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The onslaught of new smartphones equipped with satellite-navigation features is becoming a big threat to the dwindling behemoth in the personal navigation, Garmin.

While the beleaguered company blames the weak economy and that consumers seem to be more cost-conscious these days, you can’t dispel the blow created by the wireless industry. Today, personal navigation is no longer a special feature but a must-have for new mobile phones. Combine this with the power of mobile Internet and you will have a potent weapon to grab sizeable market share away from Garmin and other GPS players.

As the WSJ pointed out, this is reminiscent of the downfall of the Palm PDA with the entry of smartphones from companies like Nokia and BlackBerry.

Of course, Garmin is quite determined to put up a fight by release its very own iPhone-clone codenamed the Nuvifone. Unfortunately, we informed you a few days ago that its launch is delayed to first half of 2009 from the original timeline of of Q4 2008. Terrible news, indeed.

Again, this is a constant reminder for electronics companies to monitor the shifting market trends and continue its relentless efforts to improve its products.

Read [WSJ]

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• Foursquare releases BlackBerry app

Google seems to be aiming its crosshairs directly towards the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, with the official launch of Knol.

Knol, the names comes from the short version of the word knowledge, is a different type of user-generated encyclopedia because every writer is identified with their photo and profile. After 7 months in beta phase, it is now open for everybody to share his or her expertise in diverse topics ranging from backpacking to molecular biology.

In contrast to Wikipedia, it does not rely on the community to add or verify information. Also, readers don’t have the right to edit the content. They can only rate them or write reviews about them. The idea is to make its content more reliable and authoritative. As a way to entice online users to contribute to Knol, Google is dangling revenue-sharing opportunities to writers via its publisher platform, Adsense.

Then again, I don’t think Knol is the Wikipedia-killer. Well, maybe not now, considering the colossal difference in terms of content. Besides, the aim of the Knol platform seems to be multi-directional since it can also hit the likes of About.com and Web 2.0 sites such as Squidoo and Hubpages once it gains traction.

Read [Knol] Read [ABC News]

• Google Contacts, otherwise known as my first big issue with the Palm Pre Plus, and a simple fix
• Google lowers ETF on Nexus One
• Google to introduce potential Twitter/Facebook competition

Mobile banking is slowly catching up as mobile carriers continue to integrate this technology in their system. Today, Verizon Wireless has announced that it is extending its mobile banking solutions to their customers who use a BlackBerry Curve 8330, BlackBerry Pearl 8130 or a BlackBerry 8830 World Edition smartphone. Too bad I don’t own any of these devices!

These lucky guys and gals can easily use their BlackBerry devices to pay bills, check transactions, monitor account balances and transfer payments. A very convenient way indeed if you ask me, particularly if you’re always on the go.

However, I know that not all share the same sentiment. Security remains to be the biggest issue even though Verizon Wireless and other mobile carriers continuously advertise their safety measures such as multi-factor authentication, encryption technology, and 6-digit PIN requirements. It reminds me of the same route traveled by online banking before going mainstream.

Other smartphones compatible with mobile banking app include LG Voyager, FlipShot, MOTORAZR, LG VX940, Samsung’s Juke and Alias. The app is free of course but data charges apply.

Read [PR Newswire]

• T-Mobile’s BlackBerry trackball replacement program delayed
• Palm Pixi Plus now free on-contract with Wirefly
• Dropbox, a file sharing app, coming to an Android phone near you

There’s a relatively new mobile app called Mobifindr which allows you to track your cellphone by simply sending a text message to it. Developed by a company known as the first to combine the power of Wi-Fi, GPS and phone positioning, this set-and-forget software help track your cellphone in case you lose it. Most importantly, you can use this to monitor kids or your naughty lover! Essentially, making alibis will become very difficult with such technology.

There’s a simple video demonstration below on how the system works. Initially, Mobifindr was only available to the ultra-popular iPhone. Now, it is compatible with Blackberry devices. It has a free version which tracks location based on the nearest cell tower or with 1,500 meters accuracy. The premium version worth $25 has an accuracy of 10 to 30 meters.

Navizon, the software developer, is currently tweaking Mobifindr to work with S60 and Window Mobile-powered smartphones. However, there’s no word yet on its official release. Keep reading to check out the video below.

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Sharp is harnessing the power of the sun to create an energy-efficient and environment-friendly LCD TV. In the forthcoming G8 Summit, the Japanese TV manufacturer will show off a prototype of its 26-inch LCD TV using solar panel as its main source of energy.

Sharp claims this new technology reduces annual energy consumption by about 75% compared to the existing 26-inch LCD TVs available in the market today. Moreover, the new triple-junction thin-film solar module technology is free of toxic materials. Not to mention that using solar panel reduces fossil fuel consumption.

