The Hop-on HOP1900 Graffiti phone that brought the convenience of disposable mobile phones to the US is apparently set to make a trip across the pond. Thanks to an initial test-order of 10,000 units, and unnamed distributor has made the commitment to bring the super-cheap, display-less Hop-on disposable cellphone to Europe. Of course, the Euro-version of [...]

Add Samsung to the list of mobile phone manufacturers that are unwilling to buy Motorola's ailing handset division. Sony Ericsson doesn't want anything to do with it, LG is staying away, and now Samsung's announced that they don't want to take a bite of Motorola's profit-free concoction. Choi Gee-sung, head of Samsung's mobile phone unit, told [...]

We’ve known about it for some time now . We’ve been waiting for it to drop. Motorola just made it official . And, now we had a chance to play with the Motorola Z10. Unfortunately, it turns out that the Z10 display units that we had a chance to test at the Motorola booth were still prototypes. We’ll talk more about what that means in a bit. For now we’re going to give you a bit of insight into the Motorola Z10 user experience. Overall, the Moto Z10 is a striking piece of RAZR-esque design that is both bold and sleek at the same time. The handset’s lines are essentially the same as Motorola’s Z8 slide-phone - with the same “slide and bend” design. Keep reading for the rest of the goods… Buttons feel nice and rubbery with a satisfying tactile response. Dedicated music controls and camera buttons make it as easy to capture your memorable moments with the photo and video camera as it is to kick back and listen to some tunes. And, as Dusan mentioned previously , this Z8 successor bumps up the camera image-sensor pixel count to 3.2 megapixels, up from the Z8’s 2 million pixels. Pictures are sharp and clear with virtually no shutter lag - and the camera has a “multi-shot” feature that allows you to take 3, 5, or 12 pictures in sequence. However, likely owing to the fact that the Z10 we played with was a prototype (production units were said to be available at the end of the Q1 2008), video recording on the handset was unacceptably sub-par. Video seemed to be recording at something like 10-15fps - not what we expected from the Z10. Overall, the MOTORIZR Z10 is a slick piece. We weren’t able to test out the 3G HSDPA and full HTML browser, nor the instantaneous video broadcasting, but those are some pretty trick features that are sure to appeal to a lot of people. Oh, and don’t forget the 3.5mm headphone jack - Sony Ericsson always does . Here’s the Motorola Z10 video recording sample. Recording of Stefan as he records me recording him. ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:IntoMobile in Las Vegas - CES 2008Live pics of the new Sony Ericsson lineup from CES 2008 - W760, W350, Z555All About Symbian Podcast 11 is up: CES, iPhone and 3GSM oh my!MOTORIZR Z10 caught in the wildMotorola launches Moto Z8 in Taiwan; We say - wait for the Z10

With Intel already aligned with Google’s OHA and reportedly making nice with Apple to have their mobile chipset, Silverthorne , power the next-gen iPhone, it’s more than clear that the computer-chip manufacturing giant is making waves in the mobile market. But, just why is Intel getting into such a competitive market? Intel’s CEO Paul Otellini had a little Q&A session with USA Today reporter Michelle Kessler and this is what Intel’s head-honcho has in mind for the mobile space: First off, Otellini sees mobile devices becoming more and more computer-like. Most of our readers are already well aware of just how far the mobile phone has come in recent years – high-end smartphones are more computer than they are cellphone. And that’s exactly the foothold Intel needs to claw its way up the mobile market-ladder. If mobile phones become mini-computers, then Intel’s strength in the PC-chip industry will give them an edge - in a market where manufacturers have to adapt their business model to a “smartphone world,” Intel is starting of as a true smartphone player. Otellini will also be aiming straight at Apple’s heart with an iPhone competitor that is like an iPhone “on steroids - thin and in your pocket. Some will work on voice. They’ll have the full Internet at reasonable speed with no compromises.” Odd that Intel would publicly announce that they’ll be aiming to trounce the iPhone, what with Apple poised to give Intel’s Silverthorne chip some big-dog backing. And, it looks like Verizon, Nokia, AT&T, and Vodafone’s (etc., etc.) backing of LTE as their next-gen network hasn’t fazed Intel’s support of WiMAX. It’s all a bit complicated (there’s a lot of regulatory red-tape and standardization required), but Otellini expects to have 250 million people covered by a WiMAX-blanket by 2010. Oh, and here’s the best part of the whole interview. In regards to how Intel managed to work through their financial slump and get back to a position where they can call the shots, Otellini responded, “We focused a large portion of (research and development) on where we wanted to go. We have the financial resources. Even in bad times, we make a few billion a year.” You gotta love that. [Via: USA Today ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:Intel preps a chip for iPhone rivalsInfineon and Intel join forces to develop high-density SIM cardsApple teams up with Intel to use Silverthorne chipset in next-gen devicesApple looking towards Intel chips for next-gen iPhone - Intel Inside iPhone 2.0Intel's next UMPC platform to be Maemo based?

