Motorola ROKR E6: Smartphone with Linux

The MOTO ROKR E6 is not like the musically talented ROKR E1 and E2 that came before it. It is more a smart phone with multimedia capabilities, targeted at young professionals. The Motorola ROKR E6 is not using Windows Mobile for its smartphone and instead using its own Linux-based OS. With so many smartphones looking the same, it's great to see a phone going a different route, the ROkR e6 Linux-based Moto phone is the perfect answer for users that love smartphones and love Linux.

The E6 uses touchscreen input, so users who prefer a hardware keypad to thumb away are better off with the slider ROKR Z6. Unlike most touchscreen phones with their LCDs slightly below the surface of the unit, creating a sort of rim around it, the ROKR E6 is completely flat. Instead, the panel is under a transparent plastic layer that makes you feel like you're tapping on a layer of air. You never really "touch" the screen's surface in actual use. At 123g, the E6 is not the lightest phone around, nor is it the thinnest (14.5mm), but the build quality is excellent.

There are some good features on this ROKR, such as a 3.5mm audio jack, a Secure Digital card slot for up to 2GB of flash media, a Hold button to prevent accidental presses and a mini-USB port. As a multimedia player, the installed RealPlayer is capable of playing most popular formats including AAC, AAC+, DRM, MIDI, MP3, RA, WAV and WMA. The E6 also supports Bluetooth stereo so you can use your wireless stereo headset. One thing we didn't take too well to was the poorly located music playback controls on the left edge of the phone. Because of the flushed surface, it is hard to feel for the buttons, much less know what each represents.

Over at the back of the E6 is a 2-megapixel camera. The phone's internal memory is only a measly 8MB. Fortunately, the E6 has an SD card slot that supports up to 2GB of flash media. That's not the only trick up this ROKR's camera sleeve. It's also a Webcam when connected to a PC via USB (you'll need to install the drivers) and a business card reader.

Videos

Motorola ROKR E6 with iPhone Theme

Motorola Rokr E6

Motorola Rokr E6

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Apple's iPhone will have a long-lasting battery

Apple Inc.'s iPhone will have a longer-lasting battery than it originally expected, exceeding those in rival phones, the company release said. The company put to rest two of several concerns about the iPhone, which combines a music player and cell phone. It is due to hit stores on June 29.

Apple said the iPhone would provide up to eight hours of talk time, or six hours of Internet use. In January, it said the battery would last as long as five hours of talk time. Apple also said the top surface of the touch-screen phone, which will sell for about US$500 to US$600 through a subscription with AT&T Inc., has been upgraded from plastic to optical-quality glass, making it more resistant to scratches. Because users will control the phone by moving their fingers across its screen, the materials used could be crucial to the acceptance and durability of the phone, analysts said.

AT&T, the biggest U.S. wireless provider, has an exclusive agreement to sell the phone in the United States for at least two years. The company has said that more than a million people have inquired about the phone via e-mail. But wireless experts have questioned whether Apple's first phone, built off the success of its iPod music and video player, will live up to the industry hype ahead of its launch.

"It all depends what (consumers) use it for, but I think it would make quite a bit of difference ... versus traditional smartphone talk times," Yankee Group analyst Lauren Cotes said, comparing the iPhone's eight hours of talk time to rival devices with four or five hours. The iPhone battery cannot be easily removed, unlike those of traditional cell phones, so power efficiency is an even more important feature in this device, Cotes said.

Shaw Wu of American Technology Research questioned whether the phone would live up to its claims. "We hope those times are accurate, but our sources have indicated iPhone's active use battery life may be closer to around 4-5 hours for heavy use, similar to other smart phones," Wu said in a note to clients.

Manufacturers are always battling to improve the battery life of cell phones, as constant communication with radio broadcast towers tends to drain power more quickly than unconnected consumer electronics devices. Smartphones such as the iPhone also need lots of power as they also aim to handle Web browsing, personal data storage and music and video playback. Apple said its battery claims are dependent upon specific configurations and "many other factors."

