MediaTek makes chips for various devices including DVD players and televisions, but they’re most known for their mobile phone chips that go into the millions of Chinese made handsets that never leave the country. The Nokla clones we make fun of all the time, those are made with MediaTek chips inside. Those dual SIM, triple SIM, and other insanely unique devices, again, they all use MediaTek. Sure they’re not the fastest chips around, nor the most power efficient, but their purpose is to serve the needs of the people who are not satisfied with what the top 5 mobile phone vendors are putting out.

How much longer until the number one mobile phone maker in China is a local Chinese player instead of Nokia (NYSE: NOK) is too difficult to really say, but it’s going to be a hell of a lot easier now that MediaTek has access to some of Qualcomm’s WCDMA, known by most folks as 3G, patents. MediaTek has yet to release any chips that support 3G, which can be either be blamed on the Chinese operators taking too long to get 3G off the ground, or the fact that building a 3G chipset isn’t the easiest of things to do. Either way, expect to see the clones out of China get even more interesting, and you may even see some fresh handset designs you wish were available in your country.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Brief: Motorola: All the devices we sell for less than $150 are not made by us
• Nokia makes peace with Qualcomm with a new agreement
• Nokia: ITC starts Qualcomm investigation
• Qualcomm Gets $20 Million Payment From Nokia – Patent Battle Continues
• MediaTek to ship over 100 million mobile phone chips in Q3, over 350 million in 2009

O2 has today announced the addition of Internet Radio to the O2 Joggler, bringing over 100 radio stations to the device for free. The service, which is delivered by PURE, has now been switched on over-the-air. O2 has also reduced the price of the O2 Joggler to £99.99. PURE, working in associated with OpenPeak (the manufacturers of the Joggler), has adapted its radio and media portal, The Lounge, for the O2 Joggler delivering a selection of the most popular UK BBC and commercial radio stations.

The Lounge (www.thelounge.com) made its debut in 2008 as the bespoke radio and media portal for PURE’s Flow range of internet-connected radios. PURE originally designed the portal as the online destination to provide easy and effective access to radio content and more for its connected radios and online users. The Lounge now provides over 12,000 streamed internet radio stations, thousands of podcasts, all BBC listen again content and a growing number of atmospheric ‘PURE Sounds’.

Adding features such as Internet Radio is part of O2’s strategy to develop the O2 Joggler as a hub for the home with a wide range of features for everyone to enjoy. In a significant next step in the development of the O2 Joggler platform, O2 also today announces that it will upgrade the device’s software from Flash 8 to Flash 10, making it possible for developers to create applications for the device. A SDK will be made available to developers shortly via O2 Litmus, O2’s web and mobile application development community.

O2 will also be launching an application store for the O2 Joggler which is due to go live on the device by the end of the year. Initially featuring free applications, the store will be developed in due course to allow people to purchase a wide range of apps for their Joggler. These could include anything from internet shopping through to video recipes and takeaway food applications.

The O2 Joggler Application Store will also link into O2 Litmus where developers are able to test and get feedback on their applications from O2 customers. The O2 Joggler will become one of the platforms available to developers through O2 Litmus and the application development community will open up new opportunities for them in selling their applications.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• O2’s Litmus video tour
• Internet Radio: Why aren’t you built in?
• New device: The O2 Joggler
• O2 Litmus targets over 1 million O2 Customers
• WunderRadio Now Available for the BlackBerry Curve and Bold

My buddy Ron over at picoprojector-info.com has come across a new NTT DoCoMo (NYSE: DCM) device that is packing some serious goodies!

The handset is called the “Separate Keitai F-04B” (made by Fujitsu, and can be separated into a display unit and a keyboard unit. The two can communicate via Bluetooth, and when they are connected they behave like a QWERTY slider. The display unit contains the main board with the communication chip and the application processor. It also includes a 3.4″ touch LCD.

The phone also includes a Pico-Projector unit. This is a DLP projector (LED source) with a 854×480 resolution, 6 lumens and a 800mAh battery (about 2 hours at the highest luminance). The projector unit will be sold separately (no pricing info yet).

That is a bruiser of a device – but it’s certainly got some utility!

[Via: picoprojector-info.com via: Tech-on]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Sony Ericsson patent application for self adjusting mobile phone projector
• Syndiant demo their new pico projector module
• 3M lowers the price of their pico projectors
• Samsung W7900 “Shows” off integrated projector
• Samsung patent application reveals projection display for mobile phones – holographic displays to come?

Ben gets hands-on with the Samsung C6625V – a qwerty keyboard-packing, candybar device, running WinMo 6.1:

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Don’t Call it a Comeback… Call it a Samsung Comeback
• Hands-on the Samsung Mondi @ CTIA Wireless 2009
• AT&T launches affordable Samsung Magnet messaging phone
• Hands-on with the Android-powered Samsung Moment
• Samsung B5100 Passes FCC

Just last week I got my hands on the Power pack for iPhone 3G and 3GS – which is both a case (of sorts) and external battery (1900 mAh) for your iPhone 3G/3GS. Anyway, check it all out on the video:

You can get the Power pack from maximobileshop.com.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• iPower – Brando’s external iPhone battery pack with integrated speaker
• iPhone “juice pack” goes beyond the standard battery
• Worth a Look: 3-in-1 External Rechargeable Battery for iPhone 3G
• Mophie announces Juice Pack air, world’s thinnest external battery for the iPhone 3G
• Live @ CES Las Vegas 2009 – Griffin shows off PowerBlock portable iPhone charger/external battery

Recently, I got to play with the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2352 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot! Phew, that’s a mouthful! The unit is variously known as both the ‘MiFi’ and the ‘Intelligent Mobile Hotspot’, due to trademark issues in the UK, but the ‘2352′ denomination is common – it refers to the European version of the unit (the US version is the 2372).

Anyway, back to it – if you want to check out how the MiFi performs, see my video below:

You can check out details of where to get the 2352 on the Novatel Wireless website.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Novatel’s GSM MiFi Mobile HotSpot hits Telefonica Spain first!
• UK: Carphone Warehouse Signs Distribution Agreement for Novatel Wireless Intelligent Mobile Hotspot 2352
• Novatel bringing CDMA MiFi to Verizon as MiFi 2200
• Hands-on with the Novatel MiFi Portable Hotspot router @ CES Las Vegas 2009
• Novatel Wireless MiFi 2352 Launches in Hungary with Pannon

The iClooly Alumistand is something that mixes both practical and cute/kitsch in one fell swoop – it’s an iPhone stand that is styled somewhat like a certain range of Monitors! I’d imagine the stand and monitor would look really good together, but in this video, it’s just the stand on show:

If you want to get your hands on one of these, check out Maximobileshop.com, found here.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Video: Hands-on with the Power pack for iPhone 3G & 3GS
• Apple looking into iPhone OS 3.1 battery drain reports
• Another Celebrity iPhone App – Jamie Oliver 20 minute meals
• AT&T iPhone bill comes out to hundreds of pages!
• Babies and Mobiles – part 3 (following up part 1)

The lady above has clearly had XP1 Power, but you might still be wondering what exactly it is! Well it’s fortunate that I can tell you:

As more technology and applications, such as Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth are installed into new generations of “Smart Phones”, like Blackberry (NSDQ: RIMM)’s, iPhone’s and other personal consumer products. There is a considerable amount power that is required to run them, putting a large amount of drain on the battery. Leaving the consumer with the possibility of finding him or her self with no juice and finding the time and/or place to re-charge is not an option. What we have done is
give the consumer the comfort of knowing that they will always have a back-up power source within reach, their XP1 charge/sync cable with an integrated rechargeable 2500mAh Lithium-ion battery. This is twice the capacity of most smart phones, which in turn will give the consumer a 300% gain over the just relying on the mobile phone’s battery alone.

So there you go: USB cable + big battery = XP1 Power! Actually it’s a good idea, I like it – makes a change from the jacket/case-based solutions too.

You can check out more about the XP1 here.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Hitachi uses Silicon alloy to increase Li-ION battery capacity by 20%
• Portable Power in Style: Jumpstart Chargers Keep Your Devices Always Powered!
• Worth a Look: 3-in-1 External Rechargeable Battery for iPhone 3G
• MiLi Power pack for iPhone gives lesson on how to do accessories right!
• Stanford researchers develop super long-lasting Lithium-Ion battery

In case you didn’t see this first time round, here’s a hands-on with the Beewi Bluetooth Pocket Hands-free Car Kit, as distributed by Avenir Telecom in the UK:

And here is the link to the Avenir Telecom, should you want to go about getting one: http://www.avenir-telecom.co.uk/

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Beewi Accessories arrive in UK through Avenir Telecom
• Avenir Telecom reduces customer churn on O2 to just 8%
• Brief: Avenir Telecom and O2 get ‘Joined Up’
• China’s ZTE to sell its first own branded handset in France – X760
• Telecom Italia to drive advanced mobile market growth with S60

It’s possible you might have missed these the first time round, but here are two hands-on videos for the Altec Lansing InMotion Classic and Altec Lansing Orbit-M – both portable speakers, and both very cool:

Altec Lansing InMotion Classic

Altec Lansing Orbit-M

For more information on the complete autumn 2009 audio collection from Altec Lansing, visit www.alteclansing.com

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Altec Lansing Orbit-M is a powerful little speaker!
• First impressions: Altec Lansing InMotion Classic and Orbit-M
• Orbit USB is a powerful little laptop speaker
• Hands-on video: Altec Lansing InMotion Classic
• Hands-on with the Altec Lansing Orbit-M

I wrote a post the other day about two lots of marketing collateral that I saw, within days of each other, for competing solutions on wireless charging of mobile devices. One solution was called the Powermat, and the other, the PowerPad.

Well both companies responded to my article (!), and here’s what PowerPad (Gear4) had to say (Powermat in another post here):

• There are no magnets in the PowerPad (phones don’t tend to dislike magnets)
• Our solution is WWI (works with iPhone) approved (i.e. Apple have approved it for sale and supply the connector which plugs into the dock)
• There is a larger receiving area built into the PowerPad so you can place the unit down in a fairly care free way and it will start charging straight away (no need to position it carefully)
• Our charge pad is relatively compact and designed for just the iPhone. When he handset manufacturers start building receiving technology into their portable devices, then we believe a multi-pad makes sense, but until this point, we think a small compact pad works better (this fits onto a desk or bedside table better)

So there you go – which solution is better, I’m not sure right now – hopefully I’ll be getting a review unit to try out!

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Clash of the wireless charging solutions…
• Wireless charging solutions: more on the Powermat
• Wildcharge available for purchase!
• RIM wanted to buy Nortel’s wireless assets for $1.1 billion, but have been blocked instead
• Apple recalls iPhone 3G power adapter cube

I wrote a post the other day about two lots of marketing collateral that I saw, within days of each other, for competing solutions on wireless charging of mobile devices. One solution was called the Powermat, and the other, the PowerPad.

Well both companies responded to my article (!), and here’s what Powermat had to say (Powerpad in another post here):

• Don’t miss out on getting your hands on Powermat – the first truly wireless charger
• Powermat will change the way you charge as it enables up to four mobile phones, MP3 players and other devices to charge at the same time
• Using wireless energy transfer, Powermat pairs an ultra-thin mat with a receiver which connects to your device
• A sleek black design, Powermat will help de-clutter your home, creating one common charging area for all your devices
• Powermat also helps you travel light with a special portable version that folds up to less than 10cm by 10cm by 3.5cm
• Powermat receivers are currently available for the iPhone, iPods and BlackBerry devices. Consumers who purchase the Powermat Powercube can also connect via mini USB to many other devices to meet their charging needs.
• Powermat products will be available nationwide in October 2009 from all major retailers

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Clash of the wireless charging solutions…
• PowerMat wireless charging!
• Wireless charging solutions: more on the PowerPad
• Seiko Epson and Murata working on wireless power transmission
• Wireless charging from MWg and Slashpower

Following on from my last post (here), I got a mail from the Syndiant CTO (a nice chap called Karl, who really wanted the IntoMobile readers to get the full effect of their pico projector demo image, by seeing it at higher resolution) – so, for the benefit of those that would like to see my previous post image at hi res, check it out by clicking on the thumbnail image to the left.

Again, for more on Syndiant, click here.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Syndiant demo their new pico projector module
• Squace: a new app for discovering content…
• Google updates Image Search for feature phones
• Geek Porn: Internal shots of the Nokia N76 thanks to the FCC
• 3GSM Day 0: Photo of Nokia’s booth and a brief video

yep, that's an 8-point font you can see being pointed too!

Our friends over at picoprojector-info.com have let us know about the new Syndiant pico projector modules – for anyone that doesn’t know, pico projectors (a miniature projector mounted in something like a mobile device) are apparently the next big thing!

The pic above shows one of the modules working, and you can see it’s managed to paint an area that is the size of a garage door – mainly because the background IS a garage door! The image was projected from an SYL2041 that supports both SVGA (800×600) and WVGA (854×480) resolutions – it managed a 120″ projected image!

The demo projector is about 14mm thick – about the same size of an iPhone. It has 17 lumens of light output. Syndiant say that there are over a dozen companies with plans for products based on this new module. Most of them are expected to include media players, have 20 to 50 (or more!) lumens output, and be smaller than the demo projector they show here. Some of these will be shown at CES (January 2010), with production in 2010. They hope that a few will be announced in 2009.

It’s impressive, isn’t it – apparently Syndiant have plans to go to HD-720 and HD-1080 resolution displays in the future – bring it on I say, everyone should have their own movie theatre in the lounge – especially if it’s being driven from your mobile!

You can check more about pico projectors at the Syndiant site here.

[Via: picoprojector-info.com]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Sony Ericsson patent application for self adjusting mobile phone projector
• 3M lowers the price of their pico projectors
• Update: Syndiant demo new pico projector module
• Samsung W7900 “Shows” off integrated projector
• Texas Instruments promises projectors in mobile phones by end of 2008

Raise your hands, how many of you remember OpenMoko? It was an ambitious open source project lead by Sean Moss-Pultz to create a complete, 100% open source Linux powered mobile phone. When I say 100%, I mean 100%, even the cellular software was open source. Not only was the hardware open source, but the schematics on how to build the OpenMoko handset was also open source. It failed because no one really cares about open source, people care if your product is good, and the OpenMoko left a lot to be desired. History lesson aside, today, on OpenMoko’s mailing list, which oddly enough I’m still subscribed to, Sean announced the WikiReader:

Dear Community!

Today, with the greatest of pleasure, I am ready to share with you the
birth of our third product — WikiReader. Three simple buttons put
three million Wikipedia articles in the palm (NSDQ: PALM) of your hand. Accessible
immediately, anytime, anywhere without requiring an Internet
connection. No strings attached. With WikiReader you’ll be prepared
for those unexpected moments when curiosity strikes. And once you have
it, you’ll realize how often you ask yourself questions during the
day.

WikiReader takes our original ideas of openness and accessibility to
an even greater realm. WikiReader is so amazingly simple. There really
is no interface. You turn it on and instantly become immersed in the
rich world of reading specific topics or the serendipitous pleasure of
discovering something by chance. It’s perfect for all ages.

From the “Aha!” moment when we held our first prototypes, to the last
few months as we worked around the clock to polish every last detail,
this product was a joy to make and even more fun to experience. We are
head-over-heels in love with WikiReader. Never have I found so much
fun in the little moments of curiosity life offers us. Try one and I’m
sure you’ll agree that we’ve delivered the essence of reading
Wikipedia in an addictively simple form factor.

Sales start today at http://thewikireader.com. Enjoy. Tell your
friends. And let us know what you think!

Sincerely

Sean Moss-Pultz

In short: the WikiReader has no cellular radio, or any radios at all actually, inside. It’s just an offline scratch resistant tempered glass capacitive touch screen device with 3 buttons, and 3 million Wikipedia articles stored on a built in, removable, and upgradable, microSD card. It runs on 2x AAA batteries and lasts for 1 year if used for 15 minutes per day, so that is a little over 90 hours of use. Thomas Meyerhoffer designed it, and it will cost only $99. You’ll be able to purchase it from here “soon” according to the website.

More pictures, and even a few videos, can be found here.

Related News from IntoMobile:

• OpenMoko FreeRunner Gets Canned
• OpenMoko to announce a second handset in March-April; Plans to use its platform in other devices
• Neo FreeRunner: An open source handset, too little too late?
• OpenMoko FreeRunner to be available for $399 – Open-source Linux handset set to launch
• OpenMoko shows off successor to Neo1973 in Brazil

You might have seen a couple of posts I put up the other day on the new Altec Lansing products – namely the InMotion Classic, and Orbit-M. Well, having spent a little quality time with each one, here are some initial thoughts:

InMotion Classic

• Good size vs weight
• Rock solid support of the iPhone in the mount (important to not weaken your connector over time)
• Nice tactile buttons
• Clever space-saving design on bracket and remote
• Spanking sound quality – very nice fidelity!

Orbit-M

• Excellent size/weighting combo – materials give it premium feel, overall weight is light-moderate (important for a portable unit!)
• Carrying case is a nice touch
• Sound fidelity is good (although not ramped up the volume yet to check for distortion)
• Simple design aesthetic works well – industrial, clean lines

I’m going to spend some further time with the units to see if I can catch the driver units out in both devices, but I’ve a feeling, reading the PR, that they will tolerate some decent volume and harshness of music. We’ll see in the next few days….!

For more information on the complete autumn 2009 audio collection from Altec Lansing, you can visit www.alteclansing.com

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Video Hands-on with the Altec Lansing InMotion Classic, and Orbit-M
• Altec Lansing Orbit-M is a powerful little speaker!
• Hands-on with the Altec Lansing Orbit-M
• Hands-on video: Altec Lansing InMotion Classic
• Hands-on with the Altec Lansing InMotion Classic (IMT620)

Those boys over at iFixit have done it again – this time they’ve taken apart the Nikon Coolpix S1000pj (catch name, eh!) camera! Now, you might be wondering why this is so exciting – well two (linked) reasons:

1. The camera has a project onboard – yes indeed!
2. These  projector modules are coming to mass-market mobile near you relatively soon!

So it’s interesting to see right now how they’ve fitted in the projector module to a device with a slightly larger form-factor. Bear in mind the camera doesn’t try to be a phone, it just does a couple of things (like take pictures, and beam ‘em) really well – so there’s a little space in that housing to fit the projector module. But it won’t be long before they are commonly featuring (and yes, I know these modules have already been on a couple of mobile devices to-date, but they weren’t mass-market).

Anyway, check out the full teardown here at iFixit.

[Via: iFixit]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Palm Touchstone Disassembled Before Our Eyes
• iFixit: PSP Go Teardown
• Motorola Droid Exposed – The Teardown Aftermath
• Texas Instruments promises projectors in mobile phones by end of 2008
• WILLCOM WP004 “Transforming Phone” – YOU Pick Your Cell Phone’s Features

Altec Lansing was pretty busy last month – as well as the InMotion Classic, they have also been building out their Orbit range of speakers. The Orbit-M (connecting via 3.5mm jack), and the Orbit USB (USB connection surprisingly enough) are ultra-portable, yet have a surprisingly bug sound field too!

The Orbit boasts Altec Lansing’s Audio Alignment™ design, which is the precise balance and craftsmanship of the key audio components — the driver, the enclosure and the electronics. The sonic result is astounding volume, clarity and depth in a small system. The circular shape provides a 360-degree sound field and the retractable stand aims the audio wherever wanted. Built to survive tough travel conditions, the Orbit USB includes a stylish neoprene case with hook-on carabiner as well as tangle-free cord storage.

The Altec Lansing Orbit-M is £29.99, and the Orbit-USB is £9.99 – you can get them both from www.alteclansing.com. For more information on the complete autumn 2009 audio collection from Altec Lansing, visit www.alteclansing.com – there’s also a review of the Orbit-M due soon!

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Video Hands-on with the Altec Lansing InMotion Classic, and Orbit-M
• Orbit USB is a powerful little laptop speaker
• Hands-on with the Altec Lansing Orbit-M
• Hands-on video: Altec Lansing Orbit-M
• First impressions: Altec Lansing InMotion Classic and Orbit-M

Altec Lansing introduced the newest member of its inMotion family last month, neatly entitled the inMotion® Classic – it’s designed for iPhone as well as iPod, and includes an FM radio tuner. Its also packing a rechargeable battery, and is apparently “engineered for portability and versatility, so music enthusiasts can groove anywhere without missing a beat”.There’s also a neat multi-function handle serves three important roles: swing up for grab-and-go transport, swing back as a kickstand, and swing under to stow away and turn off the battery.

“Works with iPhone” certification means interference-free listening, eliminating the need to switch the iPhone to airplane mode. iPhone and iPod devices are automatically charged when the inMotion Classic is plugged into a power outlet.

The inMotion Classic’s advanced remote control features full menu navigation for iPhone and iPod, allowing users to browse artists, songs and playlists directly from the remote.  The high-contrast LCD always lets you know the song details from afar.

The inMotion Classic utilizes proprietary Audio Alignment™ craftsmanship to deliver a balanced, authentic sound. Expanded Sound Stage technology enhances the stereo listening experience by widening the sound field at the touch of a button. Custom-built, dual 3-inch neodymium drivers throw out clear, powerful sound with the quality that Altec Lansing fans have come to expect.

The Altec Lansing inMotion Classic (iMT620) will be available from October at Amazon.com, John Lewis and www.alteclansing.com. RRP is £129.99

For more information on the complete autumn 2009 audio collection from Altec Lansing, you can visit www.alteclansing.com – and look for the review coming soon!

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Video Hands-on with the Altec Lansing InMotion Classic, and Orbit-M
• Altec Lansing Orbit-M is a powerful little speaker!
• Hands-on video: Altec Lansing InMotion Classic
• First impressions: Altec Lansing InMotion Classic and Orbit-M
• Hands-on with the Altec Lansing InMotion Classic (IMT620)

You may or may not have seen Dusans post a while back now, regarding the Bluetrek Bizz – basically this tiny Bluetooth headset does more than a lot of larger ones do!

The headset only weighs 10 grams, yet it includes both a USB port, AND a MicroSD card! This means the headset is multi-functional in the true sense of the word:

Bluetooth headset – providing everything you require from a headset.

Flash Drive – you are now able to download, upload, store all you data, images, videos in an instant!

MicroSD Card Reader – capable of holding an 8GB microSD card, you’ll have all the storage your require at the tip of your ‘ears’.

Small & light Bluetooth headset. Also works as a Flash Drive & MicroSD Card Reader Over 6 days standby time Talk continuously for 7 hours between charge Works with all Bluetooth phones and devices Supports voice dialling Extra loops and buds for maximum comfort The built in set up wizard ensures a quick and easy set up to your device Flash drive supports up to an 8GB MicroSD memory card 30 day money back guarantee 1 year warranty Half Price – while stocks last!

So if you fancy one of these, for the princely sum of £14.95 (50% off!), then get yourself over to MobileFun, here.

[Via: MobileFun.co.uk]

Related News from IntoMobile:

• Bluetrek BIZZ Bluetooth headset also works as a microSD card reader, USB flash drive
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• MicroSD/T-Flash card reader cellphone strap
• Nokia E71 + Nokia BH-602 Bluetooth headset = match made in heaven
• Yidsun Wireless unveils two cool Bluetooth headsets: BluSaber Classic and BluSaber X