Gadgetell | Tech News, Reviews, and Interesting Things

Yes, mobile security is becoming more of a million-dollar-worry for corporations, but what about the hundreds of dollars’ worth of songs on your iPod? Your son’s graduation photos on your digital camera when it gets lost or stolen?

A recent Reuters story details some of the new software and hardware that allows runaway consumer electronics to “phone” home via wireless connectivity; Eye-Fi SD memory cards and GadgetTrak software are mentioned. Both send data back to the original owners, and there are now-famous stories of thieves caught taking pictures of themselves using the Eye-Fi enabled cameras they stole.

I was curious about the relationship between these new security companies and law enforcement: how are police handling the advent of technologies that help them do their jobs? 

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The FCC has just approved the Nokia 6210 navigator, which is the follow up to the 6110 navigator that was released not so long ago. As such, the 6210 bears much resemblance to its predecessor in terms of features and functionality, after all that’s how Nokia has always been when it comes to updating most of their mobile phone series.

The 6210’s features which are mostly similar to the 6110 an include a built-in GPS with A-GPS, 3G, Wi-Fi and voice-activated controls. But that is not to say the Nokia 6210 is a mere copy-cat of the 6110, it also has some nice new features of its own. For one, the 6210 is equipped with an improved 3.2-megapixel camera and it now runs on the Symbian Series 60 OS. In addition, we could also see a dual-LED flash near the 6210’s camera lens.

Is that all? We’re afraid so, yes. But we expect to know more new features as Nokia preps to release the 6210 sometime in the third quarter of this year. With a tentative retail price of $430, we certainly deserve to get more great features than a 3.2-megapixel camera, right?

Read [FCC] Via [IntoMobile]

Here’s a cool service that shows how the union of mobile technology and entertainment industries can bring benefit to each other and ultimately to consumers. CinemaNow, and uVuMobile are making this possible with a new service that lets consumers preview movies on their mobile phones and then remotely download them to an internet connected device at home. I don’t know about you, but having this feature on my mobile phone is my idea of cool. 

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Amazon is offering all AT&T branded phones for one-penny or less on April 24, 2008 as a special one-day sale. This is one of those deals that almost sounds a little too good to be true and while the phones are indeed priced for just one penny, they all come along with a two-year agreement. Which by itself is not all that bad, after all you will most likely sign a contract with any carrier you choose. But to add a little insult to the deal, these prices are, in some cases after mail-in-rebates, and we all hate those, but on top of the mail-in-portion your money comes back in the form of a Visa Debit card.

So if you are looking for a nice, and also low-cost phone from AT&T and don’t mind the previously mentioned details, then today may be a good time to head on over to Amazon and grab order the handset of your choice. In some cases, such as the Red Wine BlackJack II you will actually come out $49.99 ahead and the red BlackBerry 8310 Curve will not only be free, but gives you about $75 back. The phones all also appear to be coming with free shipping. All in all they are offering a selection of 55 models to choose from.

Product [Amazon] Via [Pocketables]

We already knew it was coming today, so this new comes as no real surprise, but it is still nice to see it actually hit the website. Verizon has officially released the XV6900, so for those who were waiting either patiently or more than likely un-patiently can now relax and commence ordering. As expected, the XV6900 will set you back $249.99, which comes along with the standard 2-year agreement and after a mix of online and mail in rebates.

Product [Verizon]

Kyocera may not be a well known mobile manufacturer but it sure does know how to make its presence felt in this already crowded mobile phone industry. So, when it decided to release a new mobile handset, it announced not just one but three new models, all running on CDMA networks – the Neo E1100, Mako S4000 and the Adreno S2400.

Unfortunately aside from the weird sounding branding that goes with each of these mobile phones, Kyocera didn’t include many innovative features. In brief, here’s a lowdown on each of the new phones from Kyocera.

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Velocity Mobile maybe a new player in the mobile industry but it seems they are going in full steam based on their two initial smartphones – the Velocity 103 and Velocity 111. Velocity Mobile is hoping to gain a share of the already crowded mobile manufacturing market with its promise of a smartphone for the masses without sacrificing functionality.

For its initial offering, Velocity Mobile intros the Velocity 103. Brandishing a Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS, the Velocity 103 is loaded with Qualcomm Mobile Station Modem chipset, GSM/EDGE, UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA, a 2.8-inch touchscreen display with a 640x480 resolution, 256MB ROM, 126MB RAM, Bluetooth, 2.0-megapixel camera on the back with a 0.3-megapixel cam on the front, TV/VGA output and microSD expansion slot.

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Verizon is coming way ahead of its competitors with several announcements on its line-up. A day before CTIA begins Verizon has announced the availability of the white XV6900 Touch from HTC.

Boasting a touch-screen interface for easy menu navigation, the XV6900 will be bringing with it several new features including support for Verizon Wireless’ network which makes internet and email connectivity faster and more efficient.  With just a flick of their fingers, users will have easy access to local weather report, internet navigation, flipping through photos and one-touch dialing.

The XV6900 belongs to the HTC family of Touch smarthphone models, and as such its major strength is its functionality and communication facilities. Users can run Windows Mobile 6 Professional with Outlook Mobile, as well as other third-party applications. As with other smarthphones, the XV6900 is compatible with various instant messaging clients – AIM, MSN and Yahoo. 

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Perhaps one of the simplest mobile phones to show its sleek, proud face at the Consumer Electronics Show is the Sanyo S1 Palmtop. It can hold its own even in the face of the amazing and dazzling strides made in the world of wireless technology. The Sanyo S1 Palmtop is for those among us who believe in simplicity and desire a phone that geeks might consider primitive; one whose primary selling point is reliability in getting connected for voice and basic e-mail.

Sanyo’s goal is to provide to all consumers a more comfortable life; a life in harmony with the environment. The S1 Palmtop lives up to that standard with every little breath that it takes. It is ultra sleek and weighs only 2.5 ounces. It is just 11mm thin, wrapped in a silky, soft-touch finish and feels like it belongs in your hand. Despite its size, the S1 Palmtop boasts a robust 24mm speakerphone, integrated Bluetooth wireless technology, large, colorful LCD screen and a voice-activated Wireless Backup allows users to easily manage the phone’s contacts list in case the phone is lost, stolen or damaged.

The Sanyo S1 Palmtop is ultra-slim, stylish and sophisticated and reflects Sanyo’s commitment to becoming an indispensable element in the lives of people all over the world.

Read [New Launches]