Apple spokeswoman Jennifer Bowcock said the January battery-life estimate was based on a pre-production model of the iPhone. Analysts said Apple had likely kept power management as a priority in writing the phone's operating software and used the best available battery technology for the device. "I think it's a combination of factors, better battery technology, more efficient software and also hardware, such as power management chips," said Wu.

Apple said all told, the iPhone can support up to eight hours of talk time, seven hours of video playback, or 24 hours of audio playback.

Source: China Post

Technical specifications are subject to change.

1. 1GB = 1 billion bytes; actual formatted capacity less.
2. Talk Time: Testing conducted by Apple in May and June 2007 using preproduction iPhones and software. All talk time testing was done connected to a 1900MHz network. All settings were default except: Call Forwarding was turned on; the WiFi feature Ask to Join Networks was turned off. Battery life depends on the cellular network, location, signal strength, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may vary.
3. Standby: Testing conducted by Apple in May and June 2007 using preproduction iPhones and software. All settings were default except: Call Forwarding was turned on; the WiFi feature Ask to Join Networks was turned off. Battery life depends on the cellular network, location, signal strength, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may vary.
4. Internet over WiFi: Testing conducted by Apple in May and June 2007 using preproduction iPhones and software. Internet over WiFi testing conducted using a closed network and dedicated web and mail server, simulating browsing to 20 popular URLs and checking mail once an hour. All settings were default except: Call Forwarding was turned on; the WiFi feature Ask to Join Networks and Auto-Brightness were turned off; WPA2 encryption was enabled. Battery life depends on the cellular network, location, signal strength, WiFi connectivity, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may vary. Internet over EDGE: Testing conducted by Apple in May and June 2007 using preproduction iPhones and software. Internet over EDGE testing conducted over a 1900 MHz EDGE, using a dedicated web and mail server, simulating browsing to 20 popular URLs and checking mail once an hour. All settings were default except: Call Forwarding was turned on; the WiFi feature Ask to Join Networks and Auto-Brightness were turned off. Battery life depends on the cellular network, location, signal strength, EDGE connectivity, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may vary.
5. Video Playback: Testing conducted by Apple in May and June 2007 using preproduction iPhones and software. Video content was a repeated 2 hour 23 minute movie purchased from the iTunes Store. All settings were default except: Call Forwarding was turned on; the WiFi feature Ask to Join Networks and Auto-Brightness were turned off. Battery life depends on the cellular network, location, signal strength, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may vary.
6. Audio Playback: Testing conducted by Apple in May and June 2007 using preproduction iPhones and software. The playlist consisted of 358 unique audio tracks, a combination of content imported from CDs using iTunes (128-Kbps AAC encoding) and content purchased from the iTunes Store (128-Kbps AAC encoding). All settings were default except: Call Forwarding was turned on; the WiFi feature Ask to Join Networks was turned off. Battery life depends on the cellular network, location, signal strength, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may vary.

iPhone

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iPhone rival HTC Touch arrives in India

It is the low-profile big daddy of the Windows Mobile world. Taiwan-based High Tech Computer Corp., known for making the Windows Mobile standard a success and with an estimated 70% market share in the category, has announced a tie-up with India’s largest mobile operator Bharti Airtel Ltd to distribute its iPhone rival—‘Touch’. Peter Chou, CEO and president of the company, is attempting to move the $3.2 billion company from a pure outsourced design and manufacturing firm to a branded player in the global handset market. "Like our tie-up with Bharti Airtel in India, we would like to have dual-branded products... where both the operator and we market it together. We were a little late in coming to India with our brand, but now that we are here, we will launch all our products", says the CEO.

