Motorola Makes Full-Size Cell Phone Keyboard
Motorola and mobile device manufacturer Think Outside recently debuted a portable keyboard for cell phones.
The Motorola iBoard keyboard was designed by Think Outside for use with the Motorola i85 and i50x Internet-ready mobile phones as well as future models. The full-size, collapsible keyboard aims to make composing e-mail and date-book appointments on a cell phone easier. The iBoard has unique keys that enable phone users to launch programs like Notepad, surf the Internet, turn the phone off, adjust the volume and activate the speakerphone from the keyboard.
The iBoard folds from 13.5 by 5 inches when full size to 3.5 by 5 inches when compact. A protective neoprene case is included with the iBoard, which is available through Motorola and retails for a suggested price of US$99.99.
Module Turns PDAs in to Mobile Phones
Handspring Visor personal digital assistants that want to be cell phones when they grow up have new hope thanks to a CDMA-based Digital Link module developed by Sprint and AirPrime.
The CDMA--which stands for "code division multiple access"--module enables both phone calls and high-speed Internet access for Handspring Vision PDAs. The module will be available in September at Sprint stores and the Sprint website for between US$200 and $250.
With the module, Visor users will be able to make calls and access the Internet from anywhere in the Sprint PCS network. The module, which weighs 3.4 ounces, provides seven hours of talk time and 300 hours of standby time.
When Technology and Fall Fashion Collide
Wearable computers came one step closer to reality this week when Canadian telecommunications firm Bell Canada announced that the recent outfitting of its service technicians with wearable PCs was a runaway success.
Workers were given Mobile Assistant IV devices made by Xybernaut. The test showed that workers were able to significantly improve mobility and connectivity and saved almost an hour a day in computing time. The MA IV is a wireless computer that enables Internet and voice connections.
The computer can be worn as a vest or belt and features either a head-mounted or flat-panel display screen. Bell Canada is purchasing 300 of the MAV, the latest version of the company's wearable computer.
Prices start at US$3,995.
Yahoo! and HSBC to Debut PayPal Competitor
Internet portal Yahoo! and international bank HSBC are teaming up to launch a co-branded electronic payment service later this year.
The agreement will enable Yahoo! to market its PayDirect service to HSBC's worldwide customer base. PayDirect services will be offered on HSBC's online banking sites, and HSBC products will be promoted to Yahoo! users--all 200 million of them.
PayDirect was launched in part by CIBC National Bank and has 600,000 customers in the United States. PayPal, its biggest competitor, has millions of users.
The target use of PayDirect is to exchange money between individuals, the companies say. Both the sender and the receiver need to set up an online PayDirect wallet that can be linked to a credit card or bank account. The system is not intended to be a source of anonymous e-cash.
HSBC says it will launch PayDirect in Hong Kong at the end of the year, with initial transfers available in Hong Kong dollars.
HP Wireless Access for Notebooks
San Francisco-based OmniSky Corporation recently introduced a wireless-access system for the HP Pavilion notebook.
Using OmniSky Wireless Access, users can surf the Internet and send and receive e-mail wirelessly using the application and Web browser of their choice. The program includes an intuitive user interface to ease management of wireless computing as well as technology that increases access speeds.
The service is immediately available for people who have purchased an HP Pavilion notebook directly from Hewlett-Packard or from an authorized retailer. Information on signing up can be found on both companies' websites.
The service costs $59.95 per month for usage throughout the United States.
New Digital Camera Will be Launched in Asia
Anyone faced with the difficult decision of whether to buy a digital still camera or a digital video camera can take heart in the following news from Panasonic. The Panasonic NV-EX21, which the company says is the world's first DV format digital camcorder with a detachable network-ready digital still camera, will hit Japanese shelves on Sept. 1. A North American launch is expected by spring.
Panasonic consumer products are manufactured by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. The camera will sell for 205,000 yen, or about US$1,682.04. With the touch of a button, the camera folds from a video camera to a pocket-sized digital camera.