frustrating text messaging-style 'dumb thumb' typing and 'low battery' AC-power searches. Read More
WHOOPS - Cisco files suit against Apple over iPhone Trademark Infringement
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January 11, 2007 Apple’s iPhone burst onto the internet yesterday like a nuclear explosion, immediately becoming the most sought after product of 2007. Given that just about every tech journalist in the world was aware of Cisco’s registered iPhone trademark, we all assumed that a deal had been struck, but apparently not! Cisco today announced that it has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against Apple, seeking to prevent Apple from infringing upon and deliberately copying and using it’s trademark. Cisco obtained the iPhone trademark in 2000 after completing the acquisition of Infogear, which previously owned the mark and sold iPhone products for several years. Infogear’s original filing for the trademark dates to 1996. Linksys, a division of Cisco, has been shipping a new family of iPhone products since early last year, expanding the iPhone family with additional products as recently as December. “Cisco entered into negotiations with Apple in good faith after Apple repeatedly asked permission to use Cisco’s iPhone name,” said Mark Chandler, senior vice president and general counsel, Cisco. “There is no doubt that Apple’s new phone is very exciting, but they should not be using our trademark without our permission. Read More
Apple's knockout US$500 iPhone
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January 9, 2007 Apple today introduced iPhone, and all the anticipation did not dull the event or the remarkable product the company unveiled. The iPhone combines three products - a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching and maps. The iPhone will be available in the US in June, Europe in late 2007, and Asia in 2008, in a 4GB model for US$500 and an 8GB model for US$600, and will work with either a PC or Mac. Several iPhone accessories will also be available in June, including Apple's new remarkably compact Bluetooth headset. iPhone introduces an entirely new user interface based on a large multi-touch display and pioneering new software, letting users control iPhone with just their fingers. iPhone also ushers in an era of software power and sophistication never before seen in a mobile device, which completely redefines what users can do on their mobile phones.
OQO 02 ULTRA MOBILE PC - the World’s smallest Windows Vista Capable Personal Computer
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January 9, 2007 Bill Gates yesterday showcased OQO’s next generation ultra-mobile PC, the model 02, in his keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Weighing a mere one pound and small enough to fit in a pocket, the model 02 is the world’s smallest Windows Vista capable computer and not only have the company fixed every shortcoming of the first model, the model 02 is up to four times faster and has a display more than six times brighter than its groundbreaking predecessor. Redesigned from the ground up, the model 02 features a new ergonomic backlit keyboard and capacitive TouchScrollers for easy input and navigation. The model 02 incorporates complete wireless connectivity – including EV-DO Wireless WAN, WiFi, and Bluetooth – ensuring the user has high speed and uncompromised access to the internet, email, and networked applications. Expected to ship before the end of March, the OQO model 02 will sell for US$1500. Read More
90 Watt-hour Universal Battery adds 8 hours of Notebook runtime
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January 9, 2007 American Power Conversion announced three Universal Notebook Batteries yesterday and the US$200 top-of-the-line, 90 watt-hour model is a ripper offering roughly eight hours of additional runtime in a slim footprint that can rest underneath a notebook computer. Two USB ports supply power over 5V to USB-powered mobile devices, providing additional opportunities to power and charge accessories, such as an iPod and BlackBerry. The Universal Notebook Battery 90 uses lithium polymer battery cells and has an LCD screen that provides real-time status information such as battery capacity, recharge time and battery load, as well as input and output voltage. More details on the batteries within the article – all three batteries will be available in the first quarter of 2007. Read More
Samsung Ultra Music and Ultra Video Mobile Phones
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January 9, 2007 Samsung Electronics debuted two new entertainment phones at CES yesterday – the Ultra Music and Ultra Video exemplify the convergence of basic devices, such as PMP, MP3 and radio, with mobile phones. Both combine the features of a camera phone with 2 MPX images, with their particular entertainment bents, all facilited by an LCD on each side. On one side there is a smaller LCD screen and the dialing keypad for making phone calls, contact entry and cell phone menu functions. The reverse side has a large LCD screen and a dedicated touch sensitive pad to cater to the multimedia functions. Read More
ScanBuy - barcode software on your camera phone creates the Physical World Hyperlink
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January 8, 2007 From time-to-time, we see a potentially disruptive technology of such magnitude we ponder its ability to shake the foundations - Scanbuy rates in that category. The irony of the ingenious system is that it leverages the humble barcode – a sixty year old far-from-vogue technology under threat from RFID. Last week, the U.S. Patent Office issued a patent to Scanbuy for a "System and method for decoding and analyzing barcodes using a mobile device". The software works on any handheld device (download here) with a camera and internet connection and uses the camera to read the barcode, then connects the device’s web browser to the corresponding web site. What this enables, which we think is very significant - is the connection of physical objects to the internet - a Physical World Hyperlink. Camera phones have only been available in most countriesfor four years yet they are fast approaching ubiquity– in 2005, 45 percent of all mobile phones sold in the U.S. were camera phones, with 64 percent in Western Europe and 90% plus in the logical Asian hotspots. Global sales of camera phones is expected to approach a billion a year by the end of this decade – accordingly, Scanbuy’s free software and a mobile phone means that a consumer can connect with a poster, billboard, magazine, newspaper, food packaging, businesscard, city guide, map or merchandising display – it’s a no-brainer to make a dead-as-a-doornail product interactive to the majority of people. 2D barcodes are already the preferred way for Japanese and Korean consumers to access mobile content but the beauty of the Scanbuy system is that it works on any camera phone and doesn’t require a special attachment or built-in bar code reader. The first application of this technology is fairly logical - being able to walk through any physical store and snap the barcode of any onbject and immediately have your phone tell you where else you can buy it and price comparison shop for you. We think that represents significant seismic activity under the foundations of bricks and mortar businesses, but it’s just one aspect of what can happen when you connect the real world to the internet. If you have an idea for how it can work for you, there’s even a software developers kit. Read More
The credit-card-sized Taxi Hailer
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January 7, 2007 Hailing a taxi during peak period is skill requisite for your survival in the urban jungle and this is a sure fire way to be seen - the UKP12.50 Taxi Hailer has the form factor of a credit card and contains an energy efficient super bright LED flashing light. The Taxi Hailer costs UKP12.50 for one, getting down to UKP3.53 for bulk orders and for not much more, you can have them branded for a unique promotional item that it likely to be both kept and appreciated. Via Gizmodo
Mac tablet computer with GPS
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January 7, 2007 Here’s one to look forward to for Mac enthusiasts. The ModBook is the first ever Mac tablet computer solution and we’ll be able to see it without the veil on January 9, at the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco. The Axiotron ModBook is not a Mac product, but uses Apple's Mac OS X Tiger operating system and its own WACOM Penabled hardware to create a high-end slate-style notebook computer that is fully compatible with Apple's Inkwell, a Mac OS X Tiger feature that provides system level handwriting and gesture recognition to all Mac applications. This means you can draw and write directly on the screen for a uniquely intuitive user experience. The slim, slate-style ModBook form factor makes further claims as a very useful tool for mobile users, as there’s an optional built-in Global Positioning System (GPS) developed in cooperation with GlobalSat Technologies using the SiRFstar III chipset. Read More
