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Apple to partner with LG on OLED-equipped iPhone, netbook?

by Ross Miller posted Mar 19th 2009 @ 7:38PM

A new rumor from SmartHouse is making the rounds today, with alleged sources claiming LG has partnered with Apple to make OLED displays for a new iPhone and iPod touch, a Taiwan-manufactured netbook that's reportedly already in working prototype stage, and a device with a wafer-thin screen that would link wirelessly to a content-providing box similar to Apple TV. Sure, some of that makes sense, but let's add a good bit of context here. This article in question was written by SmartHouse veteran David Richards, who in the past has brought us such winners as PlayStation 4 launching in 2008, a Xbox 360 equipped with HD DVD, and our favorite, Apple producing its own soap opera series exclusively for the iPod. We're not saying the Apple-LG partnership is entirely out of the realm of possibility, but this guy doesn't exactly have the best track record. Furthermore, this doesn't jibe with two separate reports from Dow Jones Newswire and Commercial Times / DigiTimes that Quanta is providing the screens for an upcoming Apple netbook launching in Q3. Lastly, with today's announcement that LG is licensing Kodak's OLED technology for future devices, we get the feeling the company isn't the best suited to meet Cupertino's demands. Seems like this week's barrage of Apple news has gotten to people's heads, honestly -- keep a sharp eye!

[Thanks, everyone; image courtesy of Frunny]

Read - Report on Apple / LG OLED partnership
Read - Articles from David Richards

Cellphone hacked to analyze blood, detect diseases on the spot

by Darren Murph posted Dec 21st 2008 @ 12:37PM

Not that the whole using-cellphones-for-disease-detection is completely fresh, but the latest handset hack for medical purposes is still mighty impressive. UCLA researcher Dr. Aydogan Ozcan has essentially converted a standard cellphone into a portable blood tester of sorts, which is capable of detecting HIV, malaria and various other illnesses. Put as simply as possible, the device works by analyzing blood cells that are placed on an integrated off-the-shelf camera sensor and lit up with a filtered light source. Said light source exposes unique qualities of the cells, and from there, the doc's homegrown software interprets the data and determines what's what. So, has anyone given this guy the main line to NTT DoCoMo, or what?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

LG's concept phone contest winners should please art house gadgetphiles

by Samuel Axon posted Nov 9th 2008 @ 8:28PM

When we see alluring phone concepts that'll never leave the lab, we end up wishing there was a little more innovation in the handsets out in the wild. There was a wealth of eyebrow-raising examples of that principle when LG Japan exhibited top entries to its Mobile Design Contest last weekend. We're keen on the fbt, a phone designed for braille text messaging, and the Tap, which is shaped like a light switch and functions like one too -- when you tap it, the phone turns off so you can live once again in peace. The winner, though, was the above-pictured Planet Phone, the surface of which is dotted with LEDs representing your friends; if you don't talk to someone for a while, their light gradually moves out to the edge. It's supposed to remind you to keep in touch, but it has darker connotations -- if you become angry with someone, you can revel in the pleasure of watching them slowly tick away into oblivion. That's absolutely a feature we want to see added to the Storm.

[Via Hallyu Tech]

iPhone gains battery life, camera flash, loses sex appeal with FastMac's iV

by Samuel Axon posted Nov 3rd 2008 @ 3:01PM

Why yes, FastMac -- we want 24 hours of talk time, 72 of audio, 20 of video, and 31 hours of standby on our iPhones and iPhone 3Gs. Throw in a camera flash that doubles as a flashlight, and the ability to charge a USB device like a Bluetooth headset right off the phone, and you've got a deal on this iV charging kit of yours! Oh, there's a catch? It's a wee bit bulky, with an aesthetic similar to that of mophie's Juice Pack? Hey, it could be worse. This largification -- along with $79.50 -- is apparently the price you pay for digital endurance.

