Tango! Communication Device

Tango! Communication Device: "Let’s step away from the constant rat race that is consumer technology for a moment to focus on a gadget that actually aims to improve people’s quality of life rather than squeezing out a few more polygons per second. The Blink Twice company recently unveiled its new AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) gadget, the Tango! It’s a communication device for people who have communication-related impairments with pre-loaded phrases as well as enough extra features to warm the heart of geeks worldwide. It’s the first device of its kind to incorporate a digital camera along with a flash to capture life’s less well-lit moments. The Tango! can also alter the pitch of voice to make it seem like a child (or adult) is talking, as the situation merits. The SD card slot benefits from a helpful wizard that activates once a card is inserted, making uploading and downloading images a snap. Communication devices like this don’t come cheaply, however, as the Tango! carries a price of $6899. Still, for what it does and who is aims to help, the Tango! is a gadget worthy of admiration.

Tango! Presented at CSUN 2006 [Axistive]

Blink Twice [Product Page] (Thanks, Dennis!)

Comment on this post
Related: Sales of Vintage Japanese Electronics Saved
Related: Casio Pathfinder PAW1200 Reviewed (Verdict:"

Sanyo's Mobile ESPN MVP clamshell reviewed

Sanyo's Mobile ESPN MVP clamshell reviewed:

It probably doesn't take much to figure out if the Mobile ESPN MVP phone manufactured by Sanyo for ESPN's new MVNO is up your alley. If you're a sports nut with a thick wallet, you can't go far wrong with Mobile ESPN as far as actual services, and the rebranded Sanyo MM-9000 phone brings plenty of power on its own. There's a QVGA screen, MP3 playback, and great reception according to PC Magazine. They also found the service to be plenty extensive, with live scores, up to date news, and even the ability to manage your fantasy sports teams. The downside is that all these good times don't come cheap, and they don't come in a small package. The phone itself -- a hefty 4.6 ounce, 1-inch thick affair -- can run you upward of $300, and the $65 service cost doesn't include roaming or quite enough text messages (100) to get through a news heavy sports month like March. At least there's unlimited data, now how about a few more phones?

Hands-on with the Linux-powered ImCoSys GPS smartphone

Hands-on with the Linux-powered ImCoSys GPS smartphone: "

SlashPhone just got some face time with the ImCoSys Linux-powered GPS smartphone that we spied last month, and confirmed the fact that it will be available stateside in June for around $350. As you probably remember, this ImCoSys model sports a TI OMAP processor, quad-band GSM, WiFi for Internet and VoIP, Bluetooth, SD slot, and 64MB RAM/64MB ROM, although no camera or WAN data connection faster than GPRS. Still, the fact that this phone is both Linux based and GPS-equipped out of the box should help it find a niche audience -- just not us.

Samsung has a perfume phone in the works?

Samsung has a perfume phone in the works?: "Filed under: Ringtones, Samsung

Smelltones here we come. It looks like Samsung has filed a patent for storage compartment in phones that can hold perfume cartridges and release their scent at appropriate times, such as when receiving a call. That's not even the weirdest part, since the patent goes on to outline other situations that might warrant a spraying action, like when the user raises or lowers their voice: 'Darling, don’t yell at me you will smell bad!' (Their example, not ours.) They also mention the possibility of a phone holding multiple cartridges and mixing their scents for one deadly spray, but hopefully we witness the end of civilization before that fateful day

BlackBerry 8707v, First BlackBerry With Built-In 3G Modem

BlackBerry 8707v, First BlackBerry With Built-In 3G Modem: " Our Crackberry-addicted readers in the UK will be happy to know that RIM and Vodafone will be launching the latest in the 8000 series over there very soon. Hip hip hurrah for Royal Britannia, etc. The BlackBerry 8707v has the same 320x240 colour LCD screen as the 8700, as well as the dedicated Send and End keys and programmable key on the left of the body. The feature that makes the 8707v important is that it's the very first BlackBerry to ever come with a built-in 3G modem; its USB and Bluetooth connectivity will finally make it easy for laptops without PCMCIA slots to use 3G on the go. The 8707v operates quad-band, 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, making it usable in Europe, Asia and of course, North America. Five bucks says at least of our Wall Street readers will have asked their peons to pre-order this thing overseas before they finished reading this sentence.

Vodafone first to get UMTS Blackberry 8707v?

