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elderly posts

Emporia's "emporiaLife" for the silver set

by Sean Cooper posted Mar 17th 2007 @ 8:57AM

Emporia focuses on handsets for the older generation and the "emporiaLife" is no exception, targeted squarely at folks 50 and up. Featuring giant-sized keys and the "granddaddy" (pun completely intended) of all screens, this is a potential goldmine market for those wanting to gift cellies to their grandparents or aging parents. On the bottom of this oversized handset is a giant round red heart button that dials an emergency number in case of disaster. Another handy feature is the speakerphone and a screaming-loud ringer, and by screaming-loud we mean scare-the-kids-out-of-the-playground loud. We are immediately struck with nostalgic thoughts of "I've fallen and I can't get up" commercials of days gone by. Pics are on the next pages; extra large, of course, for your aged eyes' appreciation.

Emporia's cellphone for the elderly

NTT DoCoMo announces F882iES flip for seniors

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 26th 2006 @ 9:39AM

Never mind the elderly, this seems like a perfectly hot phone for pretty much anyone looking for a decent 3G clamshell. Fujitsu's F882iES operates on NTT DoCoMo's 3G FOMA network, rocks 2.2-inch QVGA internal and 64 x 64 external displays, a 1.3-megapixel shooter, and miniSD expansion in your choice of gold, pink, or black. But here's the best part: much like KDDI's A1406PT from Pantech, the F882iES features a piercing alarm that can simultaneously fire off a pre-recorded message to a number of your choice. At 100 ear-annihilating decibels, we think it might even pack enough oomph to outdo our phone-in-a-wine-glass trick.

[Via TechJapan]

Pantech, KDDI sign deal for elderly-themed handset

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 5th 2006 @ 3:44PM

Three words: "crime prevention buzzer." What more do we need to say? Besides being able to scream bloody murder on command, Pantech's CDMA A1406PT for KDDI's Japanese "au" network will feature 2.4-inch QVGA internal and 1.2-inch external displays, a 1.3-megapixel shooter, and three assignable one-touch keys directly below the display. Targeted at the elderly (read: folks who aren't looking for anything too newfangled), the clamshell scores $110 million for Korea's Pantech, which is following up its A1405PT. Given that Korean phones in Japan are still a novelty, neither of these phones are bleeding-edge in any way -- but we find it kinda refreshing to not lust after a Japanese or Korean handset for once.

[Via I4U News]

Indian firm boils the mobile phone down to basics

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 3rd 2006 @ 12:11AM

What if you were to take the mobile phone concept and strip away every conceivable nonessential feature. What would you be left with? The Migo, you say? The Firefly, perhaps? Not even; both of those devices have luxuries like selectable ringtones and displays. India's National Institute of Design has devised the "Mini Mobile," which bears a strong resemblance to a remote control but actually functions as an ultra-simplified phone. We can recite the entire spec sheet to you in three words: three speed dials. That's it. No GPS, no display, no dedicated emergency button. (Technically, there are dedicated buttons to send and end calls, though we don't consider those features.) No word on production plans, but the firm is shopping the design around to manufacturers, arguing that a no-nonsense device will appeal to parents and the elderly. One recommendation, guys: the five randomly placed, identical buttons sorta go against your design principle.

[Via I4U News]

Motorola patent would allow seniors to rock regular cellphones

by Evan Blass posted May 5th 2006 @ 6:00PM

We've seen a slew of cellphones designed for use by senior citizens, but they always tend to be big, bulky, and/or rather unstylish -- what if Grandpa is a little hard of hearing, but still wants to impress the hunnies on the shuffleboard court with his handset? Well Motorola may have a solution for the fashion-conscious senior by way of a patent application it just filed, which envisions an audio processor for regular cellphones that boosts the volume if being used by a member of the AARP crowd. Even better, the phone would be able to automatically detect when it was being used by an elderly individual, thanks to speech recognition software that analyzes the tone and pace of the speaker's voice. We used to laugh at the Boost Mobile commercials featuring those hip senior posses, but if this Moto patent is any indication, a world of RAZR- and SLVR-sporting old folks may be right around the corner.

[Via Mobiledia]