Leave it to the pioneers of multi-touch in the mobile space to apply for a patent on all future versions of multi-touch. Apple’s latest patent filing suggests that Cupertino is working to integrate more than just touch-based input modalities in to future versions of multi-touch.

The problem with the current multi-touch setup is that it’s tailored to touch-based mechanics alone. Multi-touch on the iPhone and iPhone 3G is goo for mechanical manipulation, but without complementary input modalities like voice or finger-recognition, the current multi-touch setup falls short of offering truly immersive user interaction.

Imagine trying to resize and rotate a picture while changing its color and inserting a bit of text. It wouldn’t make sense to resize and rotate the picture using your voice. There are size and rotation-degree parameters that are just more well-suited for manipulation through touch-based multi-touch technology - it’s just easier to pinch/stretch and rotate the picture with your finger than with voice commands. Likewise, it’s easier to use voice commands to change the color of the background picture or add a text string to the picture.

Apple proposes, in their latest patent application, that future multi-touch technologies will integrate almost all foreseeable input modalities to complement touch-based multi-touch. Mechanical manipulations could be assigned to touch-based commands, while voice commands are relegated to functions that require choosing an option from a list.

Futhermore, Apple envisions future multi-touch setups incorporating finger-recognition that would allow the user to assign different functions to each finger - which would allow for more complex commands to be issued. Gaze-vector tracking could allow your future laptop or mobile phone to recognize which menu you’d like to select and automatically drill down to the appropriate category. Then there’s the proposition of using finger-tracking and force-sensing technologies that would allow the user to affect different degrees of control depending on finger-pressure and position.

Combine all that with accelerometer support and some pixie dust and you’ve got the makings of a seriously immersed control environment. We can’t wait for a future filled with multi multi-touch and pixie dust!

USPTO Apple patent application

You mean fashion-forward handsets like the LG Prada KE850 can’t get by on looks and designer label alone?

Even traditionally feature-lacking luxury phones like those from Nokia’s luxury arm, Vertu, are starting to adopt current-generation technology in their super-expensive handsets. And, in keeping with this trend, it looks like LG is working on a successor to their LG KE850 Prada phone.

The LG Prada II, as it’s apparently going to be called, will reportedly sport a 5 megapixel camera and HSDPA 3G connectivity on the coveted 850Mhz band. That’s all good news for feature-hungry fashionistas out there, but will it be enough to compete with the iPhone 3G and its unmatched UI?

We’ll have to wait and see how the LG Prada II fares against the iPhone 3G and the HTC Touch Pro… and the HTC Dream G1… and the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1… you get the point.

LG Prada II specs:

• Quad-band GSM/EDGE, dual-band HSDPA (850MHz/2100MHz)
• 950mAh battery
• 240×400 3.0? screen
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with flash and VGA recording
• Bluetooth 2.1
• Wi-Fi b,g
• Infineon MP-EH + M180 chipset
• Motion sensor
• FM Radio
• 104.5 x 54 x 16.8 mm

[Via: BGR]

Nokia, the clear leader among mobile phone manufacturers, has seen its mobile marketshare reaching upwards of 40% of the global mobile phone market in Q2 2008. At that time, the Finnish cellphone giant announced that it expected its Q3 2008 market share to stay the same. Unfortunately, for Nokia and their shareholders, the company has announced today that they expect their market share to drop in Q3.

Nokia blames a weak global economy for the revision to their third-quarter outlook. The news sent Nokia shares tumbling 11% (as of 1443 GMT), leaving the world’s largest cellphone manufacturer trading at a three-year low.

On the upside, Nokia says that it expects to see its full-year 2008 market share increasing ever so slightly. At the end of the day, it’s all about how a company fairs in the long-term. Quarterly financial wobbles can be indicators of underlying corporate problems, but in Nokia’s case, we’ll see the Finns pull through.

[Via: Forbes]

If you’re the proud owner of a new Palm Treo 800w, then you might be feeling a bit let down at this point. Aside from the fact that the Palm Treo Pro has just surfaced as the latest must-have Palm Treo smartphone, Palm has acknowledged problems with the software controlling the Palm Treo 800w’s USB port and battery.

The Palm Treo 800w apparently didn’t like recognizing certain USB devices, and had some problems charging a completely dead and drained battery. Both issues have been recognized by Palm and fixes are now available in the new Palm Treo 800w software update.

If your Palm Treo 800w is sitting dead on your desk with a completely drained battery, unable to start charging through the wall-charger, you’ll want to “trickle charge” the Palm Treo 800w battery by connecting it via USB cable to your computer. The USB port on your computer should start charging your Palm Treo 800w, and once the battery hits 25%, you’re good to start the software update.

Even better is news that the software update can be both downloaded and applied through your computer or simply applied as an OTA (over-the-air) update. You can find the software update download link here. To update your Palm Treo 800w over the air, simply point your 800w’s IE browser to palm.com/800wusbota and follow the onscreen instructions.

With this latest software update and our previous hack that should open up faster upload data speeds, your Palm Treo 800w should be humming along quite nicely.

Palm

Konami’s classic footie game, Pro Evolution Soccer, has won the “best mobile game” award at the Leipzig Games Convention. The award was given to the 2009 incarntion of the game, published by Glu in it’s Mobile format.

The judges were apparently of the opinion that the control system meant the game rocked, and that the Bluetooth multiplayer mode also made it worthy of the win.

And yes, I know, the image above is of the 2008 iteration of the game - but that’s the one that you can easily get your mitts on via Glu’s website.

