For those of you who happen to be in the predicament of owning a svelte hybrid cellular / WiFi phone, yet can't get cellphone service back in the boondocks where you reside, Actiontec is kicking out a range-extending router to help you make and receive calls on your mobile handset via WiFi. Touted as a "world's first," the Wireless FMC Router acts a standard four-port 802.11b/g/n router, supports WPA2 / WEP, and comes with a rather robust firewall to keep your conversations guarded from snoopers. Additionally, it facilitates call switching between the mobile and home WiFi networks as users move in and out of the house, giving you the option to connect via your cellular network or over VoIP with the same handset and same number. Aside from acting as a "middleman between the broadband and cellular networks," it can connect / drop from the WiFi / mobile networks on-the-fly while conversing, and can purportedly support "all major carriers" as well. So if you're thinking of consolidating the amount of phone numbers attached to your name, and don't mind picking up a hybrid handset, this multifaceted router will be able to simplify your conversations for $179.99 when it lands in Q2.

In Google's continued dominance of, well, pretty much everything, the company has sealed yet another deal, and this time it's partnering with China Mobile to reportedly "provide mobile and internet services in China." Google stated that it would be providing technology to China's "largest handset operator," allowing searches on the Chinese outfit's "Monternet WAP portal." The service, which has purportedly been in trial operations since last month, is slated to roll out officially in "early 2007," but no hard dates were to be found. Nevertheless, this marks just another day in the world of search giants inking deals with mobile / laptop providers in order to channel more traffic, and subsequently, more revenue based on having their search page load up first when users have a query, and if your handset hasn't been hit by a pre-selected search engine deal just yet, your time is probably drawing nigh.

Although Samsung's been busying itself lately with newfangled RAM releases, it has apparently taken the time to confirm what we already suspected. The Z720 has been officially released as part of the Ultra Edition lineup, and per usual, the 13.8 is tagging itself with a "world's slimmest" label, this time for thinnest HSDPA-equipped slider. This sexy handset weighs in at just 80-grams, and features a 3-megapixel AF camera, 2.1-inch QVGA display, WAP 2.0 / HTML browsing capabilities, an additional camera for "video telephony," document viewer, PIM, Bluetooth, USB, and even a microSD slot. Aside from the UMTS / EDGE / HSDPA / GSM / GPRS connectivity options, you'll also find Samsung's uGo system built-in, not to mention the uTrack feature that sends an SMS to a predetermined number if the SIM card is tampered with. Notably, the 13.8 is the first mobile from Samsung with Google Mobile Search and Gmail pre-installed, which certainly contradicts with the recent Samsung / Opera lovefest we've been hearing about. Nevertheless, the Z720 should start finding its way into bustling European countries soon for a yet-to-be-disclosed price, with smaller locales getting access thereafter.

[Via Akihabara News]

US carriers never cease to amaze with low-end phones, and while the new C290 might be Motorola's first phone to support Sprint PCS Vision content, it's also an incredibly no-frills clamshell. We guess the main feature here is price, which should be $30 after rebates, but couldn't they at least toss in Bluetooth or a few York Peppermint Patties? We guess not. All we're left with is WAP 2.0, a 65k color screen, Java support, a speakerphone, and voice recording -- oh, and a nice big antenna to get snagged on stuff.

[phoneArena]