[GadgetRatty] tag: revolutionary

iPhone 3G

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:12:00 +0000

iPhone 3G
Introducing iPhone 3G. With fast 3G wireless technology, Maps with GPS, support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange and the new App Store, iPhone 3G puts even more amazing features in your hands. And just like the original iPhone, it combines three products in one — a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod and a breakthrough Internet device with rich HTML email and full web browsing. iPhone 3G. It redefines what a mobile phone can do. Again.

The Verdict
So... it's cheaper, we get more apps, faster browsing, Sat-nav and OS tweaks. But same old 2mp bog standard camera. whats that all about? But hang on, this is the iPhone, we don't need a good quality snapper. Who really uses their 5mp+ cameras on other phones professionally anyway? The iPhone still has alot more to offer. How many mobile phones have Wi-Fi? Not many. The iPhone ruled from the start, but rules even more from it's re-launch.

If your thinking of bagging one, see which price plan suits you below:

Update: iPhone 3G now has limited stock in some stores across the UK. This is due to high demand. Click here to see which stores are currently in stock of iPhone 3G.

See iPhone 3G in action

Colored Naked Case now available

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:07:38 +0000

It goes without saying that progress is inevitable, and from the days of black-and-white TV, we now have color TV. Same thing goes for the original Naked Case which is now available in a new Colored Naked Case.

The Naked Case is the world’s first touch-through acrylic case for the Apple iPhone 3G. Fully functional and stylish, the new Colored Naked Case offers a clear front for screen access and color options such as black, gray, pink, and white for the back. Case-mate designers have engineered the new cases which offer the same revolutionary features of the Naked Cases, with a few new twists including a new “click-snap” back clasp for easy application, enlarged cutouts for access to controls, smooth edges that contour to the new iPhone 3G, and of course the full touch-through screen access via a clear, electrostatic membrane for protection.

The Colored Naked Case retails for $34.99 each.

Press Release
[ Colored Naked Case now available copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]

Cool Gift Idea: Digital Picture Frames, check out our reviews.

Design prototype in the making: Floating Solar Island

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:05:07 +0000

In the video below you will see it, a revolutionary solar island capable of floating out in the sea like a giant lily pad harnessing the suns rays for electrical gains. It’s been designed by Swiss inventor Thomas Hinderling, at the moment, a 5km wide, 20m high island prototype is currently being built in the UAE and is expected to generate hundreds of kilowatts of electricity at a price nearly five times cheaper than current electricity rates. If everything goes well, this might just be a concept that could become reality and full production of these islands could begin as soon as 2011. Watch this video…

[via Alternative Energy]

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Design prototype in the making: Floating Solar Island…

Canon takes walk down digital camera history lane

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:47:53 +0000

Canon is one of the big names in digital cameras these days. So much so the company announced yesterday the shipping of its 100 millionth compact digital camera.

Here’s a little history from the corporate PR folk at Canon in case you want to remember along. “Beginning in May 2000, Canon launched the breakthrough PowerShot Digital model, which featured a compact body with a stylish design. This model spearheaded the digital camera market’s later massive growth with its easy portability and simple operation, which won over millions of users worldwide.

Following the introduction, Canon released a string of revolutionary products that drove market expansion while addressing the diversifying needs of users: the PowerShot A70 digital camera (2003), which sold more units worldwide than any other model that year due to its superb operability and cost performance; the smooth and chic PowerShot Digital SD10 Digital ELPH camera (2003); the PowerShot G7 digital camera (2006), which carved out a position for high-end models in the compact digital camera market; and the PowerShot S5 IS digital camera (2007), which combined a high-power zoom lens with precise image stabilization.”

Canon

American Airlines Launches Aircell's Mobile Broadband Service 'GoGo'

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:19:54 +0000

American is the First Airline to Offer Full Inflight Internet in the U.S. on the Entire 767-200 Fleet

Editor’s Note: Video footage is available at http://www.thenewsmarket.com/aircell

FORT WORTH, Texas and ITASCA, Ill. – Marking the beginning of the next wireless revolution, American Airlines made history today with the launch of the mobile broadband service, Gogo™ provided by Aircell ®.

