Cell Phone Holsters...Bad For Your Bones?

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Back in the day, I had a huge, bulky sliding Windows Mobile smartphone. I don't remember the make or the model, but I do remember that it could play Heroes of Might and Magic 1 and X-COM. Those games were the only reason I had that phone; otherwise it was a pain in the ass. Its giant size meant that it could not comfortably fit into a normal pocket. I was forced to wear a holster.

Back then, I thought the only negative consequence of wearing a cell phone holster was looking like a gigantic nerd. Now I know that I was wrong. A recent study published in the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery (via Gizmodo) suggests that there may be a link between those goofy-ass holsters and reduced hip bone density. Holy shit!

Posted on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:48:17 CDT | by Robert Evans

New Zealand Law Makes Cell Phone Use in Cars Illegal

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The Transportation Ministry in New Zealand passed a new law on cell phones recently that is set to go into effect on November 1st. The new law makes it illegal to use a cell phone inside a vehicle for sending texts and for any other use.

That means that it would be illegal to use the phone as a navigation device and a music player as well. The law is called the Road User Amendment Rule 2009. The rule banned the use of a mobile phone even if mounted in a hands free kit. Read more

Posted on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Myriad Software Puts Widgets onto Cheapest Cell Phones

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Users of newer high-end mobile smartphones and feature phones are taking software like widgets that allow you to access web information and applications with one or two clicks for granted. These applications are a big part of the feature set for more expensive mobile phones in America.

The ability to quickly access information from the web is important for driving the adoption of data services. A company called Myriad has announced a new mobile widget solution for very low cost mobile phones aimed at developing countries. Read more

Posted on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Cell Phones and Brain Cancer: Redux

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Remember back in the late nineties when all sorts of kooks were trying to warn us about the brain-melting dangers of cell phone radiation? Back then we couldn't find any proof positive of such dangers, so we ignored them and made fun of the crazy people. Well, today those nuts get vindication. Gizmodo reports that, according to the Environmental Working Group, long-term cellphone use is associated with a higher tumor risk.

If you still use an old feature phone, you're probably fine. The ten lowest-risk mobile phones were the Samsung Impression, Motorola RAZR V8, Samsung SGH-t229, Samsung Rugby, Propel Pro, Gravity, the T-Mobile Sidekick, LG Xenon, Motorola Karma, and Sanyo Katana II.

Posted on Wed, 9 Sep 2009 10:08:23 CDT | by Robert Evans

ProClip Cell Phone Holder System Review

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Today I am looking at the ProClip system to fit the iPhone and a Ford Mustang. There are vehicle specific mounts and device specific phone holders available to suit just about any need you have.

The system costs on average about $80, but can go more expensive than that depending on the holder you choose. The system is easy to install and does a great job holding your phone. Read more

Posted on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:53:23 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Cell Phone Credit Cards: The Next Big Thing?

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Have you ever tried to order something online with a mobile phone? It's one of the most infuriating experiences you can have that doesn't involve physical injury. The keyboard and screen are just way too small to easily enter in credit card numbers without difficulty. This is not a desirable state of affairs for online retailers, especially those who stake their bread and butter on impulse buys like ring-tones and items in online video games.

Retailers want smartphone shopping to be as easy and intuitive as it can possibly be. The less of a hassle it is, the more likely you'll be to make those silly little impulse purchases. Spending a couple of bucks a month on ring-tones doesn't seem like much to you, but the sheer number of smartphone owners (and the potential for growth within the smartphone market) makes it a very lucrative enterprise.

Posted on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:30:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

Victory for Cell Phone Owners: AT&T Suit to Proceed

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Gather 'round, dear readers, it's time for a story.

Once upon a time there were two corporations. One of them was named AT&T Wireless, and the other was named Cingular. For years the two companies were able to coexist in relative peace, gorging themselves on the fruitful bounty of a booming market. But then, in 2004, things went awry. The economy did a faceplant and AT&T started to weaken.

Posted on Wed, 27 May 2009 09:00:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

World's Largest Cell Phone Unveiled in Chicago

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The world's largest working cell phone will be unveiled in Chicago today at Fidelity plaza downtown. Not only can those in the area venture out to see the massive cell phone unveiled for its record-setting attempt, but it actually works and you can make free phone calls and send free text messages.

