O2 Jet Phone Promises Stratospheric Battery Life

O2 Jet Phone Promises Stratospheric Battery LifePrimed and ready for take off, O2’s own-brand Jet supersonic mobile boasts that it can deliver 67% more talk time than its nearest comparable rival.

Created for heavy-yakking business users, the O2 Jet comes with a battery life that would see off an amphetamine-fuelled Duracell Bunny, claiming a mighty 540 hours on standby and 9.9 hours of talk time – adding up to double the talk time of O2’s most popular phone, the Nokia 6230i.

O2 Jet Phone Promises Stratospheric Battery LifeThe phone’s business-like styling reflects its targeted demographic, with an austere black casing and ne’er a whiff of any fun stuff to be found – this grumpy old handset hasn’t even got a camera or an MP3 player.

However, stern-faced business users may grow to love the simple user interface, dedicated volume and profile switches, quad band GPRS and full POP3 and IMAP4 email connectivity.

There’s also a dedicated Bluetooth button on the candybar shaped 117 x 47 x 20mm phone, 56MB of internal memory and a macho little metal speaker grill, perhaps suggesting that the owner might be a bit of a tiger in the boardroom.

O2 Jet Phone Promises Stratospheric Battery LifeThe O2 Jet will be ready for slipping into pin striped suit pockets from 19th October, with prices varying according to monthly tariffs. There will also be a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) version available for sixty quid.

O2 Jet

Samsung X838 Ultra Compact Phone/MP3 Player

Samsung X838 Ultra Compact Phone/MP3 PlayerLooking like lovechild of a bedtime romp between an iPod and a mobile phone, Samsung’s X838 phone has real “gimme!” appeal.

Folded up, it looks like a conventional compact MP3 player, complete with a 128 x 220 pixels 26k colour screen and a control scroll wheel clearly ‘inspired’ by Messrs I and Pod.

Turning the device into a phone is simply a case of swivelling the pull out screen through 180 degrees to reveal the phone keys lurking below.

Samsung X838 Ultra Compact Phone/MP3 PlayerBecause of the narrow, slimline construction, the number keys are unusually arranged in rows of two, with the usual ‘call’ and ‘end call’ buttons at the top.

We’re not sure if closing the screen ends the call or if the thing is spring loaded, but either way the phone looks great to us.

Unlike many botched attempts at converging mobiles with music players, this one manages a pretty good likeness to a ‘proper’ MP3 player, with the colourful display offering track information and album art.

Samsung X838 Ultra Compact Phone/MP3 PlayerThere’s also an easily accessible ‘hold’ button so you don’t end up ringing your Mum when you’re rocking out to Pantera, as well as a volume up/down control on the side of the unit.

Inside, there’s 1GB of internal memory for storing tunes as well as a 1.3Mpix onboard camera and a sneaking suspicion that it also plays videos.

We couldn’t see any sign of an expansion slot, which is a bit of a shame, nor any reference to battery life (with something as small as this, we’re figuring it’s not going to be that long).

Also bundled in with the Bluetooth-enabled X838 is an alarm clock, recording functionality and a Java game.

Samsung X838 Ultra Compact Phone/MP3 PlayerWe spent some time trying to translate the text from the Phone Daily website, and we think that the phone will be available in black, white, orange, and, err, powder.

Whatever colours the thing comes in, it looks like a great phone to us: ultra-small, compact, cool and with a fun interface, which only leaves one question. When can we have one please?

[From Akihabara News]

Brits Spend An Average £5,000 On Gadgets Yearly

Brits Spend An Average £5,000 On Gadgets YearlyA survey released by Best of Stuff suggests that nearly a third of Brits own up to 15 gadgets.

The survey revealed that 30 per cent of those interviewed were the proud owners of 15 gadgets or more, with 60 per cent spending a hefty £5000 on gadgets every year.

Not surprisingly, mobile phones topped the charts as the ‘most treasured gadget’, with 34 per cent of respondents insisting that they simply could not live without one.

Brits Spend An Average £5,000 On Gadgets YearlyThe trusty ol’ gogglebox came in a close second with 27 per cent of the vote, and 46 per cent of those surveyed reckoned that the fabbest new innovation in the market is HDTV.

Brits were found to be most excited about Sony’s forthcoming PlayStation 3, with 44 per cent getting moist at the thought of its launch next March, while Nintendo’s Wii was dampening gussets to the tune of 24 per cent of the vote.

Brits Spend An Average £5,000 On Gadgets YearlyBut it’s not all love-love-love in the world of gizmos, with 40 per cent of respondents declaring themselves disappointed with their gadget’s battery life, pointing the finger of blame at MP3 players, laptops and mobile phones as the worst offenders.

