Modu's next handset to sport a touchscreen?

Modu may be down, but unlike one Ricky Hatton, it ain't out. We haven't heard a whole heck of a lot from the niche handset maker since it handed out pink slips to around one-forth of its workforce, but now that things are looking a bit brighter, it seems as if innovation is back in full force. In fact, a new report on the outfit has it that its next cellphone will pack a touchscreen in order to fit the mold of today's finger-friendly array. Aside from being "iPhone like" (its words, not ours), little else is known about the forthcoming device, though we're told that development should be complete in around eight months. So, anyone wagering that R&D accelerates that just a touch to get this thing out by CES 2010?

[Via Talking Mobile]

Filed under: Cellphones

Modu's next handset to sport a touchscreen? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 May 2009 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

The Daily Roundup: here's what you might've missed

	Google Chrome celebrates version 2 release with autofill, fast-paced video We know you've been avoiding Chrome because it puts your most visited sites on a display the size of the JumboTron in Times Square, and we don't blame you.		Microsoft dropping three app limit from Windows 7 Starter Edition Now the only thing holding you back from simultaneous Skype, AIM, browsing, DVD playback, and Plants vs. Zombies will be the space on your screen and the specs in your portable.
	Entelligence: Time for Microsoft to tell a better Zune tale A lot's been made of the new Zune commercial that Microsoft aired recently. Now don't get me wrong.I think there's a lot that Microsoft can do with Zune, but this ad doesn't quite do it for me.	Other news of import Windows 7 branding leaks out Palm Pre available at a single store in NYC on launch day? Unlikely. Japanese college giving away free iPhones, using them to track students' attendance
	Is the future of Windows Media Center with Windows Home Server? With all the bad news around Windows Media Center this week, many enthusiasts are wondering about the future of Media Center.		32GB iPhone placeholder appears at T-Mobile Austria We hate to remind you that loads of smoke generally leads to fire, but hey, June 8th ain't too far off anyway.
Sharp's 20-inch AQUOS DX LCD HDTV has a built-in Blu-ray player, no 1080p panel Nielsen stats find 33% of U.S. households with at least one HDTV		Rogers to sell HTC Dream, Magic for $199.99 on contract Virgin Mobile getting contract-free data card next month

The Daily Roundup: here's what you might've missed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Entelligence: Time for Microsoft to tell a better Zune tale

Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.

A lot's been made of the new Zune commercial that Microsoft aired recently. If you have haven't seen it, take a look. Now don't get me wrong. I think there's a lot that Microsoft can do with Zune, but this ad doesn't quite do it for me. What's wrong? First, it took a shot at Apple that felt silly -- after all, most consumers don't spend $30,000 to fill up their iPod (how much did it cost to fill yours?). Even if that's the case, buying a Zune Pass won't fill up an iPod either. Second, it started to make a value play that's real, but stopped short of actually making it.

The ad was interesting as it begins the discussion of the value of the Zune Pass. That's important. The power of the Zune Pass lies at the core of the differentiation of their whole business model, subscription services vs. single song downloads. Microsoft needs to go further and explain how these two models can co-exist with each other. Up until now there were only two models for music, the free and ad supported stuff on radio, or music you bought or owned (or perhaps acquired elsewhere). Zune Pass and other similar services change all that. While consumers "rent" video content all the time from theaters, cable companies, Netflix etc, there's also a lot of other stuff sold on DVD. There's no reason for this to be binary -- rent or buy -- it's just never been applied to music and when it has, it's not been explained or marketed well at all.

Continue reading Entelligence: Time for Microsoft to tell a better Zune tale

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Entelligence: Time for Microsoft to tell a better Zune tale originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Sluggish iPhone sales could lead to stiff fines for Russian operators

See folks, this is the kind of mess you end up with after you gleefully do a deal with the devil. According to a roundup of reports over at Unwired View, three of Russia's major mobile operators could be looking at massive (we're talking hundreds of millions of bucks) fines if they can't sell through their iPhone allotments, and unless a significant market shift happens within the next few months, that situation seems remarkably unlikely. We're told that Vimpelcom pledged to sell 1.5 million iPhones within two years, while Megafon committed to 1 million and MTS the same. Today, just 900,000 iPhones have been imported to Russia, with over half entering the country via grey market channels; we'll let you figure out the math there, but it ain't pretty for Russia's carriers. Of course, we're not shocked in the least -- after getting burnt by a bootable-but-not-usable iPhone over there, are you seriously going to give Apple another chance to win you over?