The device is a replica of the Samsung Messager phone (pictured) and was built as part of Cricket's launch in Chicago. The phone measures 15 feet wide by 13 feet tall. Read more

Posted on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

E Ink Displays for Cell Phones

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E ink display tech is showing up all over the place lately. E ink will be the display provider for the first print magazine issue ever to use a digital display on the cover when a special news stand edition of Esquire goes on sale in October as we reported yesterday.

E Ink announced this week that its displays have been chosen by Casio and Hitachi to be used in two new mobile phones. The Casio G’zOne phone uses an E Ink Vizplex display. Details on exactly what the display will be used for won’t be announced until the phone launches. E Ink only says its display will be a silhouette display. Read more

Posted on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:54:48 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Cell Phones are Growing as Camera of Choice

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If you go to a party or sporting event odds are you will see someone shooting pictures with their camera phone. The good part about a camera phone is that we almost always have our phone on us allowing us to take pictures at any moment. The bad part about camera phones is that the cameras in them tend to be subpar.

Wirefly.com did a survey that shows the camera phone is becoming the camera of choice for many adults. The survey says that 63.8% of adult’s age 18 to 30 say they use the cell phone camera at least once per week and 26.3% say they use it daily. Read more

Posted on Wed, 9 Jul 2008 11:38:20 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Expert Says Strong Link Exists Between Brain Tumors and Cell Phones

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According to Dr. Lennart Hardell, MD, an oncologist from University Hospital in Orebro, Sweden there is a strong link between heavy cell phone use and glioma brain tumors. The doctor says that heavy cell phone users are defined as having more than 2000 lifetime use hours.

According to Hardell long-term use of mobile phones and cordless phones is associated with increased risk of glioma brain tumors on one side of the head over a period of ten years or more. Read more

Posted on Fri, 23 May 2008 11:16:28 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Giant Cell phones are the new Trend in Korea

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We all look to Korea to see what the future in mobile phones is. Now the latest trend seems to be going towards huge cell phones that are bigger than notebooks.

Yes, of course this is not true, there are no giant cell phones in our future. Korean SK Telecom sent out this press photo though today over the wire. It was not me going crazy with Photoshop. Read more

Posted on Tue, 13 May 2008 23:49:02 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

When Should Your Kid Get a Cell Phone?

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When is your child old enough to get a cell phone? This is something I have considered a lot recently. We live in a neighborhood with lots of kids in a small area that doesn’t have much traffic. Because of this my 7-year-old son spends lots of time riding his bike or playing at a friend’s house.

The problem was that he is too shy to ask to use a friends phone to call us when he wants to go to a different house and would ride home to tell us he was going to the house next door to where he was playing rather than calling. To fix this problem, we got him his own cell phone. We had a talk about the rules of a phone mostly not answering it unless the caller ID said mom or dad on it and not letting friends use it. I remember my brother’s first cell phone when he was 17 and the $600 bill that my mother received shortly thereafter. I didn’t want that to happen here.

The plan has worked very well for us and since my son started carrying a phone many of the kids in the neighborhood now have them, not only because they want to have the same things their friends do, but because it is undeniably convenient to be able to reach your kids whenever and wherever they are. Read more

Posted on Thu, 8 May 2008 09:20:03 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Samsung Soul 3G 5MP Cell Phone launches in Europe

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Samsung announces the launch of the feature packed Samsung Soul in Europe. In good Korean electronics company tradition they published some sexy Gadget Model photos with the Soul announcement.

Feature highlights of the Quad-Band HSDPA 7.2 Mbps Samsung Soul include 5MP Camera with AF, 4x digital zoom, Power LED light, Face detection, image stabilizer, 2.2 inch QVGA screen, Bluetooth 2.0, MP3 and WMA music player and ICEpower Technology by B&O. Read more

Posted on Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:05:00 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Cell Phone Usage Rises

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Harris Interactive released a new report today that shows cell phone usage is climbing. According to the report not only is cell phone usage climbing, land line usage is dropping. The study shows that 1 in 5 adults no longer have a landline.