[Via: Mobile Entertainment]

The Nokia N96 has been highly anticipated as the Nokia N95 successor and new heir to the Nseries throne. With that sexy, glossy-black finish, under-lit keys, mobile TV, and fantastic optics, the Nokia N96 is the new king-of-the-ring when it comes to Espoos Nseries lineup.

We’ve already seen the Nokia N96 from all angles and subjective perspectives. For some, the addition of mobile TV and a refreshed design aesthetic isn’t enough to justify the jump from the Nokia N95. For others, the sleek new look combined with the improved build-quality and more precise sliding mechanism is enough to upgrade to the Nokia N96.

But, that doesn’t mean we can’t stand to see more Nokia N96 reviews. AllAboutSymbian has posted an “first impressions” review of the Nokia N96 that lauds the newly-minted Nseries flagship as having good build quality (as I mentioned from my hands-on time with the N96), solid slide mechanism, and affinity for fingerprints.

The camera shutter button was noted as being a bit stiff, although that’s more likely a personal perspective. I found the pre-production unit to have a well-balanced shutter button.

And, as expected from the Carl Zeiss optics used in the Nokia N96’s camera, the picture quality is top-notch (as you can see from the sample picture to the left).

Head on over to AllAboutSymbian for the down-low.

[Via: AllAboutSymbian]

Sporting games (like EA Mobile’s Fight Night Round 3) are apparently dominating a mobile games chart, which is compiled by website GameMobile. There is a mix of Football management games, Golf, Pool, and a touch of the Olympics! Driving games and Basketball also make an appearance.

Some sports games do lend themselves well to Mobile - and some (naming no names!) that require rapid dexterity, are not suited for Mobile at all - actually maybe that is just my fat fingers! Certainly the pace of Mobile tech and game dev means that now (aguably) console-like games are starting to appear - EA’s Boxing game, Fight Night Round 3, being a good example. Bring it on - Thwack!

[Story via: mobilemarketingnews.co.uk / Image via: Pocketgamer.co.uk]

T-Mobile had a consumer-hit on their hands with the consumer-friendly T-Mobile Shadow smartphone. Taking HTC’s wares and re-branding it as the T-Mobile Shadow was a good idea and it looks like T-Mobile is making good on their promise to continue on with the Shadow lineup of consumer-friendly smartphones.

The T-Mobile Shadow II (2) has been floating around of late, with various spy pics and details leaking out on to the various interwebs. It was only a matter of time before definitive pricing and availability information was released.

The T-Mobile Shadow II will apparently launch on T-Mobile (naturally) on October 15 with a $149.99 price tag (after rebate and new contract, of course). The release date falls nicely in line with our Q4 2008 launch expectations.

The T-Mobile Shadow successor is set to hit the scene with Windows Mobile 6.1 in tow, and should make quick work of web surfing or VoIP calling with integrated WiFi. The inclusion of WiFi also means the T-Mobile Shadow II will be getting down with the carrier’s T-Mobile HotSpot @Home UMA service for those times when you just don’t want to use wireless minutes to make a call from your home.

The T-Mobile Shadow II is, just like its predecessor, based on hardware from HTC. This time around, T-Mobile has taken the HTC Cleopatra and re-branded the handset as the T-Mobile Shadow II.

What’s not clear is whether or not the T-Mobile Shadow II will support T-Mobile’s nascent 3G network on the 1700Mhz AWS band. T-Mobile, for some reason, isn’t all that forthcoming about which of their new handsets will be compatible with the up-and-coming 1700Mhz 3G network. The carrier has previously failed to mention 3G compatibility on upcoming handsets like the Sony Ericsson TM506 Bella, only to turn around later and admit that the handset was 1700Mhz 3G-compatible all along. So, the T-Mobile Shadow II will likely be a 3G T-Mobile handset, but we’ll stop short of declaring it so.

[Via: TmoNews]

IBC 2008 is coming (very) soon to the RAI exhibition centre in Amsterdam. Great, you think, why should I care? Well, IBC is an entertainment industry exhibition and conference. And given part of that industry is “mobilised”, then there are going to be a large number of mobile companies there, showing their wares.

Specifically, the “Mobile Zone” is full of Mobile TV and video providers, and if last years show was anything to go by, a hotbed of activity.

If you fancy going, check out the opening dates/times below, and then go to the IBC website to sort yourself out a ticket!

IBC returns to the RAI Centre in Amsterdam, with the conference opening on 11 September and the exhibition running from 12 to 16 September 2008.

The exhibition opens to visitors at the following times:

• Friday 12 September 12.00-18.00 hrs
• Saturday, 13 September 09.30-18.00 hrs
• Sunday 14 September 09.30-18.00 hrs
• Monday 15 September 09.30-18.00 hrs
• Tuesday 16 September 09.30-16.00 hrs

Exhibitors will have access from 08.00 hrs each open day of the show

www.ibc.org both captures all the information from last year’s event and will chart the progress towards the next. As we have information to share, so our electronic newsletters will keep you up to date with the build-up to IBC2008. We look forward to seeing you there.

Pantech has unveiled its latest slider phone called IM-S350. From what we can tell (from the image above), with parts of the body being made of aluminum, the device looks quite fashionable and I’ve no doubts some people in South Korea will like it — unfortunately the IM-S350 is a Korea-only device at the moment.

Specs wise, the 9.9 mm thin handset comes with a HSDPA radio, 2 megapixel camera, built-in DMB TV tuner, media player, Bluetooth and memory card slot. Pricing and the exact release date is not known at this stage, though…

[Via: Unwired View]