Mobility Watch

I think it is high time that the mobile phone industry start up on thinking of ways of recycling unwanted mobile phones. After all, many owners of mobile phones just store them away in some drawer or in some locker when they do not like the gadget anymore. They just buy a new one and then bury the old one in their memory.

And that is why the mobile phone industry is thinking of recycling these gadgets. This project, now known as the Fonebak, is headed by Shields Environmental. Tagging along with the project are some of the major players in the industry which includes O2, T-Mobile, Vodafone, Virgin Mobile, Orange, as well as Dixons Group.

It is good that they are doing something about this. Just ponder of these statistics that some groups have collected. In Britain alone, 45 million mobile phones are in use and are utilized as an accessory. The average mobile phone user changes units every 18 months. So imagine just how many they already are.

[Via scenta]
[Image from Geekzone]

I would not want to be in the place of Leonardo Molina. Molina, who is 29 years old, had gone under the knife last 21st of July and what happened was that the whole duration of his surgery, it was through the light of a mobile phone screen that it was completed.

The surgery was not something really major like a heart transplant. It was a mere emergency appendix operation. However, since it still is something related to the body, I would not want to undergo any kind of surgery with mobile phone screen’s light as the light source.

This was not an experiment. What happened was that during the operation, the power went out. And one spokesperson for the hospital did explain, “The generator, which should have been working correctly, didn’t work. The surgeons and anaesthetists were in the dark… A family member got some mobile phones together from people in the hallway and took them in to provide light.â€?

Not amazing for me. But also something not common.

[Via theage.com.au]
[Image from jupiterimages]

So okay. There have been some mobile phones in the market trying to own some of the share that current belongs to the iPhone. But then again, there is this new gadget that seems to be a total copycat of the popular mobile phone.

It comes with the name Love Feng Mobile Phone and at first glance, I don’t think there is not much difference between this one and the iPhone. And those who have seen the copycat are now saying that if Apple does get hold of this, they’ll sure want to rip it off to shreds. That bad.

Of course, those behind the Love Feng Mobile Phone are saying that their product is far better than the iPhone. It has almost the same features like the camera with two megapixels, the 3D sound, and, yes, it can also run on Windows XP.

I think this is a lawsuit just waiting to happen.

[Via Product Reviews Net]

 If you are raring to get a new phone after having your current phone for years already, then you may want to consider a new mobile phone that is being offered in the market right now. This one is the Pantech C150 mobile phone with camera and it has been made available for AT&T consumers.

So what’s so special about this gadget, you may ask? Well, let me just say that this mobile phone has received “a 2006 iF design award for international excellence in brand design.� And mind you, such an award has been given for years already and not just for the last decade or so. Just think around more than half a century.

Aside from that award, the mobile phone also looks stylish as a candy bar. Really. And it has the usual features like e-mail access, Bluetooth connectivity, and MP3.

Now, if that would not be enough, I don’t know what else to offer you.

[Via Crunch Gear]
[Image from 3G.co.uk]

There seems to be quite a number of designer mobile phones already in the market. You know, just like the one from Levi’s and that one from Tag Heuer. And right along that line, a new mobile phone may be coming soon.

This time, the new mobile phone is going to be the product of the collaboration of Giorgio Armani and Samsung. Although such a plan is still being decided on if it would continue, a spokesperson for the mobile phone maker did say, “We are currently reviewing the possibility with various firms including Armani. We will make an official announcement once it is finalised.�

Now, some rumors in the mobile phone industry are circulating about the new Samsung-Armani gadget. It has been said that if it does become reality, it “will come with exclusive content and a unique user interface�. So now I’m thinking. How exclusive is exclusive and how unique would be unique?

[Via dialaphone]
[Image from giarre.com]

You may not believe it but it seems like a group of engineers from the University of Southampton has been able to create a small generator which could enhance and transform your heartbeat into usable mobile phone power. Yes, your heartbeat can give power to your beloved mobile phone.

According to the creators, the new generator is able to create energy from all kinds of vibrations in its vicinity. So, in connection to your heartbeat, you can use the generator near your heart and the generator can then create usable power through the movements and vibrations that your heart makes. This generator is considered to be one of the most powerful units that has ever been created.