Filed under: Cellphones

Sluggish iPhone sales could lead to stiff fines for Russian operators originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Japanese college giving away free iPhones, using them to track students' attendance

Nearly 500 students and faculty at Aoyama Gakuin University in Japan will receive free iPhones as part of the school's new Mobile & Net Society Education and Training program. The trial, which is set to begin this fall, will use the iPhone's built in GPS function to determine if the students are present, and use that information to replace traditional methods of taking attendance. The university's announced a deal with provider Softbank Mobile to provide the phones and basic services to all students and staff at the school for no charge. The school also plans on rolling out simple tests and homework assignments using the device. So... is there an app for that, or what?

[Via Digg]

Filed under: Cellphones

Japanese college giving away free iPhones, using them to track students' attendance originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Wintek pegged as panel supplier for rumored Apple tablet

We've always heard that most things come in packs of three, so just as soon as some other dodgy source affirms that Hulk Hogan will actually be replacing Steve Jobs in August, we'll be set. Shortly after seeing a 32GB iPhone placeholder over at T-Mobile Austria, we're now staring at a comically brief report from Digitimes that pegs Wintek as the "panel module supplier for Apple's upcoming e-book form factor netbook product." If you'll recall, Wintek was already independently confirmed as said panel supplier for said product back in March, but obviously Apple has remained tight-lipped on the whole netbook / tablet / e-reader thing. That said, we do find it interesting that this report clarifies that whatever's purportedly cooking in some dark, highly guarded lab in Cupertino looks more like a tablet with a netbook-sized display rather than a conventional netbook. Whatever the case, we wouldn't expect it at WWDC, but any Tuesday morning after that is fair game.

Filed under: Handhelds, Tablet PCs

Wintek pegged as panel supplier for rumored Apple tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 06:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

32GB iPhone placeholder appears at T-Mobile Austria

Take it for what it's worth (which may be nothing, quite honestly), but a bona fide "iPhone 32GB" placeholder has appeared in the 'Coming Soon' section on T-Mobile Austria's website. Generally speaking, we wouldn't give this kind of slip too much credence, but considering that a similar slip at T-Mobile Germany was accurately foretelling two years ago, we're cautiously optimistic that all those rumors of a more capacious iPhone are legitimate. We hate to remind you that loads of smoke generally leads to fire, but hey, June 8th ain't too far off anyway. Larger screen cap (of the translated-to-English site) is just past the break.

[Via AreaMobile]

Update: Seems the admin yanked the 32GB iPhone from the page -- oopsie!

Update 2: Looks like Vodafone Australia has sent out a notice that the 16GB iPhone has been deemed "End of Life" by Brightpoint, who supplies its iPhones. Are you thinking what we're thinking?

Continue reading 32GB iPhone placeholder appears at T-Mobile Austria

Filed under: Cellphones

32GB iPhone placeholder appears at T-Mobile Austria originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 May 2009 05:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

More next-gen iPhone whispers: video recording, faster CPU, July release?

John Gruber over at Daring Fireball has a pretty good track record when it comes to Apple rumors -- remember his spot-on predictions for the unibody MacBook Pro? -- so when he's got a thing or two to say about all the next-gen iPhone chatter, we listen. While not making any promises, he does say he'd wager quite a bit on a new model coming to WWDC, with about twice the CPU horsepower (and possibly twice the RAM, too) as the current model. He also adds some credence to all that talk of video recording, but makes no mention of potential background apps and plays down any surprise tablet or "iPhone mini" cameos. He goes on to add release date would be sometime in July in 16GB and 32GB varieties. We can't say we're willing to bet against him, but that doesn't mean we'll take his word as gospel. We can safely say, however, that we're anxiously waiting to see what kind of shenanigans Schiller has in store for next month.