Best Of Stuff

Stolen Mobiles Get The Screaming Abdabs

Stolen Mobiles Get The Screaming AbdabsPesky phone thieves may get more than they bargained for if a new anti-theft system proves a hit with punters.

The Remote XT system renders stolen phones useless by emitting a screeching, high pitched electronic scream and disabling the phone.

Launched in Britain today, the system is aimed at smartphone-toting business users who may need to carry around confidential information on their handsets.

The Remote XT software is loaded on to the smartphone, with the system storing personal info like phone numbers, text messages and e-mails on a secure remote server – so even if a phone is nicked, the user can get their data back later.

As soon as the owner realises that some light fingered Fagin has just picked their pocket, they can dial a 24-hour call centre, have it registered as stolen and let the screaming begin.

Panicking thieves can, of course, take out the battery to silence the racket, but as soon as they try to use it again, the noise starts up.

Moreover, the Remote XT software disables the handset itself, so even if a resourceful tea leaf removes the internal SIM card and tries fitting another, the phone’s still a dead duck. And a noisy one at that.

Stolen Mobiles Get The Screaming AbdabsMark Whiteman, managing director of Remote XT, said: “Theft-proof phones spell disaster for the huge criminal industry that has profited from mobile theft for too long”

“By making mobiles unusable to anyone but the rightful owner, the phones become worthless and we’ll see the market for stolen handsets stamped out once and for all,” he added.

We’d love to agree with the fella, but with the service costing upwards of £9.99 a month, we suspect that many will find it too pricey.

The idea of ‘screaming’ phones isn’t new either, with another UK firm, Synchronica, recently announcing their own version supporting Windows Mobile 2003, Pocket PC Phone Edition, and Windows Mobile 5.

However, Remoter XT claim that their software will work on most phones and not just Windows based handsets.

Meanwhile, Palm Treo users concerned about keeping their data safe can use software like Butler and Warden to remotely lock and or delete the contents of their phone and memory card (although they’ll have to do the screaming themselves).

NTL 4 for £40 quad-play announced

NTL 4 for £40 quad-play announcedNTL, UK Cable provider, has announced a quad-play offering for £40.

The ‘4 for £40’ service (with the inevitable Virgin-inspired foreplay joke to come) is the first product of the tie-up between Virgin Mobile and NTL.

As we’ve reported extensively, all of the communication world is bringing out packages that bring together various elements of communication as mobile phone companies get together with fixed-line broadband providers. The additional part with the NTL deal is the Digital TV.

The ‘4 for £40’ package includes:

Broadband

  • Up to 2Mb with no limits on downloads
  • Firewall and anti-virus software included
  • Installed by an expert and modem included

Digital TV

  • Over 30 channels, including Sky One, UKTV Gold, E4, Film4, ITV2 and LIVINGtv
  • On demand access to a huge library of programmes and films – watch what you want, when you want
  • Set-top box included and no need for a dish

Home phone

  • Unlimited weekend calls to any UK landline
  • Highly competitive mobile rates and simple tariffs at other times
  • Standard features including 1471 and 1571 voicemail

Mobile

  • A Virgin Mobile SIM
  • 300 texts and 300 minutes a month, plus free voicemail
  • Access to Virgin Mobile Bites entertainment service
  • One interesting feature is that the broadband offered is unlimited, which is bound to appeal to the tech savvy.

    NTL 4 for £40 quad-play announcedBigging the service up and attempting to create extra excitement for the future, Neil Berkett, chief operating officer of ntl Telewest, enthused: “Quadplay demonstrates the unique power of the cable-Virgin Mobile union and this is just the beginning. Our new package represents unbeatable value while meeting a wide range of consumers’ entertainment and communication needs.

    Current subscribers to NTL won’t be left out in the cold, they’ll be able to take advantage of the new service for an additional £10/month on top of their current packages.

    NTL. (Strangely for such a big launch, the NTL site hasn’t been updated with details of the 4 for £40, at the time of publishing.)

    Orange Unique/Unik Offers Converged VoIP/Mobile Telephony

    Orange Unique Offers Converged VoIP/Mobile TelephonyOrange has launched, nay unleashed, the Unique phone, its first converged service using a single handset that connects via WLAN in the home and then switches to the regular mobile network when the user goes walkabout.

    Initially rolling out in the UK and selected European countries, the phone promises unlimited free VoIP calls from home to other Orange mobiles and landlines.

    Calls can be seamlessly switched between the Orange mobile network and VoIP, with screen icons keeping customers constantly informed of the network connection.