How many times have you unknowingly jumped in the pool (drunk, or not) with your cellphone in your pocket? We all know how well that works out. Oh, and toilets are notorious for claiming mobile phone lives , too (and, if you do dunk your phone, this might save it ). Don’t ask us how we know. Anyway, waterproof mobile phones may be the next big thing. P2i’s Ion-Mask coating technology turns any run-of-the-mill mobile phone into hydro-adventurer. While it may not enable you to go for extended dives with a cellphone in your pocket, the P2i Ion-Mask coating will endow your handset with the power to survive casual encounters with water. The Ion-Mask technology is based on research from the Defence Science and Technology Lab in England, and uses a special chemical that bonds to your cellphone’s (or other gadget’s) internals - repelling water off the actual electrical bits and pieces, rather than relying on seals or external cases to keep the water out of the inside of phone. We’re hearing that three top-tier handset manufacturers are already in talks to bring the technology to future mobile phones. All mobile phones should come standard with at least a passing level of water resistance. We don’t all need a handset that will go swimming with us, but it would be nice if the occasional toilet-drop didn’t drown your handset into oblivion. [Via: Telegraph ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:Bone conduction headphonesNew, Cheaper, Longer-Lasting Batteries on the wayNokia working on diamond-like coating for mobile devicesSamsung P318+ - official phone of the Gold Olympic GamesT-mobile Wing Flying In To Replace MDA?

Not that we don’t love the random doo-hickeys that The Sharper Image stores and catalogues try to sell us - ionic air purifiers, chair massagers, and alarm clocks are cool and all, but they don’t exactly hit the top of our “must-have” gadget-list. Still, TSI does very well for themselves by convincing a lot of people that the ionic air purifier is a $400 necessity for any truly “modern” home. And, as such, the crap-boutique has started to offer, of all things, mobile phones. These Chinese-sourced, generic handsets range from barely acceptable to downright nasty - with three out of four handsets proudly showing off their “The Sharper Image” branding. First up, we have the AMOI N810 Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional smartphone. The AMOI N810 is the most powerful handset in TSI’s lineup, and boasts a 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, touchscreen (it’s a “Professional” WinMo device, after all), and an integrated GPS receiver. Unfortunately, the powerhouse of TSI’s mobile phone stable (branded as the Sharper Image 101TSI ) is a lowly tri-band jobby with a GPRS data connection - a bit disappointing, given its $499.95 price-point. Then there’s the LG Chocolate rip-off (as only the Chinese knock-off market can do). Like the original Chocolate, the TSI-branded Sharper Image 005TSI is a music-oriented handset with a sleek, shiny black finish and touch-sensitive music control on its face. Unlike the Chocolate, however, the 005TSi rocks a touchscreen display in lieu of the slide-out keypad. And, with a 1.3 megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, and microSD card slot, this $299.95 is TSI’s most worthy cellphone offering. Rounding out the bottom of this barrel, we see the Sharper Image 008TSI black slider that should never have been, and the 007TSI super-generic silver flip-phone. Neither handset will be giving any mainstream offering a run for their money - with little more than a VGA camera, pitling little display, and some expandable memory storage (via microSD), the 008TSI and 007TSI redefine “low-end.” The Sharper Image 008TSI will run you $249.95, while the Sharper image 007TSI costs just $169.95. The Sharper Image is emphasizing the “unlocked” status of all their branded handsets, hoping to lure those not “in the know” into getting a device that’s capable of working on almost any GSM network. It’s just too bad these mostly disappointing handsets are, well, so disappointing. Who wants a handset with  “The Sharper Image” plastered in bold, white font on the front-face? Anyone? [Via: Engadget Mobile ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:World Poker Tour cellphones by Sony EricssonLG Chocolate shipments hit 10 Million!Gizmodo's number one tag of 2006 was CellphonesCarphone Warehouse sold 11,000 iPhone over the weekendIt's official - Apple has sold 1 million iPhones

Here we go again with the ridiculous mobile phone charges. This one comes from the UK. The Mirror reports that Vodafone customer Ian Simpson apparently started using his mobile phone as a wireless modem, after realizing that his Vodafone handset could be tethered to his computer for faster download speeds. Well, Mr. Simpsons started downloading TV shows and music albums over his mobile phone’s data connection. After something like 20-30 TV shows and four albums, Vodafone pulled the plug on Ian’s mobile data connection. Now, here’s the kicker. Ian called up Vodafone to question why his £7.50 data plan had been cut off. Vodafone informed Mr. Simpson that he had charged up £27,322 (!) in mostly data-related charges. It seems his data plan wasn’t unlimited, as he had assumed (where have we heard that before ?). Vodafone said that they limit this particular data package to 120MB per month, and Mr. Simpson’s data usage legitimately exceeded that limit. Here’s Vodafone’s take: “Our advice would be to never use a mobile as a modem. We will try to come to some sympathetic arrangement. And we hope he won’t make the same mistake again.” Right. We’re sure Vodafone hope he won’t make that mistake again. Not that Mr. Simpson should have known better, or that he’s not playing with a full deck of cards. But, carriers should really reconsider their data-billing practices. Afterall, this isn’t an isolated incident , by any means. [Via: textually ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:Canadian man gets a $85,000 mobile phone billVodafone's fights iPhone defection by taking customer service offlineUsing a cellphone abroadVodafone working on an unlimited music download serviceVerizon ONE-BILL, integrated billing

