Developages - Development and Technology Blog

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Ridiculous quantities of 3G handsets weren’t the only things showed off at this year’s Mobile World Congress — oh no, NetIndex, Kaga Electronics and Runcom shook up the norm a bit with their WiMAX-enabled portable VoIP phone. Reportedly, the trio joined forces to develop a VoIP handset that utilized a 802.16e module, and aside from “realizing all-IP voice communication,” it also sports a web browser and integrated WiFi for times when a plain ole hotspot will do. Sadly, we’ve no idea where this thing will go after it leaves Barcelona (nor what it looks like), but here’s to hoping it makes a commercial debut — and can decide on a single logo — in the not-too-distant future.

 

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Wireless

Ready for untethered 3Mbps to 5Mbps downloads and 1Mbps to 1.5Mbps upload speeds while on the go? Us too, especially our Chicago-based brethren waiting for Sprint to properly soft-launch their Xohm service onto the nation. Backed by 50 or so WiMax exhibits with product on display at Mobile World Congress, Sprint’s VP for technology development, Ali Tabassi, assured us that April would indeed see the fledgling Xohm service soft launch into Chicago, Baltimore, and the DC areas. However, he conceded that the billions required to reach the goal of 100 million subscribers by year end have not been approved. Sprint would however at least cooperate with Clearwire — a former Xohm partner — on roaming agreements so that the two don′t duplicate coverage. Come on Sprint, we know it’s been tough for you lately as you bleed subscribers (and profits). But if you build it, we will come back.

 

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Cellphones

Okay, we suppose cellphone companies trumpeting some sort of fuel cell technology isn’t that weird, but nevertheless, Moto sure seems proud of its most recent advancements. Showcased at this year’s Mobile World Congress are a number of “alternative power solutions including fuel cell and reflow batteries,” which can be deployed in most every wireless / mobile environment out there. More specifically, the outfit is demonstrating a fuel cell-powered WiMAX base station, and it’s also suggesting that said technology could “further guarantee [the] availability of uninterrupted power” in TETRA radio networks that are used in public safety environments. Fascinating, no?

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Transportation, Wireless

Pocket protector check. Horn-rimmed glasses and button down collar check. Now, if only you could find the perfect vehicle to transport your geek-ass around Mobile World Congress. Enter Intel’s nerd-edition Segway. These gyroscopic rollers feature a built-in streaming camera, laptop with WiMAX, and giant flag so that aged jocks can hunt you down in the crowds. Not that you′d be too far from the Android prototype booths anyway, will ya? Video with appropriately dubbed circus music after the break.

[Thanks, Jared C.]

Continue reading Video: Intel’s WiMax Segway takes geek, extreme

 

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Wireless

We’ve seen a lot of research and even some products that promise seamless WiFi / cell roaming, but Intel and Nokia are cooking up tech that might one day bring us true uninterrupted broadband connectivity, based on automatic undetectable switchovers from WiFi to WiMAX. Intel’s posted up a brief video demoing the tech auto-switching without interrupting a video conferencing session on a laptop, but it’s easy to imagine the potential application on a mobile phone or UMPC — dare to dream after the break.

[Via DailyWireless]

Continue reading Intel and Nokia working on seamless WiFi / WiMAX switchoffs

 

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops

Merely two days after Dell added NVIDIA’s GeForce 8800M GTX to its beastly M1730, it seems that Rock is looking to up the graphical ante as well. Reportedly, the firm is gearing up to unleash the (likely rebadged) Xtreme X̀, which will house an Intel 󘠐 quad-core processor, a delightful pair of NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTXs, up to 1TB of storage space and a 17-inch 1,920 x 1,200 resolution panel to boot. Furthermore, you’ll find an Ethernet jack, Draft-N wireless card, an obligatory (no, really) HD DVD drive and a presumably laughable battery life. Waiting for the sting? Try £2,500 ($4,976) to £3,000 ($5,971), with pre-orders going live later this month.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: CES, Features, Laptops

After we heard ASUS stepped into Crazytown with two new terabyte-capacity laptops, we knew we had to swing by the booth and bust out our cameras. It seems like the company has really been stepping up its game both on the design and spec front, with a solid build from the sleek black top and touchpad-integrated media controller, straight on down to the Core 2 Duo CPUs and — of course — the ultra-gigantic storage space. Peep the gallery below for a full on tour of the two systems.

 

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky

Filed under: Gaming

With all the Wiimote couplings currently making the rounds, we’re bound to see a few lightsabers out there. Of course, this is where Camy’s Pro Gear Wii Light Swords come into play. The colored plastic Wiimote holders are available in three “ultra bright″ colors — including the red “Dark Knight,” which we’re almost positive is a copyright infringement. Nevertheless, the swords will cradle your Wiimote lovingly, with ample room for the IR signal to make its way to your console. Should you desire, you can flip a switch and light up the night sky with your fear-inducing — yet rather stubby — laser blade. Sure, we’ve seen similar, but these come in green. The swords are slated for a May / June release, no word on price.

[Via IGN]

 

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky

Filed under: Gaming

DIY virtuoso Johnny Chung Lee has already more than proven himself with his Wiimote whiteboard and finger-tracking hacks (to say nothing of the famous $14 steadycam), but he now looks to have vaulted himself into a whole new league with his latest project, which uses a Wiimote for a full-on VR head-tracking system. As with his other recent hacks, the Wiimote and a sensor bar substitute swap their usual positions, with a pair of IR-equipped safety glasses stylishly getting the job done in this case. Toss in some custom-made software (available at the link below) and you’ve got a setup that’s sure to make anyone’s jaw drop. Whatever you do, be sure to hit up the video after the break (and watch ‘till the end), as the image above certainly doesn’t do it justice.

[Via Hack a Day]

Continue reading DIY head-tracker takes Wiimote hacking to dizzying new heights

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Original post by Donald Melanson

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

While certainly there’s been no shortage of Wiimote hacks, the number of genuinely useful ones has been considerably more limited. It looks like you can now add one more to that list, however, as Johnny Chung Lee (he of the Wiimote finger-tracking hack) has now upped the usefulness even further with a makeshift multi-point interactive whiteboard. There’s a bit more involved with this one than just a Wiimote, however — namely, an IR-emitting pen (or two), which the Wiimote tracks while relaying all the necessary information back to a PC. That, as the video after the break shows, allows you to turn any surface into a multi-point whiteboard with the use of a projector, or turn any LCD screen into a touchscreen, of sorts. Best of all, Johnny has kindly provided the necessary software free of charge, so hit up the read link below if you want to give it a shot.

[Via Hack a Day]

Continue reading Wiimote repurposed for multi-point interactive whiteboard

 

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

Original post by Donald Melanson