PMP Today

They’re calling this a breakthrough device, a PMP with WiFi and supports mobile TV. But that’s not the breakthrough yet for this HD (up to 160GB) MP5 Player (a PMP in China that supports RealMedia). The MV5920, due to its dual-core technology no doubt, also supports video playback at HD 720p (1280 x 720 pixels), although I am not sure that 60fps is supported as well, but wouldn’t it be awesome if it did? Of course we want nothing more than to review or have some do a review of the HDTV playback on this new Patriot MP5, but for now we’ll take Aigo’s word for it. One can be yours for 2,999 yuan or about $429.

Check out the sometimes funnily written specs after the break.

[via sanhaostreet] Read the rest »

Sunlink International Holdings has just made my dream come true of a portable media player that can also function as a media projector. The only other manufacturer interested in having a projector built into a portable device is Motorola and it’s in deep trouble. The Sunview PMPP (portable media player projector) was announced in Hong Kong and it’s using the pico projector (PicoP) from Microvision. The PMP itself has a 3.5-inch screen and runs on Windows CE 5.0. It’s not a slim PMP by no means but with a projector built-in it’s good for the entire family during vacations and long-haul traveling. The iView IPL630 LCOS is capable of projecting at VGA quality (640×480 pixels). No word on price yet.

[source via gmp3]

Samsung has announced the most powerful phone camera yet, and it’s super thin, able to fit better in a phone than current 5 megapixel lenses. The sensor has “up to ISO 1600 light sensitivity, anti-blur and noise correction, and both face and smile detection for portraits.” Other features include flexible optics with 30mm wide-angle capture and close-up shooting of up to .4 inches. Samsung will have samples of the phone camera on a phone by May and shipping will be in Q3 or Q4.

[via newlaunches]

The Eco-Media Player is available in Planete Green Europe for 199.95 euros. If you have forgotten about this player, it’s a PMP that you can wind up for power. Yep, this baby will play videos (asv/mp4, wmv, avi, mpegs) and music (MP3, WMA, ASF, WAV, OGG) via old school cranking. The Eco-Media Player plays 40 minutes of music on a minute of cranking, to give you an idea on how cool this gadget is.

[via gmp3]

Currently the Morph concept from Nokia is at its theoretical stage. Theoretically, nanotechnology can be incorporated in the design of a handset. The research is in partnership with Cambridge Nanoscience Centre. The idea behind mode is to take portability a few steps up the ladder of evolution. The Morph will have a wrist mode, wherein you can wear the phone like a bracelet and a phone mode for regular handheld use.

Newly-enabled flexible and transparent materials blend more seamlessly with the way we live

Devices become self-cleaning and self-preserving

Transparent electronics offering an entirely new aesthetic dimension

Built-in solar absorption might charge a device, whilst batteries become smaller, longer lasting and faster to charge

Integrated sensors might allow us to learn more about the environment around us, empowering us to make better choices

Watch the video presentation after the break.
[nokia via mobilegazette] Read the rest »

Researchers at Melbourne University has achieved data transfer rates of up to 5Gbps at a radius of 10 meters. The technology is called GiFi and it could be the next big feature in portable electronics. The technology uses existing complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology resulting into a 5mm square chip. The manufacturing cost of such a technology is surprisingly low and the researchers estimate it would only cost $10 to add the chip in electronic products. The chip needs only 2 watts of electricity when it is operated and comes with a 1mm antenna. GiFi operates in 60GHz frequency, which makes GiFi the lone user of that spectrum unlike WiFi which shares the same bands as cordless phones, Bluetooth, etc. Such transfer rates (download a full-length high-def movie in seconds) has the potential of being ubiquitous and could connect appliances like TV, stereo with the home computer and handsets. The technology will be ready for mass production in 2009.

[via cellphones.ca, mobileburn]

Texas Instruments’ DLP pico projector was just a concept a couple of months ago but word has it that the Pico Chipset is currently in production. The Pico Chipset will allow you to share images and video from your mobile phones or PMPs by projecting them into a big screen or wall. Apparently, the Texas Instruments’ pico-projector can produce DVD-quality output and can drive videos for a widescreen TV. Two kinds of chipsets are being manufactured at the moment - the DPP1500 will be made for embedded apps in handheld devices and the DPP1505 for standalone handheld devices. The Pico Chipsets will be available on mid-2008, which means that we can probably expect mobile phones and PMPs with mini-projector features late this year. Exciting!

[via techdigest]

Readius is looking more and more like the Kindle killer. A lucky few get to paw this HSDPA and Bluetooth-enabled e-Book reader at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Unlike Kindle, you can put the Readius in your pocket. It uses a flexible display that you roll out when you want to read and roll back in when you are finished. It supports TXT, HTML and PDF. We are not sure when the Readius will be made available and at what price, so let me just ask you a question. How much are you going to pay for a state-of-the-art e-Book with an HSDPA-enabled cellphone built-in?

Video after the break.

[via aving] Read the rest »

At the Mobile World Congress 2008 in Barcelona, Skype demoed its much-talked about version for the PSP. Yes, you can now do free international (Skype-to-Skype), inexpensive SkypeOut, and receive SkypeIn calls. The full package, on something that you actually bought just for amusement. How great is that?

Click the link to watch the video of some Skye-on-PSP action. Good stuff.

[via aving]

Read the rest »

Nokia has developed software that just might expand the use of your phone’s GPS past mere navigation. When in a car, the program can send location and speed data back to the home base, where all data is compiled to allow prediction of traffic patterns. In fact, Nokia demonstrated just that, in a live test done in cooperation with California Center for Innovative Transportation (CCIT), CalTrans and Berkeley’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Privacy-conscious individuals can breathe easier: the information sent from each phone is designed to keep everything anonymous. All personal identifying information is stripped from the data, and banking-level encryption methods are used. Potentially useful, but remember that the information will become close to accurate only if makers equip GPS modules across a wider range of their units.

[via gizmodo, via cnet]