[Via Macworld]

Things may be looking brighter for Nokia N96, Xenon flash in the works?

by Sean Cooper posted Mar 30th 2008 @ 9:31PM

PhoneMag is reporting on a post at the Esato forums that mentions the N96 may well be getting itself an update before it even hits the shelves -- this is a bit friend of a friend stuff, so please think rumor while reading. Word has it that the lowly LED flash is being replaced with a Xenon number which has some advantages in low-light situations -- such as useful pictures. Of course, there's always a rub, the dual-LED version that's being replaced could have been useful for shooting video and its replacement isn't going to fill that void -- and is a wee bit more power hungry. We guess we won't know 'til Nokia lets us know, but we'll do our best to shake an answer out of them next week in Las Vegas. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts on which flash would make you the happiest N96 owner -- or, perhaps we could have both please Nokia?

[Via PhoneMag]

GPRS iBall displays SMS messages, breaks bank

by Sean Cooper posted Jun 16th 2007 @ 9:57AM

We're loving this table-top crystal-esque ball, slap a SIM card in, fire off an SMS and the giant 85 LED display writes the message out in the GPRS iBall for all to see. Oh, but the fun doesn't stop there, the device also has 64MB of storage and can be mounted on the ceiling if need be. Of course, there are always downsides to fun tech and this one has a doozy: the gadget will cost you $2,200 with 100 free messages, and after that prepare to shell out $230 per 1000 messages. While we get that new tech can be pricey, we don't understand why a simple incoming SMS can cost so much that it would be more affordable to hire an assistant to follow you about.

[Via textually.org]

Get blinky with the Signal Cellphone Adviser

by Sean Cooper posted Apr 8th 2007 @ 3:09PM

The Signal Cellphone Adviser adds a splash of polite ring notification to your desktop by way of a radio wave-detecting cup. Turn your ringer off (not a must, but it sort of defeats the purpose otherwise), drop your handset in the small opaque-sided cup, and whenever a call comes in, LED blinking action! We've seen similar devices before, but they were typically hanging on key fobs which are usually in your pocket, making them kinda useless. If this device had a charger built in -- which from all signs it doesn't -- we would seriously have considered giving it a spot of honor on the desk. Still, not a half bad gift for $21.

[Via Core77]

AnyDATA's ADU-610 checks into the USB HSDPA modem game

by Darren Murph posted Feb 23rd 2007 @ 8:18AM

With all this HSDPA and EV-DO Rev A love going around, we knew it wouldn't be too long before AnyDATA took the leap and joined the ever-growing party. The firm's ADU-610 works worldwide on 3G networks that utilize HSDPA / UMTS technology, and will even play nice on 2.5G networks, albeit at 384kbps. Additionally, we've got a "world's smallest" tag slapped on, as the USB modem comes in at just 35- x 93- x 10-millimeters, and just in case you new upgraders are worried, it will indeed work with Windows Vista (and XP, of course). Based on the Qualcomm MSM6280 chipset, users can expect a maximum throughput of 7.2Mbps, and the two multi-colored LED indicators should keep you informed on just how your connection is humming along. No word just yet on price, but we do know that at least one mysterious Korean carrier has already certified the unit for use and made it commercially available to those interested.

[Via Slashphone]

Esquire offers up rumbling, flashing handbag for mobiles

by Darren Murph posted Dec 27th 2006 @ 9:03PM

We know, it's a little late for Christmas, but you can bet your bottom dollar that lucky lady of yours is already thinking long and hard about that lovely holiday in February. For the dame who already owns that iPod purse and laptop-toting satchel comes Esquire's latest rumbling handbag made to alert the carrier (and her posse) whenever a phone call comes in. Apparently, the bag sports a built-in battery pack (powered by AAA cells), a vibration function "three times as powerful" as those found within your mobile, flashy LEDs galore, and a few compartments for less important things like wallets and timeless family photos. Notably, the designer does a decent job from keeping this technologically-inclined purse from taking a dive in the fashion department, but as with most luxury bags we've seen these days, expect to pay a hefty premium for those style points whenever this thing lands.