    Interestingly, calls started from home remain free, even when the user has wandered out of their front door and out of range of their Wi-Fi network, causing the phone to switch to the mobile network.

    To use the service, customers must get an Orange Livebox which lets users connect to the Orange network via Wi-Fi.

    Households can have up to six Unique phones, although there is a limitation on their use, with only three users allowed to use the Internet or make calls at any time.

    Orange Unique Offers Converged VoIP/Mobile TelephonySo far, only the Motorola A910, the Nokia 6136 and the Samsung P200 can be used with the service, but more phones will be launched in 2007.

    Two price plans are currently on offer; the Canary 50 (offering 600 minutes per month) and the Panther 65 (1,200 mins), priced at £50 and £65 respectively.

    A broadband connection is bundled in free with the convergence-tastic deal, with the setup offering clear benefits to users, who’ll now only need one phone, one number, one address book, and one bill from Orange.

    The service will be available from November, although punters keen to be hip with the convergence crew can pre-register their interest here: www.orange.co.uk/uniquephone

    i-Mate JAQ Windows Mobile PocketPC Phone: Photos

    i-Mate JAQ Windows Mobile PocketPC Phone: PhotosCurrently blossoming on the Ugly Tree and ripe for plucking is the new i-mate JAQ PocketPC phone.

    The press launch photos looked ugly enough, but it looks like it doesn’t get any prettier close up, as hands-on photos released on Mobility Today reveal.

    Looking like a Treo built by Cybermen, the i-Mate JAQ Windows Mobile PocketPC Phone is one of the first i-Mate devices to be developed from the company’s new partnership with Taiwanese firm, Inventec Mercury (previously, i-Mate phones have been made by HTC).

    i-Mate JAQ Windows Mobile PocketPC Phone: PhotosAs far as we know, i-Mate haven’t officially split from HTC, but the company seems to be following O2’s policy of sourcing Windows smartphones from other manufacturers as well as HTC – a decision perhaps prompted by HTC recently releasing phones under their own name.

    Specification-wise, it’s a case of no alarms or surprises, with the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900, GPRS + EDGE) i-mate JAQ running Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 and featuring a full QWERTY keyboard with 128 MB ROM/64MB RAM and a MiniSD memory card slot.

    i-Mate JAQ Windows Mobile PocketPC Phone: PhotosQuite a hefty beast at 122x71x22mm and weighing 160 grams, the i-Mate JAQ comes with a 2.8″ 320×240 pixels, 65k colour display, Bluetooth and InfraRed, but there’s no WiFi or 3G in sight, neither is there an onboard camera, which strikes us as a serious omission.

    With looks that even its own mother couldn’t love, and a no-fun, limited feature set, here’s one phone that we can’t get excited about.

    Let’s hope future collaborations between i-Mate and Inventec bring more exciting results.

    i-mate JAQ specs:
    Network: GSM 850/900/1800/1900
    Data: GPRS + EDGE
    Screen: 320×240 pixels, 65k colours
    Camera: No
    Size: 122x71x22mm / 160 grams
    Bluetooth: Yes
    Memory card: microSD
    Infra-red: Yes
    Polyphonic: Yes
    Java: Limited
    Battery life: Not specified

    Palm Treo 680 Smartphone Picture Leaked

    Palm Treo 680 Smartphone Picture LeakedCurrently leaking out all over the Web is this picture of a Palm Treo 680 with Cingular branding.

    Apparently found lurking on Palm’s software store before it promptly vanished, the Treo 680 looks to be the likely candidate for “lower priced Treo” which was recently hinted at by Palm’s CEO.

    Like the recently announced Windows Mobile Treo 750v, the Palm OS Treo 680 has lost the distinctive chunky antennae seen on earlier models.

    Unsurprisingly, Palm OS aficionados who have been starved of a new Treo release on their favoured platform for some time have been carefully examining the photograph.

    Some have suggested that what looks like a larger memory card cover means that the company are sticking with the standard SD card expansion slot, although the IR port may have vanished (or simply shuffled to another part of the phone).

    Palm Treo 680 Smartphone Picture LeakedAlthough it looks like a slimmer, sleeker version of the 650, the phone is aimed at the lower end of the market, so is expected to feature a rather disappointing VGA resolution camera along with Bluetooth, 64MB memory and run the trusty Garnet version of the Palm OS (sure it’s as old as the hills now, but it’s still one of the best mobile operating systems around in our opinion).

    Sadly, there’s no Wi-Fi or 3G onboard, which leaves Palm OS fans hoping that a higher spec’d Treo may also be waiting in the wings.

