Thursday, October 23, 2008

This iPod is Full of Air

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/427358993/

It really is! Hear me out. The iBangle is Gopinath Prasana’s vision of a future iPod where the devices have become darn close to becoming jewelry. If you factor in inflation and the cost of Apple products today - might as well call it jewelry because it’ll cost as much. I digress, the iBangle is a thin piece of aluminum (of course) with a multi-touch track pad. To achieve the perfect fit, a cushion inside the ring inflates to keep itself taught against your wrist. Unisex? Maybe.

Designer: Gopinath Prasana

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Whatâs Black and White and Read All Over?

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/yankodesign/~3/427387299/

The obvious answer is concept cell phones with E ink displays. Despite their lamentable lack of color range, E ink mobiles are just all the rage these days. This concept from Anthony Reed stays a bit more inside the box with simplistic grid styling that keeps everything well within the gray scale range of the display.  When all you have to work with is black and white, maybe its best to embrace it fully instead of covering it up in flashy case graphics.

Designer: Anthony Reed

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Samsung Drops GPS, Slider Symbian Smartphones

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5066286/samsung-drops-gps-slider-symbian-smartphones

Samsung is still supporting another, non-Google open operating system for mobiles, showing off a couple of Symbian-based smartphones at a recent event in London. The Samsung I7110 doubles as a phone and a navigation device, while the Samsung L870 is being marketed as a fashion slider.

The I7110 comes with a GPS navigation program with geo-tagging, pedestrian and driving navigators. It also packs a 5MP camera, multiple codec support, 50MB of internal memory (expandable up to 16GB with a microSD slot), and an FM transmitter to push music and driving instructions through an in car radio.

Meanwhile, the L870 comes with a 2.4-inch QVGA display, a 3MP camera, FM radio, a music player, Bluetooth, and 100MB of internal memory (expandable up to 4GB). Instead of navigation programs, the slider has a more traditional set of smartphone software—push email, document viewers and the like. Prices weren't available yet for either phone.

With Extensive Product Portfolio

Samsung offers a variety of Symbian smartphones at the Smartphone Show 2008

The Smartphone Show, London, UK, October 21 2008 - Samsung Electronics, a leading provider of mobile phones and telecom systems, showcases an extensive portfolio of Symbian smartphones at this year's Smartphone Show (Oct. 21~22) in London, United Kingdom.

Samsung sees a great growth potential in the open Operating System based smartphone market, and has invested a lot of R&D and marketing resources in this market for past several years. Consequently, Samsung plans to offer a wider range of open OS mobiles this year, demonstrating significant progres! s in ope n OS and smartphone technology. Your browser may not support display of this image., the ultimate mobile entertainer with an 8-megapixel camera and Symbian OS, was recently launched and extremely well received by users and industry professionals all around the world.

Geesung Choi, President of Samsung's Telecommunications Business, said: "I'm sure that we will see more and more demand for smartphones with open Operating Systems thanks to the increasing need for flexibility and customization on mobiles, and the introduction of various mobile applications. Samsung's new Symbian OS-based smartphones such as Your browser may not support display of this image. shows our strategic focus on the open OS phone market."

"We will reinforce our open OS and smartphone leadership not only by providing more products, but also by opening our new developers collaboration program 'Samsung Mobile Innovator'." He concluded.

At this year's Smartphone Show, Mr.Ho-Soo Lee, Executive Vice President of Mobile Solution Centre, Telecommunication Business of Samsung Electronics, will deliver the keynote speech, 'Eight Reasons to Innov8,' on Tuesday, October 21.

Samsung's newly announced Symbian smartphones at the Smartphone Show include:

Samsung I7110

As a mobile navigator, the I7110 boasts advanced GPS navigation with geo-tagging, pedestrian navigation and driving navigation. The I7110's AMOLED LCD screen provides sharp and vivid image even in daylight for perfect pedestrian navigation in the palm of your hand. Through its FM transmitter, the I7110 enables its users to receive the voice guides on the move by transmitting to an in car radio.

With Samsung I7110, users will be able to enjoy a 5 Megapixel camera with Auto focus and LED flash. It also comes with the latest digital camera features including smile shot and blink shot functions. The I7110 also provides advanced video recording and play features, supporting multi-codec files to enable its users to! easily transfer without the hassle of converting files. It features 50MB of internal memory with micro SD slot, allowing users to store and enjoy various contents on the device up to 16GB.

To offer seamless connectivity, the I7110 comes with HSDPA connectivity and Wi-Fi connectivity. For easier web browsing, the phone also provides an 8-way optical mouse. The I7110 supports a 1200mAh battery that delivers 11 hours of talk time, meaning this slim and stylish smartphone offers long lasting multimedia experience.