Effective today, customers traveling on American’s Boeing 767-200 aircraft can access complete coast-to-coast coverage on nonstop flights between New York and San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles, and New York and Miami. American, the world’s largest airline and founding member of the oneworld ® Alliance, and Aircell, the world’s leading provider of airborne communications, have joined together to bring the first full inflight broadband service to the U.S. market.

“We are pleased to provide our customers with the unprecedented ability to stay connected to their family, friends and business associates on the ground via the Internet while traveling at 30,000 feet above the United States,” said Dan Garton, American’s Executive Vice President – Marketing. “With today’s launch, American Airlines makes history as the first and only U.S. airline to offer customers full inflight Internet connectivity, demonstrating once again our industry leadership and focus on our customers.”

Aircell’s Gogo will be available to customers as a fee-based service in all cabins. Aircell will charge $12.95 on flights more than three hours, which include American’s Boeing 767-200 flights. Each paid Gogo session includes full Internet access. Cell phone and Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services are not available.

Gogo turns an American Airlines flight into a Wi-Fi hotspot, enabling passengers to surf the Web, check any email, Instant Message, access a corporate VPN, and more. Once the aircraft has reached 10,000 feet, users can simply turn on their Wi-Fi enabled devices such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs, open their browsers and be directed to the Gogo portal page where they sign up and begin surfing. Gogo is powered by the Aircell air-to-ground (ATG) Broadband System, which runs over Aircell’s exclusive nationwide network.

“Today, U.S. air travel changes forever. With Aircell’s unique ATG inflight Internet service, airlines finally have an economically viable option for providing the broadband connectivity passengers are demanding,” said Jack Blumenstein, President and CEO, Aircell. “American Airlines is the first to bring inflight Internet to market, and today the days of being cut off from the rest of the world while in the air become history.”

About American Airlines
American Airlines is the world's largest airline. American, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection ® airlines serve 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 4,000 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 1,000 aircraft. American's award-winning Web site, AA.com, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in over 140 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com and AAdvantage are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR).

About Aircell
Aircell is the world’s leading provider of airborne communications. As winner of an exclusive FCC frequency license in 2006, Aircell ® has built a revolutionary mobile broadband network for commercial and business aviation. In 2008, the Aircell Network and its inflight portal, Gogo™, revolutionized the commercial airline passenger flight experience by delivering a robust Internet experience at 35,000 feet. In addition, the Aircell Network provides airlines with connectivity to operations and a path to enhanced cabin services such as video, audio, television and more. A similar feature set is available to Business aircraft operators. Aircell has facilities in Broomfield, Colorado, and Itasca, Illinois. Aircell’s vision is to give everyone the ability to stay in touch, in flight ®. For more information about Aircell, please visit www.aircell.com.

About Gogo™
Gogo, powered by Aircell, turns a commercial airplane into a Wi-Fi hotspot with true inflight Internet access. Passengers with Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, smartphones and PDAs, can surf the Web, check any e-mail, Instant Message, access a corporate VPN and more. For more information about Gogo, please visit www.gogoinflight.com. Aircell, Gogo, and in touch, in flight are trademarks of Aircell LLC.

Palm's Grand Plan to Save the Brand Barely a Plan At All [Palm]

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:30:00 +0000

Palm is in a tough place right now, with a staid reputation, a decade-old OS and a line of phones that are all, well, sort of boring. The New York Times ran a piece today charting Palm's revitalization plans, which are being carried out under the guidance of CEO Ed Colligan and Apple vet Jon Rubinstein, and they aren't altogether inspiring. Sure, there's always Palm OS 2, but this piece seems to imply (not surprisingly) that we might not see that until the middle of next year. And from the looks of it, Palm's troubles may run deeper than that.