The study also shows that 1 in 7 adults use a cell phone exclusively. That statement seems a bit at odds with the previous 1 in 5 has no landline. That is until you consider broadband like DSL where you have to have a phone line or need a fax machine. Read more

Posted on Fri, 4 Apr 2008 08:04:05 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Panasonic Cell Phone with Plasma Display

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This is something you just don’t hear every day. Panasonic announced that it will be putting a low-voltage plasma display into a mobile phone to operate on AT&T's new Mobile TV service. The mobile TV service will feature content from CBS, Fox, MTV, and more.

The tiny plasma display will be built by AbleComm and is reported to run on only 1.5 volts of power and won’t require special wiring or power supplies. The tiny plasma displays will also find their way into other electronic devices from phones to fax machines and door intercom systems. Read more

Posted on Thu, 3 Apr 2008 09:02:44 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

ACECAD Digital Notepad Sends Email Via Cell Phone

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ACECAD introduced an interesting new device today called the DigiMemo with Bluetooth Transmitter. The gadget is a standalone notepad with memory and can send email or MMS messages written on paper via Bluetooth connectivity to an email enabled smartphone.

The device uses plain paper and electromagnetic technology to write in standard ink on the digital pad. Notes and messages are stored digitally along with drawings, charts and sketched in the 32MB of internal memory. Read more

Posted on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:04:49 CST | by Shane McGlaun

Realeyes3D Provides Barcode Scanning Via Cell Phones

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Realeyes3D has announced a breakthrough in the ability to allow digital cameras on cellular phones to read standard 1D barcodes. Realeyes3D says that until now decoding barcodes has required a dedicated optical reader.

The new one-click technology from Realeyes3D claims to allow any wireless phone with a camera on the market today to read standard barcodes. "Our technology dramatically increases both the number of camera phones that can be used for 1D bar code scanning and the decoding performance of any camera phone, by increasing the number of bar code pictures that can be read," said Benoit Bergeret, founder and CEO of Realeyes3D. "Our unique deblurring technology enables mobile 1D bar code scanning to considerably expand its scope and accelerates the introduction of one-click m-commerce applications for the benefit of all camera phone users -- not just for high-end users anymore." Read more

Posted on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 07:32:11 CST | by Shane McGlaun

Strategy Analytics Announces Ten trends in Cell Phones for the Next Decade

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Strategy Analytics says it has identified ten key trends it expects to emerge in the mobile handset industry over the next decade. Neil Mawston from Strategy Analytics says, "Such new form factors as the transformer and rollable displays will revolutionize media phone design." By 2018, every handset will effectively be a Smartphone, with a wide screen, sizeable keyboard and dense battery.”

I’m not sure what he means by the “Transformer”, maybe a cell phone that turns into a robot. Other key trends identified sound like things we see now and aren’t so farfetched. Read more

Posted on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:51:15 CST | by Shane McGlaun

Survey: GPS More Desirable in Cell Phones than Internet Access

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A new survey from Leo J. Shapiro and Associates has shown that most cellular phone users want GPS in their next handset more than Internet access. The survey sampled 450 Americans and found that 24% want GPS in their next phones and 19% wanted Internet access.

"GPS is displaying a rapid and unusual pattern of diffusion," adds Owen Shapiro, Vice President of LJS. "Our research is finding the purchase and use of GPS-enabled devices is not confined to segments of the population in which 'early adopters' are generally concentrated -- the young, highly educated or affluent. Today's GPS-enabled devices are being widely adopted, including among the middle-aged and elderly. As this breakout unfolds, we expect intensifying marketplace competition among the incumbent and newcomer brands as they race for dominance in this explosively growing market." Read more

Posted on Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:01:11 CST | by Shane McGlaun

UTStarcom Launches CDM8630 Cell Phone for Older Adults

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UTStarcom announced a new cellular phone called the CDM8630 today aimed at the older adult market. The phone features a large easy to read screen type, clearly labeled number pad, ten one touch-dialing entries, and a special in case of emergency dialing directory.

"The CDM8630 was specifically developed with senior-aged consumers in mind, meeting their needs for a reliable mobile phone that's easy to use," said Philip Christopher, President of UTStarcom Personal Communications. "This cell phone brings mobile communications and peace of mind to older consumers and their families." Read more

Posted on Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:22:32 CDT | by Shane McGlaun