Vodafone first to get UMTS Blackberry 8707v?: "Filed under: Handsets, RIM, Vodafone, GSM, UMTS We've heard inklings about the Blackberry 8707, the UMTS version of the 8700 series (which currently tops out with EDGE), and that it could be launched as early as April. Looks like Adam Phones in the UK has the details on it, though: same 312MHz Xscale processor, Bluetooth 2.0, MiniUSB, 64MB flash and 16MB RAM as before, just now with 3G connectivity on Vodafone, and a slightly revamped look. We'll let you know as we know more, but to the best of our knowledge this thing isn't available yet, tempting though its quad-band little self may be.

Ireland's Ahern proposes EU slash or eliminate roaming charges

Ireland's Ahern proposes EU slash or eliminate roaming charges: "Filed under: Culture, T-Mobile, Vodafone Europeans may soon be able to travel around the continent free of cellular roaming charges, if a proposal by Irish cabinet leader, or Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern gains support in the European Parliament. Ahern's push for reduced or eliminated roaming fees comes immediately prior to a scheduled update on the very same topic by EU Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding on Tuesday, when she is expected to propose a regulation that would reduce fees faster than carriers are willing to on their own. The current interest in bloated roaming costs began in June of last year, when the EU executive announced that it would take action after having just cited Germany's T-Mobile and Vodafone for overcharging visiting tourists.

BenQ confirms iPhone?

BenQ confirms iPhone?: "Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio
The good folks at Morgan Stanley have already done all they could to convince anyone who wants to believe that Apple's working on an iPhone. Now another source has apparently come forward to buttress the claims. According to the Australian site Smarthouse, an executive at BenQ has confirmed plans for the phone, saying that 'BenQ will not be making it ... however several of our suppliers have been approached to manufacture parts. Among manufacturers in Taiwan it is common knowledge.' While we have no way to confirm the alleged exec's account, it does jibe with Morgan Stanley's claims that various Taiwanese manufacturers have been contacted to work on the project. If it's true that this is 'common knowledge' in Taiwan, though, we expect that Stevie J. will be sending his minions to the island any day now. Apple's been pretty good about avoiding leaks from manufacturing partners, and if tongues are wagging in Taiwan, some of these contracts may just end up getting shifted across the Strait. (And, yes, the pic is one of the many iPhone fakes out there; we sort of like this one, since it's based on the original iBook, a design Apple abandoned years ago.)

iPod Phone All But Confirmed?

iPod Phone All But Confirmed?: "

Australian tech news site Smarthouse talked to an unnamed executive at Taiwanese cellphone company BenQ recently, who says Apple representatives have been working on manufacturing deals in Taiwan for an iPod phone over the past few months:



'An iPod phone is definitely coming. BenQ will not be making it as we are in competition with Apple however several of our suppliers have been approached to manufacture parts. Among manufacturers in Taiwan it is common knowledge. The issue for many is the availabilty of parts if the phone takes off' said the BenQ executive.

We've been talking about iPod phones for years now, but it seems like they might actually genuinely be in our near future. If you're looking to buy a swanky new phone in the next year or so, cross your fingers and start saving your change.

Samsung SGH-Z500 3G clamshell goes pink for Vodafone

Samsung SGH-Z500 3G clamshell goes pink for Vodafone: "Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, Peripherals, Samsung, Vodafone, GSM, UMTS Vodafone UK has taken a handset that we once called 'understated' and snazzed it up with a fresh coat of pink paint to make the exterior complement the already sexy feature set. As we've known for awhile now, the Samsung SGH-Z500 is a UMTS clamshell with Bluetooth, MP3 playback, dual cameras for video calling, and a TransFlash slot to bulk up the 50MB of included memory. Not only will this model be free on certain plans starting in April, but Vodafone is even throwing in a pink Plantronics Bluetooth headset for the odd occasion that you wouldn't want to be seen holding this hot little number up to your face.[

Paypal Mobile launches?

Paypal Mobile launches?: "Filed under: Messaging We heard it was coming, and now it's (supposedly) here: Paypal's new Paypal Mobile service is apparently up and running, and from what PSFK says there's really not a whole lot to it: you can either text PAYPAL (729725) with the dollar amount and recipients digits (i.e. 'send 10 to 2125551212'), or you can do it manually by calling 1-800-4PAYPAL (1-800-472-9725), which is obviously far less exciting. There isn't any official press release we could find on this yet, so caveat emptor, we don't know what (if anything) they're gonna charge you. Oh, and do especially mind your phone from now on, ok? As if using it as an e-wallet didn't scare you enough, now it's linked to all your bank accounts and credit cards.