Rubinstein, brought in as part of a massive investment deal, seems prone to odd semantic diversions, telling the Times that “Everyone is trying to make an iPhone killer, we are trying to make a killer Palm product.” That's lovely, but Palms don't exist in smartphone vacuum; Palm is ailing because their competitors' products are just better. He follows by saying that he "isn't going to save the company, [the employees] are going to save the company." Which I'm pretty sure means roughly nothing.

He claims to have taken a more hands-on approach in fixing Palm. The Times relates a few anecdotes from before the launch of the vital Centro, which almost launched as a buggy, crappy product (a failure that might have buried Palm who's still floating in part because of the 2 million units they've moved):

Rubinstein dispatched a team of executives to Taiwan and China to oversee production more closely. He made them redesign the battery panel on the back so it didn’t squeak. And he asked for fixes to the software so it would lock up less frequently." One thing he wanted to fix was the fit of the phone’s plastic pieces. When he went around the room and asked who was in charge of that, no one spoke up. Mr. Rubinstein did not relent. “I asked until I found out,” Mr. Rubinstein recalled saying. “Then I said, ‘O.K., what do we have to do to get it done?’"

This sound more like hands-on bugfixing than revolutionary management. The attractive Treo Pro may have dropped today (we've got one, so expect a review soon), but if Palm doesn't deliver a fantastic OS 2, and soon, their future doesn't look too bright. [NY Times]

Analyst: Treo Pro Won't Cut It; Palm Has One More Chance

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:55:12 +0000

Palm's buzzworthy Treo Pro is merely a flotation device for the troubled company as it readies its next smartphone, coming in 2009, an analyst says.

Since 2006, Palm has declined in U.S. market share each year. And it won't be the Treo Pro that reverses this trend; rather, Palm's next new offering -- about which little is known -- is the company's last hope, said Tero Kuittinen, a telecom analyst at Global Crown Capital.

"At the moment, Palm is just trying to keep the company going before this hopefully revolutionary new device arrives," he said.

Just two years ago, Palm was the leader in the U.S. smartphone market, but since then the company has fallen behind its major competitors HTC and Research In Motion (RIM). And Apple is hot on Palm's heels.

Kuittinen said the Treo Pro's major downfall is its pricing in the United States, where Palm is only offering the smartphone for $549 -- unlocked and without carrier subsidy. He explained that the handset's lack of subsidy will turn off many consumers, especially when taking into account Apple's recently slashed prices of the tremendously popular iPhone 3G.

"The problem here is the pricing structure has changed: The iPhone went down to $200; the Samsung Instinct went down to $230," Kuittinen said. "This is no longer the same phone market we had a year ago."

However, Palm's product-line manager Phil McClendon insisted that the Treo Pro will be a tough contender against other popular devices. He explained that the iPhone is designed for casual consumers, while the Treo Pro focuses on business users. As for competing with Research In Motion, McClendon said the Treo Pro has software and networking advantages that make the handset more convenient than RIM's BlackBerry.

Despite Kuittinen's criticism regarding lack of U.S.-carrier subsidy, McClendon defended the decision, saying users would appreciate the freedom to use the Treo Pro wherever they wanted without having to enter new contracts.

Nonetheless, Nielsen Mobile's research illustrates that Palm is constantly heading downward, and Kuittinen said Palm needs to wow the phone market in order to get its groove back.

Just what does Palm have in store for us next? Little is known about Palm's upcoming phone other than that it will feature an entirely new platform and new hardware. McClendon declined to disclose details, but it's interesting to note that just this year Palm hired Jon Rubinstein, a former Apple engineer instrumental to the creation of the iPod, as its head of product development. Will Rubinstein lead Palm to introducing the next revolutionary device?

There's no knowing until we see the phone, but Kuittinen encouraged Palm to put a larger screen on its next device. He said the Treo Pro's 320-by-320 pixel screen is still too small compared to the iPhone's 480-by-320 pixel screen. And a major reason the iPhone is so popular is its large screen makes web browsing a convenient experience, he explained.