Well, we sure wouldn’t, but that’s only because we don’t have to. Would you walk 12 miles to juice up your mobile phone? We thought not. Apparently, there are a few dozen villagers living in the, well, village of Kajrai in India that are making the 12-mile trek to the nearest power-port to charge-up their cellphones. You see, their village doesn’t have any electrical infrastructure, so there’s no hope of keeping their devices charged without a not-so-quick trip to the nearest source of electrons. Those precious handsets are the villagers’ only connection with the outside world, and could prove invaluable in times of emergency. And, with no forseeable plans to bring any electrical hookups to the village anytime soon, these villagers will probably be staying in great shape with all that walking. Mobile phones are really becoming a necessity of everyday life. Even in remote villages that don’t even have any electricity. Ahh, technology sure is wonderful. [Via: OnlyGizmos ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:Orange goes green; Works on the wind-powered cellphone charger3.3 billion mobile phones worldwide - 50% global market penetrationUK drivers face jailtime for using mobile phone on the roadSnoopy cellphone strapsTiger paw cellphone strap can clean your screen

Finally. If drivers in the UK are anything like we see in the US, then this legislation is sorely needed. Come this Thursday, new legislation will hit the UK-books that will threaten British drivers with jailtime, in addition to fines, if they’re caught using their mobile phone to text or talk whilst on the road. The charge of “dangerous driving” can bring a maximum sentence of 2 years, and unlimited fines can be levied against the offending driver. While jail may not be a realistic penalty in most cases, the “unlimited fine” could turn out to be a significant deterrent. As we reported previously , UK drivers are already subject to laws that prohibit the use of cellphones while driving. However, the relatively lax penalties aren’t really doing enough to scare drivers away from texting-while-driving - thousands of Brits flout the law everyday. The new law would make jailtime a possibility for anyone caught with their attention focused on their handset rather than the road ahead. While it doesn’t affect drivers using hands-free setups, UK officials can pull over and cite (or arrest) anyone that seems to be a danger on the road. Hey you! Get off that damn cellphone and pay attention! Or, maybe we should lobby for jail time for Americans that like to drive while using their mobile phones? Yea, that would be nice. ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:Road Angel Mobile protects your driving licenceMOTOROKR T505 Bluetooth in-car speakerphone with FM transmitter officially announcedCeramic Speaker Driver Takes Mobile Phone Speakers to a Whole New LevelVOIPGirl has some trouble setting up her Nokia N80iNissan Developing Test Intelligent Transportation System - Mobile Phones Prevents Auto/Pedestrian Accidents

With wireless coverage and services growing ever larger and more attractive, it’s not hard to see why one in eight US households have shunned the traditional hardline telephone in favor of the wireless variety. A new survey conducted by the National Health Interview Survey has indicated that 13.6% of all US households have done away with their landlines and are relying on their mobile phones as their sole means on communication/connection with friends and loved ones. The number of households going wireless-only has been steadily increasing since 2003. The most-recent numbers suggest that:

• More than 55% of adults living with unrelated roommates used only their cellphones
• 28% of renters were wireless-only, compared with 6.7% of homeowners
• More than 30% of those aged 25-29 rely solely on mobile phones; almost 30% of those aged 18-24 shunned landlines; 13% of adults in the 30-44 age group are landline-free; about 7% of people 45-64 used only cellphones; while only 2% of adults 65 and older shunned hardline telephones
• Men were more likely than women to be landline-free - a trend that has persisted throughout the years

But, there’s an interesting correlation between wireless-only adults and their penchant for the “finer things” in life. Mobile phone-only adults were twice as likely to binge drink, twice as likely to report not having health insurance, and more likely to be current smokers. However, most of these adults also reported their health to be in “excellent or very good” condition and participated in more physical activity in their free time than those that had landlines. Whatever the causation, it seems that the wire-free life is the life to live. At least until all that not-having-health-insurance catches up with them. Time to get us some health insurance! [Via: RCR ] ---Related Articles at IntoMobile:Young adults prefer mobiles over landlinesThird of all UK calls are made from mobilesMen chat more on mobile phones than women - say what?Global business mobility surveyAnother survey - Win S60 3rd Edition device