Filed under: Cellphones

More next-gen iPhone whispers: video recording, faster CPU, July release? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 20:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

onOne's DSLR Remote for iPhone fires your Canon from afar

Sure, EOS Utility will let you control the Canon DSLR of your choice from the comfort of your PC, but what if you want to add one more enticing level of indirection to the equation? Well, sport, for that, you'll need a little app for the iPhone from onOne called DSLR Remote, which connects via WiFi to a utility on your computer -- which is in turn cabled to your camera. It's not on the App Store just yet, but there'll be two versions available: Professional, for an introductory price of $9.99, which allows you to control a host of camera settings, and the $1.99 Lite, which simply lets you fire the shutter. The coolest part might be Live View compatibility, which would make a great poor man's security camera (if you can call a 5D Mark II a poor man's anything) -- if only it weren't for the instant rejection the app would face had they made it 3G-compatible, right?

[Thanks, Collin]

Filed under: Cellphones, Digital Cameras, Handhelds

onOne's DSLR Remote for iPhone fires your Canon from afar originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Sensor-laden kokoro adjusts playlist to match the rhythm of your heart

We've got to say, we're guessing both Survivor and Prince would approve here, as this is easily one of the most impressive uses of a heart rate sensor yet. Anaid Gomez Ortigoza, a bright young lass at NYU, has whipped up what she's calling kokoro, which translates into "the heart of things" in Japanese. Put as simply as possible, this prototype project allows for iPod playlists to be shuffled depending on one's current heart rate; if your heart is pumping some kind of fierce, the device will likely cue up a little M83, and if you're at rest, you just might get to hear a smooth jam from the likes of Copeland. Don't believe us, though -- hop on past the break for a demonstrative video.

[Via talk2myshirt]

Continue reading Sensor-laden kokoro adjusts playlist to match the rhythm of your heart

Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio

Sensor-laden kokoro adjusts playlist to match the rhythm of your heart originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Laser Matrix instructions will help you make an incredibly facile projector of your iPhone

A clever DIY-er wanted to add some semblance of projector capability to his iPhone, without -- you know -- actually adding a projector to his phone. He chose instead to use the phone in tandem with a 5 x 7 laser matrix, five 8-bit D latches for controlling the laser pointers, a microcontroller, and a bit of (somewhat complex looking) code for the iPhone, resulting in the ability to "spell" out messages on a wall, or other surface. There's a super exciting video demo after the break -- check it o-u-t.

Continue reading Laser Matrix instructions will help you make an incredibly facile projector of your iPhone

Filed under: Cellphones

Laser Matrix instructions will help you make an incredibly facile projector of your iPhone originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 May 2009 16:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

Unibody MacBook Pro catch a fire, owner want no more trouble

As if you needed further proof that Apple is the favorite company of firebugs everywhere, unibody MacBook Pro owner Ken Brinkman has snapped some pics of his spontaneously combusting MagSafe cable. Apparently, he was fast asleep at 1:30 AM this morning when the smell of burning plastic caught his attention. Luckily, the young man is safe as of this post -- but the condition of his data has yet to be determined. Once again, we implore you: does your MagSafe cable look like this? If so, get it replaced. And while you're at it, you may want to make sure you don't have any first gen iPod nanos laying around. We hear those things can be dangerous! Trust us, you'll be far better off listening to Natty Dread on your Zune. One more pic after the break.

Continue reading Unibody MacBook Pro catch a fire, owner want no more trouble

Filed under: Laptops

Unibody MacBook Pro catch a fire, owner want no more trouble originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 May 2009 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch

LG world's thinnest LCD is only 0.23 inches thick

Looks like we've got a new record holder for world's thinnest LCD, as LG pegs its new 42- and 47-inch models at only 5.9mm thick. Apparently lacking an iPhone for the accepted measurement of thinness, this model was reduced to holding up a coin for an example of LG's edge LED lit prowess. Though you may prefer local dimming LEDs, DisplayBlog is hopeful we'll see a combo of the two lighting schemes bringing thinness and high picture quality next year. Meanwhile, compare these to JVC's magnetically mounted former champ, measuring a now-widebody 7mm thick, but at only 5kg, still holding a weight edge over these two at 6.1 and 7.3kg, respectively. LG promises 120Hz refresh technology and 80% of the NTSC color gamut, up from 72% on standard models, on these, but we'll wait for them to go from the demo stand to the store shelf before revisiting the question of whether thinner and more energy efficient is actually better.

[Via DisplayBlog]

Filed under: Displays, HDTV

LG world's thinnest LCD is only 0.23 inches thick originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 May 2009 01:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: iPhone watch