    There’s no news on pricing yet, although an October release is widely anticipated.

    Source Palm Infocenter

    My Gadgets Roll Call: Mike Slocombe

    My Gadgets Roll Call: Mike SlocombeWe get to see an awful lot of gadgets here at Digital-Lifestyles, so it’s not surprising we get quite a few emails asking what gizmos we personally use, so here’s my personal choices. And yes, I paid for ’em all myself!

    Mobile Phone
    Unless you’ve managed to miss any of my endlessly enthusing Treo articles, you’ll already know that I’m a 100% Palm Treo 650 fanboy.


    We’d love to hear from you what bits of kit make up your tech armoury. Write it up in an engaging way and you could see your work on Digital-Lifestyles.


    Lured by the promise of Wi-Fi (which I ended up rarely using), I spent a long 12 months last year moaning, whining and unsuccessfully battling with a Windows Mobile machine, so it was a great relief to all those around me when I finally ditched my i-mate JAM and bought a Treo 650 off eBay.

    Although there’s no denying that there’s sleeker, slimmer and more modern smartphones out there, I’ve yet to find anything that matches the wonderfully simple and intuitive Palm OS and instinctive ergonomics of the Treo 650.

    My Gadgets Roll Call: Mike SlocombeCamera
    I’m still using my Nikon D70 bought some two years ago and the camera is still capable of some fine results, although I have been casting a few envious glances at some of the new dSLRs coming out from Nikon, Canon and Sony.

    My current compact of choice is the 8 megapixel Ricoh GR which is a truly wonderful camera for street shooters who understand that the best way to zoom into a subject is to get off your backside and walk closer!

    My Gadgets Roll Call: Mike SlocombeClad is an understated logo-free black body, this isn’t a camera that’s going to get people’s attention when you’re out and about, but its armoury of full manual controls and user configured settings means that it’s a great carry-around shooter.

    Office Stereo
    My Gadgets Roll Call: Mike SlocombeEnjoying a daily hammering of ska, punk, electro and indie tunes is the Pure DMX-50 mini Hi-Fi which I liked so much when I reviewed it last year, I bought the thing!

    The ReVu facility – which lets you ‘rewind’ live radio and record it to a SD card – continues to prove an invaluable feature, and I can’t imagine life without access to DAB Radio and, in particular, BBC6 Music.

    MP3 Player
    Treo 650 plus pTunes and a 2GB card. That does me!

    Laptop
    My Gadgets Roll Call: Mike SlocombeNow in its third year (that must be something like 70 years old in laptop years!), my Sony Vaio SRX51P is still doing the business, although with a mere 850 MHz Pentium III-M CPU and just 384 meg RAM on board, it can’t keep up with the new boys.

    There’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth onboard though and it’s still a pleasingly small and light (1.3 kg) machine, measuring just 25.9 cm x 19.4 cm x 3.2 cm and offering around 4 hours battery life (after a battery upgrade).


    We’d love to hear from you what bits of kit make up your tech armoury. Write it up in an appealing way and you could see your work on Digital-Lifestyles.

    O2 XDA Stealth PDA Phone Coming Soon

    O2 XDA Stealth PDA Phone Coming SoonSlated for an October release is the swish O2 Xda Stealth PDA phone, clad in ‘ebony black’ and featuring a slide-up numerical keypad.

    Billed as a “fusion of functionality and versatility,” the tri-band GMS900/1800/1900 phone (but no 3G) is powered by an Intel Xscale PXA 272 Processor running at 416 MHz with a healthy 192 MB Flash ROM and 64MB RAM onboard.

    O2 XDA Stealth PDA Phone Coming SoonThe front panel is dominated by a 2.4 inch touch screen supporting a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels and 65,000 colours.

    There’s a built in 2 mega pixel camera for your snapping pleasure and support for the usual audio formats like MP3,WMA and WAV with MIDI for those plinky-plonky ring tones.

    Running on the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system, the Stealth comes preloaded with Microsoft Office Suite for Mobile devices, and offers built in 802.11b and 802.11g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 1.2 and USB1.1 for synchronisation.

    O2 XDA Stealth PDA Phone Coming SoonA SD card slot takes care of expansion needs, while the 1300 mAh Lithium Ion battery provides a claimed 150 hours of talktime and 4.5 hours of standby time.

    Unlike its Blackberry and Palm Treo competitors, there’s no proper QWERTY keyboard, so heavy users will either have to make do with the keypad or get mighty acquainted with the stylus.

    The slider-tastic Stealth measures up at a bijou 53 x 110 x 22.5 mm, and weighs just 140g.

    C|Net video preview

    [Via: New Launches]