Mobiles reviews - cellphone

Hop-on launches $10 disposable GSM cellphone

Sat, 24 May 2008 19:44:32 +0000

The mobile space has come a long way in the past couple decades. So much so that Hop-on can make a profit from selling a $10 disposable mobile phone. Such a cheap, nay disposable, cellphone would have been unheard of just several years ago. Hop-on, the disposable cellphone company that keeps popping up on our radar [...]

New York State court upholds ban on cellphones in school

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:58:13 +0000

When it comes to the classroom, there are just some things that should be checked at the door. Some say that religion doesn't have a place in the public school environment. Others say that sex-education is best left out of the classroom. And, New York education officials feel that cellphones should be left out of [...]

Hop-on disposable cellphone coming to Europe - mobile phone is cheap enough to throw away

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:42:30 +0000

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 [...]

Congress considers bill to ban cellphones from in-flight use

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:51:27 +0000

As if the FCC and FAA's indefinite ban on the use of mobile phones while airborne wasn't enough, a couple well-meaning but likely clueless Congressman have proposed a bill that would effectively ban cellphones from being used on an airborne plane. Apparently, the fear of having to sit next to loud and obnoxious passenger yapping [...]

This is what happens when you love your mobile phone too much - cellphone users' wedding cake

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:36:21 +0000

Just what does a cellphone-addicted couple's wedding cake look like? Well, chances are, if they really, really love their mobile phone, the cake will sport a cake-topper (those figurines that adorn the tops of wedding cakes) like this. The cellphone-toting cake toppers are actually satirically funny. What better way to make light of the high-tech times [...]

Blind Japanese man creates vibrating Braille handset

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:17:44 +0000

Raised Braille-bumps on handset keypads are good for dialing a phone number and other simple tasks, but it can be a little more demanding to tap out text messages or do anything more complex by feel alone. To help the blind get more out of their mobile phones, Nobuyuki Sasaki, a former Tsukuba University [...]

European Commission gives go-ahead for in-flight mobile phone calls in Europe

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:40:23 +0000

European jetsetters just got another step closer to getting their cellphone-calling fix while strapped into that airplane seat at cruising altitude. The European Commission has just approved the use of mobile phones in airplanes over European airspace. Following on the UK's OfCom announcement that in-flight calling is good to go in Great Britain, the executive [...]

UK Office of Communications to allow in-flight cellphone calls - OfCom plan allows voice calls

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:48:05 +0000

We've been hearing a lot about all the data service offerings that will allow airline passengers to get their data-fix while in-flight, so it's refreshing to here of some developments regarding in-flight voice calls. Following on Norwegian Air's plan to offer in-flight voice calls and internet services through its Call Norwegian venture, the Office of [...]

Panasonic Link To Cell base station routes cellular calls to home phone handsets

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:18:04 +0000

T-Mobile's push to rid the planet of landlines with their T-Mobile HotSpot @Home UMA program has started to catch on. The idea of dropping your traditional landline in favor of using your wireless minutes at home is getting more and more traction around the world. I personally haven't used a landline (although I subscribe to [...]

Cellphone as ear warmer

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:05:43 +0000

In which we discuss how to get yourself out of a traffic citation for driving while using a mobile phone. In many parts of the world, it's now illegal to drive with a cellphone pasted to the side of your face - it's distracting for the driver and just isn't a good look. Even drivers in [...]

Half of all Japanese use their mobile phone in the bath

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:35:34 +0000

Wait, does anyone actually take baths anymore? I sure don't. None of my friends (girls and guys) do either. I guess it's popular in Japan. A new study from Sega polled 16,250 people regarding their mobile phone use. Following on the absence of 2G mobile phone sales in January, the new report finds that the island-nation [...]

Waterproof your mobile phone with P2i's Ion-Mask coating

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 22:45:11 +0000

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?

The Sharper Image sells cellphones - the world laughs

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:46:02 +0000

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

Vodafone UK customer charges up ridiculous cellphone bill

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 18:31:31 +0000

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

Would you walk 12 miles to charge your cellphone?

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 22:56:34 +0000

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