Samsung L870

Like a fine tailored suit, the L870 is encased in a magnificent stainless steel body softly brushed with an elegant hairline pattern, and a 13.5mm slim and sleek outline, which can perfectly complement every outfit and style.

Leveraging the capabilities of S60 platform, L870 brings full connectivity that surpasses expectations for a handset device. The applications and features of S60 software are not only easy to learn and use, but also enable maximum productivity. A high speed internet browser provides access to more than 6,000 open applications which are compatible with L870 so users can customize the device for their individual needs.

L870 features many useful Samsung pre-installed applications such as an advanced task manager Checkit, PIMs (Personal information manager) homescreen, Team manager and business card recognition function. With these applications, users will experience a better time and life managing experience than ever.

L870 boasts many other latest applications and interfaces. A creative user interface (UI) features three different themes, and a 2.4-inch QVGA TFT display, a 3-megapixel camera, FM radio with RDS, music player and Bluetooth v.2.0 supports are all embedded within L870 for satisfying visual and audio entertainment needs.

Samsung I7110 Specifications:

Network HSDPA 3.6 Mbps (900/2100), EDGE / GPRS (850/900/1800/1900)
OS Symbian OS V9.3, S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2
Display 2.6" 262K QVGA AMOLED Camera 5 Megapixel CMOS with AF and LED Flash, Smile Shot, Blink Shot
Video Video Player (DivX / H.263 / H.264 / WMV / MP4, RV)
VGA 30 fps / QVGA 120fps Video recording
H.263+AMR NB
Audio FM Radio with RDS DNSe 2.0
Music Player (MP3/ AAC / AAC+ / eAAC+ / WMA / RealAudio)
Value-added Features GPS Navigation: Pedestrian & Driving, Geo-tagging
Optical Mouse, Accelerometer, FM Transmitter
Embedded 3D Games : FIFA 2008, Asphalt
Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)
Connectivity Bluetooth v2.0 / USB v2.0 / Wi-Fi
Memory 50MB User Memory + External Memory slot (up to 16GB)
Size 118 x 52 x 12.9 mm
Battery 1200 mAh
Talk time: up to 11 hrs/ 6 hrs (EDGE/WCDMA)
Stand-by time: up to 427 / 451 hrs (EDGE/WCDMA )

* Notice: Pedestrian map is available currently in only 10 cities in
Western Europe.

(Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Helsinki, London, Madrid, Milan,
Munich, Paris, Rome)

Samsung L870 Specifications:

Standard HSDPA (2100MHz) 3.6Mbps + EDGE/GPRS 900/1800/1900
Display 2.4" QVGA 16M Color TFT
Camera 3-Megapixel Camera
OS Symbian 9.3 S60 3.2
Features New Thematic UI, Quick Office document viewer
Push Email (Visto, Seven, Intellysync, Good)
Advanced PIM Applications
Music Player (MP3, AAC, AAC+, RA, AMR, WMA)
Video Player (H.263 + AMR, MPEG4, Real One, WMV)
FM Radio (RDS) Bluetooth v.2.0 EDR USB 2.0 (Full Speed)
Memory 100MB internal memory + Micro SD up to 4GB
Size 103.5 x 50.5 x 13.5mm

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Scientists Discover New State of Matter, Could Be Used To Upgrade Microchips

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5067499/scientists-discover-new-state-of-matter-could-be-used-to-upgrade-microchips

McGill University researchers have discovered a new state of matter to go along with good ol' solid, liquid, gas, plasma and a handful of quantum states—it's called a quasi-three-dimensional electron crystal. While the name sounds like something that would sap Superman's powers, this new state of matter could be used to fabricate modern transistors and continue Moore's Law... possibly indefinitely.

The quasi-three-dimensional electron crystals were discovered in a device scientists cooled at ultra-low temperatures – roughly 100 times colder than intergalactic space. They then exposed it to the most powerful magnetic fields possible on Earth, which made it "pop" from a 2D electron system to a semi-3D one. It could also help improve transistors, allowing for greater density on a single microchip. Looks like Gordon Moore can rest assure that his law won't be broken for another long while. [Science Blog]

(Note: That's not a picture of the new state of matter, by the way.)

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Samsung INNOV8: 8MP Cameraphone With a Digital Photo Frame Mode

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5066288/samsung-innov8-8mp-cameraphone-with-a-digital-photo-frame-mode

Samsung also included this puntastic entry into its offerings at London's Smartphone Show. The INNOV8, Samsung's first 8MP camera phone, comes with a 2.8-inch 16 million color LCD, 8GB or 16GB of flash memory (with an eternal SD card slot), an optical mouse, HSDPA and WiFi connectivity and a GPS navigation and geo-tagging service. The camera part of the mobile utilizes smile shot, blink shot and face recognition, and you'll also get a couple media editing programs thrown in for good measure. No word yet on price or availability, or whether the lens is good enough to make the 8MP sensor worth it.