Realated Articles:-

We were a little late in coming to India with our brand: Peter Chow

Market is warming up for touch screen technology

The soon to be launched Apple's iPhone is already creating enthusiasm in the customers to use the touch screen technology, making the use of mobile much more comfortable and user friendly. A third of the respondents in a survey conducted by Canalys from its recent consumer mobility survey among European consumers, indicated that having a touch screen on their mobile phone would be a good idea if it meant they got a large display, but without increasing the overall size of the phone. When asked about their personal phone preferences, a further 10% were prepared to make a trade-off by ending up with a larger phone in return for a large touch screen or a good keyboard. Only 28% said categorically that they just wanted a traditional numeric keypad while another 24% said that having a small phone was the priority regardless of input method used. Acceptance of touch screen phones was up to 50% higher among those who had high interest in having mobile TV services, mobile e-mail or handset-based GPS navigation, or who already used most of the features on their current phones. But the requirement that the larger screen did not result in a larger phone remained strong across all these groups.

"Following Apple’s iPhone launch, several handset vendors have announced their own finger touch-screen devices, for example the LG Prada phone and the HTC Touch. Vendors going down the touch screen route face some big challenges, in gaining user acceptance, in winning over operators who have strong content and branding aspirations themselves, and not least in building an interface that actually works well all the time", says the report.

Summary of Canalys Report - Consumers warm to the touch screen phone

Verizon and LG May compete iPhone With Prada

Verizon is preparing a secret weapon for the escalating handset wars. Facing major competition to come from Apple’s AT&T-affiliated iPhone, Verizon and LG are said to be readying a competing product, the LG Prada. Verizon's anti-iPhone is LG's Prada. The Prada, or KE 850, was recently introduced in England and is very similar in appearance to the iPhone. As the

phone's high fashion name would suggest, the Prada was designed with the help of the Italian fashion house and it comes with a suitably high price, selling for more than $600 in the U.K. The iPhone, due to be rolled out next month, is expected to fetch $500.

Preview Prada Phone LG KE850

Prada Menu

LG KE850 Prada Key Features :-

• Dimensions: 98.8 x 54 x 12 mm
• Weight: 85 g
• Standby Time: Up to 300 h
• Talk Time: Up to 3 h
• Screen: TFT touch screen, 256K colours, 240 x 400 pixels, 3 inches
• Camera: 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels, video (30fps), flash
• Data Storage: 8 MB shared memory
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB support, WAP 2.0/xHTML
• Entertainment: Java MIDP 2.0, MP3/ACC/WMA player, FM radio
• Add On: Capacitive touch screen, Document viewer (.ppt, .doc, .xls, .pdf, .txt)

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Taiwan Company Ready to Rival iPhone

Another competitor for yet to launch iPhone of Apple, High Tech Computer Corp (HTC), a Taiwan-based smartphone manufacturer, announced that it is readying a touch-screen phone of its own that will compete with Apple’s forthcoming iPhone, Reuters reported. The new phone will be called the HTC Touch, and a version has already been released in Britain. HTC has traditionally made phones for other companies, such as Dell; it has recently shifted towards making its own phones. The new phone does not yet have a deal in place with any U.S. carrier. The company's second-half U.S. launch for its newly released HTC Touch phone follows a recent release for the model in Britain. It will face a crowded field, however; in addition to the iPhone, LG’s Prada will reportedly be on the market by then as well.

Specifications of HTC Touch :-

Operating System - Windows Mobile 6 Professional

Memory - ROM: 128 MB, SDRAM: 64MB DRR

Dimensions - 99.9 mm (L) X 58 mm (W) X 13.9 mm (T)
Weight - 112 gm with Battery

HTC Touch Preview

Sugar Could Power IPods, Cell Phones And Other Electronics More Efficiently

Juicing up your cell phone or iPod may take on a whole new meaning in the future. Researchers at Saint Louis University in Missouri have developed a fuel cell battery that runs on virtually any sugar source -- from soft drinks to tree sap -- and has the potential to operate three to four times longer on a single charge than conventional lithium ion batteries, they say.

For consumers, that could mean significantly longer time to talk and play music between charges. The new battery, which is also biodegradable, could eventually replace lithium ion batteries in many portable electronic applications, including computers, the scientists say.

Using sugar for fuel is not a new concept: Sugar in the form of glucose supplies the energy needs of all living things. While nature has figured out how to harness this energy efficiently, scientists only recently have learned how to unleash the energy-dense power of sugar to produce electricity.