Nokia plans demise of MP3 players and video cameras

Nokia plans demise of MP3 players and video cameras: "Filed under: Handsets, Nokia

After totally pwning the photography industry last year with the sale of 100 million cameraphones, Nokia is now the world's largest camera manufacturer and is setting its sights on MP3 player and video camera market shares. Of course they're going to have a hard time winning over the prosumer types in the video field, and iPod junkies will be hard won as well, but they do seem on track to win over lots of casual users to the convenience of a single device. For instance, Nokia's 40 million musicphones last year will surely be increased upon this year, but we hope their design team shuffle can help get these devices a quite a lot smaller and a bit more fun to use. We're thinking smaller than a brick here.

LG's SD910 Duo Slide for twice the fun

LG's SD910 Duo Slide for twice the fun: "Filed under: Handsets, LG We just love us a new form factor now and then, and LG is really giving it their best with this new LG-SD910 Duo Slide phone. As the picture suggests, you just shift the screen to see playback controls, and slide the whole unit to reveal a keypad. Otherwise it seems to be a rather basic handset despite its bulk-inducing slider magic, with a mere 1.3 megapixel camera and MP3 player to keep it entertained. The phone also includes that MBank service that is making its way into more and more Korean handsets. No word on price or availability. But look! It slides two ways!

Polymer Vision Screen Thin as Paper, in Cellphones Someday

Polymer Vision Screen Thin as Paper, in Cellphones Someday: "If you're tired of squinting at that postage-stamp-sized screen on your cellphone, Polymer Vision is pimping a 4.8-inch roll-up screen for cellphones, GPS, and mobile entertainment devices, and maybe someday it will make its way to the real world. This fanciful mockup is said to have a 240x320 color screen with a refresh rate of 50Hz. One look at that picture above, and you can see the potential of something like this. Wow. Meanwhile, back in the real world, we first saw one of Polymer Vision’s devices at CES (pictured here) this January, where the company was demonstrating a prototype in the Philips booth. Called READIUS, it’s a 5-inch black-and-white rollup display that Polymer Vision said was not intended to be a product but just a demonstration. While it was thin and did actually roll up, its contrast was low and it was a pretty rough first outing. From what we saw with our own eyes, looks like the company has quiet a long way to go before we see these bright color screens on cellphones and GPS devices. Polymer Vision [via OhGizmo] Comment on this post Related: Connection GlassRelated: Ventura Launches Automatic Digital WatchRelated: Airship Yachts for Fun and Profit "

Motorola C116 Cellphone: Too Cheap for the US?

Motorola C116 Cellphone: Too Cheap for the US?: "Here's a dirt-cheap GSM cellphone that's available everywhere in the world except the United States: the Motorola C116 is a basic $39 handset (or get it unlocked for $70) that Motorola developed specifically for developing countries. The bare-bones candybar has a monochrome screen and is good for five days worth of talk time on a charge. It reportedly does all of its basic tasks quite well, including sounding better than most other phones. Too bad it's not officially available in the United States. However, the C155, its slightly more well-equipped brandmate, is available for $29 at Wal-Mart, Target and elsewhere, and it has a color screen. Not a bad deal for those who just want to talk on the phone without any frills.

KTF's EV-K100 7-millimeter thin cameraphone

KTF's EV-K100 7-millimeter thin cameraphone: "Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, Others Take those 8-millimeter bricks and toss 'em in the trash with the rest of history's handheld fatties. South Korea's KTF just announced their '7-mm' super-duper-slim EV-K100, or in a nod to Chanel, the No. 7. Featuring 165MB of built-in storage, an MP3 player, 1.8-inch LCD, and get this -- a 1.3-megapixel shooter. With specs like that, we can overlook the fact that technically, the No. 7 measures in closer to eight millimeters at 7.9-mm (0.31-inches). But hey, what's a fractional measurement between friends and marketing departments?

Morgan Stanley analysts claim Apple is at work on iPhone

Morgan Stanley analysts claim Apple is at work on iPhone: "Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, Others Nature abhors a vacuum, so frankly we've been a bit concerned about the dearth of Apple rumors as of late, half-expecting to witness some sort of unnatural disturbance in the space-time continuum. Well thankfully Barron's Online has swooped in the fill the void (you'll have to trust us- B.O. is subscription-only), quoting two Morgan Stanley analysts who claim that Steve and Friends are hard at work on 'an iPod with phone functions,' which is naturally being referred to as the iPhone. Morgan's Johnny Chan, based out of Hong Kong, speculates that Apple may subcontract Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Hon Hai Precision for a role in the phone's production, while another analyst proposes that Taiwan Green Point Enterprises may also get in on action. Obviously the details here are super-thin (as in, we just gave you all the details), but there's been so much buzz about this fabled device, that Apple's gotta be planning on putting a cell radio in something, even if it's just an iSight. [Note: The above pic is one of the many past 'iPhone' concept designs, and is only being used because we don't have a nice photo of the Morgan Stanley folks.] Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments "