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!

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

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.

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]

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.

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

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]

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!

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!

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]