If the scientific trials of testing and refinement are successful, the technology could be ready for commercialization in three to five years. Like other fuel cells, the sugar battery contains enzymes that convert fuel -- in this case, sugar -- into electricity, leaving behind water as a main byproduct. But unlike other fuel cells, all of the materials used to build the sugar battery are biodegradable. Scientists have run the batteries on glucose, flat sodas, sweetened drink mixes and tree sap, with promising results. The best fuel source tested so far is ordinary table sugar (sucrose) dissolved in water.

One of the first applications for the sugar fuel cell is using it as a portable cell phone recharger, similar to the quick rechargers already on the market that allow users to instantly charge their cell phones while 'on the go.' Ideally, these rechargers would contain special cartridges that are pre-filled with a sugar solution. These cartridges then could be replaced when they're used up. Ultimately, scientists hope that the sugar battery can be used as a stand-alone battery replacement in a wide range of portable electronic devices.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by American Chemical Society.

New Way of Coverting the Heat of your Laptop into Electricity

University of Utah physicists developed small devices that turn heat into sound and then into electricity. The technology holds promise for changing waste heat into electricity, harnessing solar energy and cooling computers including the laptops and radars.

University of Utah physicist Orest Symko demonstrates how heat can be converted into sound by using a blowtorch to heat a metallic screen inside a plastic tube, which then produces a loud tone, similar to when air is blown into a flute. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Utah)

The research is funded by the U.S. Army, which is interested in taking care of waste heat from radar, and also producing a portable source of electrical energy which you can use in the battlefield to run electronics. These devices could be used within two years as an alternative to photovoltaic cells for converting sunlight into electricity. The heat engines also could be used to cool laptop and other computers that generate more heat as their electronics grow more complex.

Using sound to convert heat into electricity has two key steps. University of Utah Physicist Symko and his colleagues developed various new heat engines (technically called "thermoacoustic prime movers") to accomplish the first step: convert heat into sound. Then they convert the sound into electricity using existing technology: "piezoelectric" devices that are squeezed in response to pressure, including sound waves, and change that pressure into electrical current. "Piezo" means pressure or squeezing. When heat is applied -- with matches, a blowtorch or a heating element -- the heat builds to a threshold. Then the hot, moving air produces sound at a single frequency, similar to air blown into a flute. Then the sound waves squeeze the piezoelectric device, producing an electrical voltage. It is similar to what happens if you hit a nerve in your elbow, producing a painful electrical nerve impulse.

Devices that convert heat to sound and then to electricity lack moving parts, so such devices will require little maintenance and last a long time. They do not need to be built as precisely as, say, pistons in an engine, which loses efficiency as the pistons wear. These devices won't create noise pollution. First, as smaller devices are developed, they will convert heat to ultrasonic frequencies people cannot hear.

Source : Science Daily

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At last, a wireless solution for charging gadgets

WildCharge, a Arizona based comapny, has developed a wire-free technology that it claims can provide full-power wire-free electricity for mobile consumer electronics. With "initial reports" suggesting that pricing will be somewhere in the $40 to $100 range, WildCharge answers a major problem many of us face daily – a problem that’s hindering the freedom and productivity of true mobility: our need to carry and use bulky chargers, power adapters and cords for all the mobile electronic devices we use, such as cell phones, laptop computers, portable music players and many others.

WildCharge is dedicated to revolutionizing electric power delivery to mobile devices through their safe, sleek, wire-free electric power solution. This innovative technology and its derivative family of products will finally deliver to you the true freedom to be mobile! No messy wires, no tangled cords, no multiple plugs!

The WildCharger is a flat, thin charging pad that is capable of delivering upto 90 watts of power - ample power to charge simultaneously most laptop computers and an assortment of small devices placed anywhere on its surface.

Similarly, WildCharger Mini delivers upto 15 Watts of power capable of powering and charging three or four small devices such as cellular phones, portable music players, digital cameras and other similar products. The WildCharger and WildCharger Mini will be launched in the first half of 2007.