Dr. Beeby is one of the engineers behind this project and he relates, “This is the most successful generator of its kind and generates energy much more efficiently than any similar device of its size.�

So how huge is this heartbeat power generator?

Think just fair lesser than a cubic cm. Yup. That huge.

[Via Daily Mail]
[Image from In A Heartbeat]

He wrote his literary masterpiece from start to finish using a mobile phone. Yes, you read that right. Robert Bernocco, an Italian writer, did create a book using his mobile phone and this is actually a first. He did state, “Only a few years ago I would have struggled to find both the time and the publisher to enable me to create this book. Thanks to my Nokia and Lulu, I am now proud to be a published author.�

After getting everything done, he then published his creation right through Lulu.com which is known as one of the best bazaars for all things done digitally. On such, Cristel Lee Leed, the European VP for the site, expressed, “We live in an age when individuals are strapped for time due to work and family commitments, and this can often stifle creativity. Robert Bernocco is a great example of the type of author we often encounter on Lulu — he has not only been creative with what he has written but also with how he has written it!â€?

Now is the right time for all aspiring writers out there to start making use of their idle time. I mean, you can start writing your book with your mobile phone while you may be waiting in line at the grocery or maybe while riding the bus.

[Via EARTHtimes.org]
[Image from textually.org]

The mobile phone, of course!

Well, that is sincerely not just my opinion. It is actually the result of a poll and a survey of Britain’s citizens. So it just certainly does go to say that it does not matter if man was able to create other gadgets like the washing machine or the remote control - the mobile phone just topped the charts.

4000 people were surveyed and as the top scorer, the mobile got around 20% of the whole number of votes. The survey was done by Foundem. One spokesman even for the group did express, “We were surprised by some of the results - we didn’t expect the vibrator to make the top 10.�

So aside from the very popular mobile phone, what other gadgets were included in the top list? I think you better read on to find out.

1. Mobile phone
2. Broadband internet access
3. Laptop computer
4. Digital camera
5. Microwave
6. TV remote control
7. iPod/MP3 player
8. Vibrator
9. Sat Nav
10. Dishwasher
11. Smoke alarm
12. Hair straighteners
13. Hair dryer
14. Games consoles
15. Alarm clock
16. Memory stick
17. Baby monitor
18. Torch
19. Iron
20. Camcorder

[Via TechDigest]
[Image from BusinessWeek]

Mobile phones have been one of the best things ever created so much so that you have this one handy dandy gadget wherein you can store information, communicate with others, as well as find information you need. And yes, now, the mobile phone allows you to find love even.

Finding love through your mobile phone has been made possible by quite a number of companies which offer dating services - just like what Juston Payne, 27 years old, had experienced.

He just logged on to this mobile phone dating service (like Meetmoi). He was then given profiles and he chose one that was near his location and was quite interesting to him. Soon, they were exchanging SMS and then met up for a drink and some fun.

As per this development, Andrew Weinreich, the founder of Meetmoi, says, “There’s a paradigm shift in dating. With online dating, you’ve got to sit in front of a computer, e-mail someone, get an e-mail a week later, arrange a date, pick the place. Too much hassle. Now you can flirt with or meet someone instantly.â€?

[Via The Salt Lake Tribune]
[Image from Safe Chatting Tips]

So we have heard of tons of mobile phone applications which would allow users to protect their phones from people who would like to go delve into what information your phone stores. I’ve heard of those who would ask you for your fingerprint before the gadget would allow you to access all information and use all features of the phone.

Now if you are the kind of person who has much to keep in your mobile phone, then you would be glad to know about Oki Electric’s new project. See, the company is in the process of developing and creating a new mobile phone technology - iris recognition. As long as your mobile phone has a camera, you may be off and ready to use this technology.

The creators of the technology are saying that you can simply download the application to your mobile phone as long as your gadget uses the Windows Mobile platform or the Symbian platform.

[Via Slash Gear]
[Image from picturephoning.com]

During the Olympics, the athletes do try to do their very best so as to take home the most number of golds. Well, medals that is. Gold medals.

I guess as part of the upcoming Olympics next year which will be held in Beijing, China, Samsung Electronics Co. has come up with a really golden idea. And I really do mean golden! They are planning on creating a special edition mobile phone just for this grand event. How golden is the idea? Well, just imagine a mobile phone which would be gold-plated. And that would be 18 carats worth of gold.