Speaking on the subject of Palm's next platform, Peter Hoddie, president of mobile software developer Kinoma, said that in order to revitalize itself, Palm also needs to offer a suite of new, innovative applications.

"Operating systems don't matter to most customers," Hoddie said. "What matters to them is what they can do. ... Why do [people] love iPhone? They love the apps. Why don't people love Windows Mobile? It's in fact an amazing operating system ... but the apps on top of it? Not so inspired."

Looking ahead, Kuittinen said consumers should feel excited about Palm's next offering, considering its new leader's repertoire for revolutionizing hardware.

"It's really exciting; it's one of the biggest mysteries right now," Kuittinen said. "What are they going to do?"

(Photo courtesy Palm; graph by Wired.com; graph data courtesy Nielsen Mobile)

Duracell reinvents the flaslight

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:38:16 +0000

Most of us don’t think much about flashlights until the lights go out and we need one. Many flashlights just aren’t that bright with sickly looking beams that have lots of dark spots and don’t offer much light. Duracell is one of the most common names in batteries and it has announced a new line of flashlights that it says are revolutionary.

The new line of Duracell flashlights are called Daylite and use LED bulbs. Duracell says that the typical flashlight only captures 70% of the total light in a 180-degree pattern. Duracell’s new line of flashlights uses what it calls TrueBeam technology to capture up to 100% of the light in the same pattern.

The new line of Duracell flashlights will be available starting in August at large stores like Wal-Mart, as well as drug and hardware stores across the country. The flashlights will be available in three different models with AA and AAA powered models going to $24.99 and a CR123 model selling for $34.99.

Duracell

Dell launches Special Art Edition designs for the Dell Studio 15 and 17 laptops

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:13:21 +0000

Dell today launches five bold and contemporary Special Art Edition designs for the Dell Studio 15 and 17 laptops, exclusively created by urban artist Mike Ming. New unique designs for the Dell Studio 15 and 17 laptops include “Red Swirl,” “Seaweed,” “Sunburst,” in addition to the previously released “Bunch O Surfers” and “Sea Sky.” Each piece of artwork is brought to life through Dell’s revolutionary manufacturing technique, enabling every vibrant color and individual brushstroke to be permanently “tattooed” on the laptop’s cover. Dell’s Studio 15 and 17 laptops combine sleek designs, striking visual color elements and personalization options with features such as standard built-in webcam, capacitive touch media control buttons, slot load drives, and optional mercury-free LED displays, backlit keyboards and built-in mobile broadband. Brooklyn-based artist Mike Ming (born Michael Miyahira) blends popular culture, motion and emotion to communicate his visual world. The Special Art Edition Dell Studio laptops are available for order today, starting at US$799, at www.dell.com/art.

Mystery Tablet Shown at Intel Event, Either the Classmate 3 or a Quad Core Speak & Spell [Classified Intel]

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:10:00 +0000

At the end of an otherwise tepid presentation at the Intel Developer Forum today, Dadi Perimutter, head of Intel's Mobility Group, dropped a bomb (via PowerPoint) on his audience: a mysterious tablet device, which could well be the next generation of the Classmate OLPC competitor. If that is the case, the OLPC might really have something to worry about. Sugar, the "revolutionary" Linux-based OS originally developed for the OLPC, is already in development for the Classmate project, not to mention that fact that this new picture indicates that Intel may have taken a few of Nick Negroponte's visions for the OLPC XO-2 to heart, and possibly to production.

The current Classmate PC fits a traditional form-factor and has been moderately successful, if not dominant, in its intended market. Without a truly unique design or an adequately modified (or new) operating system, the first and second generations of the Classmate amounted to little more than a very cheap laptop. Switching to a tablet-style design and relying on nontraditional input methods could push the new Classmate (or whatever this is) over the edge as the de facto digital teaching device for the developing world. That, and a ridiculously low price. In any case, we'll be at tomorrow's IDF keynote when this little tease gets filled out. [Laptop Mag]