While the company’s main objective is to provide TV to approximately 6 billion people on earth with scarce or no electricity, this prototype is also relevant to all of us in the face of mounting increase in gas prices and our fondness for supporting “green” products.

No word yet on the availability or pricing of this solar-powered LCD TV. I’m hoping this socially responsible product will be affordable to the developing countries considering its objective.

Via [CrunchGear]

• Samsung announces industry’s first 30nm DDR3 DRAM, low power consumption sweetness
• First Solar-Powered Plane takes flight
• Panasonic battery could power your home for a week

A Japanese accessory manufacturer has added a unique twist on an ordinary household gadget, the flashlight. They have added a 300,000 pixel CMOS camera and microphone. Carrot Systems created this so-called AD-1500 flashlight to enable security personnel and crime fighters to record the actual events as they happen.

All activities are recorded in MP4 format and it automatically switches to infra-red mode when used at night or in dark areas. The AD-1500 can only cover a distance of up to 4 meters but I think this is enough to capture evidence and actual events in real time. However, internal memory is limited to only 128MB.

This innovative approach to ordinary gadget makes sense. It would be nice though if this could automatically stream the footage online for archiving purposes. Well, that’s looking forward I guess.

Unfortunately, its price of approximately $800 limits its potential, at least for the everyday consumer.

Via [CrunchGear]

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Perhaps in a catch-up game with the recent launch of the ultra popular Mozilla Firefox 3 and upcoming Opera 9.5, Microsoft has been beefing up its own Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) with plethora of new security features

Currently in public beta phase, this once dominant Web browser hopes to win back the hearts of its disheartened users with its new anti-malware protection and Cross Site Scripting (XSS) filter to fight against the so-called reflection attacks.

On top of these new developments, Microsoft recently announced other security features in IE8 such as the upgraded version of its phishing filter called SmartScreen Filter, improvement on ActiveX controls as well as anti-social engineering features.

However, most of these features are already available in other Web browsers so it won’t do much to help IE8 differentiate itself from competition. To make matters worse, your computer must be running Windows Vista SP1 or Windows XP SP3 for you to enjoy this added protection.

In short, we suggest sticking with Firefox!

Read [InformationWeek]

• Google gives Android a disadvantage?  Ups security for Apps on iPhone, WinMo
• Microsoft investigating battery problems in notebooks running Windows 7
• Microsoft posts, then pulls ‘buy Office 2007 get Office 2010 free’ offer

Google Maps is experimenting with speech recognition technology for its mobile users. The lucky guinea pigs are owners of the Blackberry Pearl 8110, 8120, and 8130 in the US. This is the same voice search technology that they use in their free directory service, GOOG-411.

This service proves to be very useful for many mobile users who lack the time or patience to type the long names of the places they want to go to. It will hopefully also add a level if safety as it could help to keep peoples hands and eyes off their phones and on the road, because even knowing the danger people still insist on using a mobile phone while driving. Here are the simple steps:

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With the absurd increase in gasoline prices almost every week, more and more people will be forced to use buses and other modes of public transportation. Now, here is a very interesting futuristic concept – the Slimbus.

Intended for short distance travel in very crowded urban areas like Tokyo and Nagoya in Japan, Slimbus is only 1.2 meters wide and divided into different compartments. It can easily maneuver and doesn’t take up much space, unlike the regular big buses available now. It’s also quite flexible, and similar to a trains because you can add or remove compartments depending on the situation.

The bummer - all passengers must stand to save space. Then again who needs a seat for a short trip, right? It has a standing capacity of 50 people. Seats are optional in case there are some disabled passengers on board but will reduce capacity to less than 30 people.

Slimbus is a mere concept to date but its potential to minimize traffic in crowed cities is very promising. It’s up to the transportation committees to decide whether this will come into fruition.

Via Tuvie

• Projection-screen is the new touchscreen. Or at least Dell seems to think so
• What could be a first look at a Google tablet
• A $75 dream tablet for 2012

If you want to know who’s the most dominant member in a meeting is, you should try this new noise-sensitive light-emitting meeting table codenamed Reflect.

This luminous board captures conversation via its built-in directional microphone and determines who is talking, the length of time talking, and other metrics. Participants need not wear any special gadget to capture the conversation so all they need to do is talk, talk, and talk. On the other, it can also detect those guys who are not actively participating in the conversation.

Cool, eh? Reflect might prove very helpful in balancing conversation and give equal opportunity for each member to speak. Conversely, it can also force other members to talk for the sake of talking even if they don’t make any sense at all.

But seriously, do you think the corporate world will adopt this technology in every day business meetings? I don’t think so.

How about you? What do you think about Reflect?

Product [Reflect] Via [information aesthetics]