The company did say that this planned mobile phone will be sleek. At present, they are calling the mobile phone the P318 although there are no reports yet if they would still be changing the name of this model.

Anyway, the mobile phone would come in black however the sides and the bottom part of the gadget would be coming gold-plated.

[Via Forbes.com]
[Image from IT News Online]

I do know just what mobile phones are capable of doing right now but I wanted to amaze myself more so I decided to look up the history of mobile phones. Thanks to BBC.co.uk, I was able to find this timeline. I thought you’d be interested too.

1876 - Alexander Graham Bell makes first telephone call
1906 - Guglielmo Marconi makes first voice transmission using radio waves
1912 - First commercial telephone calls made in UK
1921 - First car-mobile radio used by Detroit police department
1925 - Wireless telegraphy used on ships, aircraft and in police cars
1946 - Radiotelephones introduced in USA
1947 - Bell Labs developed cellular technology basis for modern mobile phone networks
1956 - First car phone released in Stockholm. The size of a suitcase and weighing 40kg, it ran off a car battery.
1979 - First cellular phone system deployed in Japan
1983 - UK gets analogue TACS system
1985 - Phones with 20kg batteries introduced
1991 - European Community unifies digital networks with GSM
1994 - SMS text messaging launched

Come to think of it, our favorite mobile phone has sure come a long way.

[Via BBC.co.uk]
[Image from technabob]

We all have become quite so accustomed to having our mobile phones in handy. And that is a fact that David Campbell of the Australian National University has decided to prove through a study that they did.

There are major withdrawal symptoms that a person experiences when he is kept away from his mobile phone for a time. Some do sweat a lot. Some continue to fidget and just could not quite sit still. Some get irritable and some do experience various mood swings. I honestly did not know that the mobile phone could be this powerful.

The study did further say that around 90% of Australians have become so used to having mobile phones around that lives would certainly not be better if these gadgets were taken away from them. It might sound to be too crazy for you but maybe you should try it out and we’ll see if the study’s findings are indeed correct.

[Via Herald Sun]

[Image from coralsprings.com]

Someone who knows about a new project in Google spilled the beans. Although he did declare that he wanted to remain anonymous, this person did reveal that Google Inc. is currently in the process of creating a new application and service for mobile phone owners and users.

This service, when completed, would enable users to purchase items as well as search for bric-a-brac while using their mobile phones. Other than that, this Google mobile phone search application would also allow users to look for companies where they could purchase the items that they have been eyeing.

Eric Schmidt is the company’s CEO and he did say last May that “many people in the next five to 10 years, their first experience in the Internet will be through a mobile phone.� And this would probably be the company’s way of introducing the internet through their mobiles.

Although Google has still kept mum about this, there are plenty of people who are sure quite excited at this itty bit of news.

[Via Chicago Tribune]

[Image from nullgel]

As one of the leaders of online comparison of mobile phones, accessories, and services, Wirefly has come up with a list of the top ten mobile phone accessories. Here is the list:

1. Motorola H350 Bluetooth Headset (all colors)
2. Car and Travel Chargers (particularly for RAZR, BlackBerry Pearl, LG Chocolate and Samsung Blackjack)
3. Cases and Holsters (particularly for RAZR, BlackBerry Pearl, LG Chocolate and Samsung Blackjack)
4. Jabra BT125 Bluetooth Headset
5. Kingston 1GB Micro SD Memory Cards
6. Anycom Aris-21 Bluetooth Headset
7. Motorola H500 (Project Red)
8. Motorola Mobile Phone Tools 4.0 Software
9. Seidio High-Performance Extended Capacity Batteries (for Treo, BlackBerry and other smartphone devices)
10. Wi-Ex zBoost Wireless Signal Boosters

On this, Brian Westrick, the head of the company, did mention, “Music and multimedia phones like the Motorola Q, Samsung Blackjack, BlackBerry Pearl and LG Chocolate require more power and memory than traditional cell phones, which is driving our memory card, charger and extended battery business.�

So… would you be heading out and buying these listed accessories for your phone now?

[Via Wirefly]
[Image from Treonauts]