Samsung Reinforces Its Leadership In Smartphone Market

With Extensive Product Portfolio

Samsung offers a variety of Symbian smartphones at the Smartphone Show 2008

The Smartphone Show, London, UK, October 21 2008 - Samsung Electronics, a leading provider of mobile phones and telecom systems, showcases an extensive portfolio of Symbian smartphones at this year's Smartphone Show (Oct. 21~22) in London, United Kingdom.

Samsung sees a great growth potential in the open Operating System based smartphone market, and has invested a lot of R&D and marketing resources in this market for past several years. Consequently, Samsung plans to offer a wider range of open OS mobiles this year, demonstrating significant progress in open OS and smartphone technology. Your browser may not support display of this image., the ultimate mobile entertainer with an 8-megapixel camera and Symbian OS, was recently launched and extremely well received by users and industry professionals all around the world.

Geesung Choi, President of Samsung's Telecommunications Business, said: "I'm sure that we will see more and more demand for smartpho! nes with open Operating Systems thanks to the increasing need for flexibility and customization on mobiles, and the introduction of various mobile applications. Samsung's new Symbian OS-based smartphones such as Your browser may not support display of this image. shows our strategic focus on the open OS phone market."

"We will reinforce our open OS and smartphone leadership not only by providing more products, but also by opening our new developers collaboration program 'Samsung Mobile Innovator'." He concluded.

At this year's Smartphone Show, Mr.Ho-Soo Lee, Executive Vice President of Mobile Solution Centre, Telecommunication Business of Samsung Electronics, will deliver the keynote speech, 'Eight Reasons to Innov8,' on Tuesday, October 21.

Samsung's newly announced Symbian smartphones at the Smartphone Show include:

Samsung INNOV8

Recognized as Samsung's first ever 8-megapixel camera phone, the
Samsung INNOV8 is perfect for users for capturing and storing precious
memories in style. It comes with the Symbian OS V9.3, S60 3rd Edition
Feature Pack 2, which helps users to easily download various
ready-made applications for Symbian mobiles.

Using the latest in imaging applications such as smile shot, blink
shot and face recognition, memorable moments can be stored at the
highest quality. Users can enjoy personalizing and editing their
photos, videos and music with Movie Maker and Story Board
applications. The handset also acts as a digital photo frame, allowing
users to display their favorite images. A 1200mAh battery provides a
long enough battery life to enjoy all the multimedia experience
without worrying about limits on size and time.

Samsung INNOV8's crystal clear 2.8" 16M color LCD, is perfectly
designed to provide users with the best possible photography, video
and gaming experience on-the-go. The 8GB or 16GB Flash memory and
external memory slot up to ! addition al 16GB provides sufficient
contents storage.

Samsung INNOV8 offers the best ever mobile web browsing experience.
With an optical mouse and 4-way navigation key, users can enjoy
PC-like browsing experience. The 7.2 Mbps HSDPA high speed Internet
and WiFi connection deliver a convenient and seamless internet
experience wherever users are. The phone is equipped with A GPS
technology, offering navigation and geo-tagging service.

Samsung INNOV8 Specifications:

Network HSDPA 7.2 Mbps (900/2100), EDGE / GPRS (850/900/1800/1900)
OS Symbian OS V9.3, S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2
Display 2.8" QVGA 16M TFT LCD
Camera 8 Megapixel CMOS with AF and Dual Power LED
Smart Reader, Image Stabilizer, Auto-Panorama Shot, Smile Shot,
Blink Shot, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR), Face Detection
Video Video Player (DivX / H.263 / H.264 / WMV / MP4)
QVGA 120 fps Video recording, VGA 30 fps recording
Video Editing
Audio FM Radio with RDS
DNSe 2.0
Music Player (MP3/ AAC / AAC+ / eAAC+ / WMA / AMR/ RealAudio)
Bluetooth Stereo Headset (A2DP)
3.5pi output
Value-added Features A-GPS
Optical Mouse, Accelerometer
Embedded 3D Games : FIFA 2008, Asphalt
Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)
Connectivity Bluetooth 2.0 / USB 2.0 / Wi-Fi
Memory 8GB / 16GB Flash + External Memory slot : microSDHC™ (up to 16GB)
Size 106.5 x 53.9 x 17.2 mm
Battery 1200 mAh
Talk time: up to 300 / 510 min (3G/2.5G)
Stand-by time: up to 330 / 310 hrs (3G/2.5G)

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