Day: February 5, 2007

“A device manufacturing and design house in Shenzhen, China is offering an ARM-based “UMPC” (ultra-mobile PC) with an embedded Linux OS. The Beijing Peace East Technology Development Company’s “H9” design features a high-quality 7-inch LCD display, GPS receiver, 128MB of RAM, and a 520MHz PXA270 processor. The H9 is built using an the ARM/XScale architecture, rather than the x86 architecture more commonly found in typical UMPC devices. Beijing Peace also offers an “H10″ version of the device that comes with Windows CE 5.0 instead of Linux.The H9 is based on an Intel PXA270 processor, clocked at 520MHz. It boots Linux from 64MB of NOR flash, and has 128MB of SDRAM. Like most UMPCs, it also packs a hard drive — in this case, a 20GB unit.The H9 has a built-in GPS radio based on a Global Locate Hammerhead chip. It appears to support network interfaces — such as cellular data cards and WiFi — through built-in PCMCIA and SD card slots. Other peripherals and interfaces include USB and onboard AC97 audio, with a built-in speaker and stereo I/O.The H9 comes with a 7-inch TFT (thin-film transistor) LCD, with backlight. Although the device’s data sheet does not mention a touchscreen, it seems extremely likely that the screen includes touch, given the way UMPCs and other mini-tablets are used. Hardware buttons include power and volume, along with a 5-direction navigation pad and five shortcut keys. The H9 comes with a generous 4000mAh, 5-volt rechargeable lithium battery. It measures 8.1 x 4.7 x 0.75 inches (205 x 120 x 19mm), and weighs 17.6 ounces (500 grams). On the software side, the H9 comes with software supporting use as a PDA (personal digital assistant), PMP (portable media player), GPS (global positioning system), and wireless Internet functions, according to Beijing Peace. Additional touted software includes: Web browser Multimedia player Flash player Photo browsing and editing software Recording software Multimedia file manager Business card manager Mobile email Office file viewer PDF browserBeijing Peace is a spin-out from from Shenzhen PingZhi Electronics Factory, a manufacturer specializing in business telephones and phone equipment. AvailabilityThe H9 appears to be a ready-to-manufacture design available globally to resellers, OEMs (original equipment manufactures), and ODMs (original design manufacturers). Pricing and minimum order quantities were not disclosed. ” via linuxdevices.com

Texas Instruments Incorporated today announced two new devices built on the company’s leading DRPTM single-chip technology designed to drive affordable WLAN, Bluetooth and FM technologies into mass market handsets. The first product is WiLink 6.0, a single chip that is the latest member of TI’s mobile WLAN (mWLAN) family, and is the industry’s first device to integrate a complete offering of mobile WLAN, Bluetooth and FM, with support for IEEE draft 802.11n for better coverage and reception. The second product is the BlueLink 7.0 solution, the latest version of TI’s BlueLink Bluetooth single-chip family that integrates Bluetooth and FM. The FM functionality in both devices delivers FM transmit and receive capabilities, turning the handset into a personal area broadcast device. The new chips are tightly integrated monolithic solutions that enable the functionality demanded by today’s consumers, allowing them to send and receive more data on their mobile phones with an enhanced voice and audio experience. Both devices are manufactured in leading-edge 65-nanometer (nm) technology, delivering a low-cost, low-power single chip with a small footprint. Enabling Affordable WLAN, Bluetooth and FM for Mainstream Handsets The new WiLink 6.0 device integrates mWLAN, Bluetooth and FM on a single chip, allowing handset manufacturers to quickly and seamlessly integrate these three functions into feature-rich mainstream handsets, giving more consumers access to features usually found only in high-end handsets. By integrating the industry’s first mobile 802.11n solution, consumers can seamlessly and quickly share large files such as movies and photos between their handsets and other WLAN-enabled devices, like laptops, digital cameras and gaming consoles. Operators and service providers deploying dual-mode phone solutions expect 802.11n to drastically improve voice call quality and reliability in VoWLAN applications. The WiLink 6.0 device will help reduce dropped calls, lowering support costs for these newer, more complex dual-mode solutions.The new BlueLink 7.0 device integrates the industry’s best-performance Bluetooth technology with high-quality FM stereo transmit and receive functions on a single chip. With new FM transmit capability, consumers can enjoy MP3 files stored on their phone on any FM receiver, such as car stereos or radios without wires. The new chip also provides enhanced performance with support for Bluetooth Specification 2.1 plus EDR (enhanced data rate). The WiLink 6.0 solution and BlueLink 7.0 device share the same Bluetooth and FM core solution, allowing customers to capitalize on their past and future software investments in a versatile manner. “The phone is now the consumer’s center of gravity – the one device they use to entertain, connect and access information. With the WiLink 6.0 single chip, TI is enabling true voice over IP and personal audio broadcasting – allowing people to use their phone in ways they never have before,” said Marc Cetto, General Manager of TI’s Mobile Connectivity Solutions. “TI’s deep expertise in wireless and leading edge process technology makes us well positioned to take Bluetooth and mobile WLAN to the next level and make them affordable for more consumers around the globe.” Combined with single-chip modem solutions from TI, handset manufacturers have a complete “antenna to application” solution for mid-tier and low-end handsets. TI’s WiLink 6.0 platform can work with the OMAP-VoxTM family of solutions, including the OMAPV1030 processor and OMAPV1035 “eCosto” single-chip EDGE solution, to provide an optimized modem, applications processor and mWLAN/Bluetooth/FM solution for mid-tier handsets. Coupled with TI’s “LoCosto” single chip platform, BlueLink 7.0 is a cost-efficient solution to increase Bluetooth penetration in handsets by addressing the high-volume, low-cost emerging handset market. “Mobile devices with both WLAN and Bluetooth are primarily found in the high-end of the global handset market today. A more affordable, integrated mWLAN and Bluetooth solution, such as TI’s new WiLink 6.0 single chip, should help push these key technologies toward the mid- and low-tier segments, and into the hands of more mass-market users,” said Neil Mawston, Associate Director of the Global Wireless Practice, Strategy Analytics. TI leads the market in mobile WLAN shipments for handset applications, according to Forward Concepts. Using this expertise, the new WiLink 6.0 device is designed to meet increasing consumer demand for PC-style high-throughput connectivity on the go without compromising battery life. The combination of mWLAN, Bluetooth and FM functionality allows users to perform a variety of simultaneous tasks, such as listening to the radio on a Bluetooth headset while checking email via mWLAN. Designed with TI’s innovative DRP technology, the BlueLink 7.0 device cuts power consumption by 20 percent over previous generations in critical modes of operation. It also provides superior “class 1.5” functionality, which enables high transmit power without an additional external power amplifier, delivering improved sensitivity and RF performance. TI also brings seamless cellular and WLAN connectivity for emerging IMS applications by leveraging its VoWLAN functionality provided by TI’s OMAP-Vox and WiLink solutions. IMS gives consumers on-the-go voice access over WLAN or the cellular network using their mobile phones. Proven Coexistence Platform The new WiLink 6.0 and BlueLink 7.0 solutions include TI’s proven robust coexistence platform which addresses system-wide interference issues, encompassing radio design and hardware and software solutions. Coexistence expertise is becoming increasingly important as more radios are being added to the handset. TI leads the market in coexistence solutions for Bluetooth and mWLAN, with more than 30 handsets using TI’s coexistence platform. Availability Handsets are expected to be on the market with TI’s WiLink 6.0 and BlueLink 7.0 in 2008.

“If you thought only us humans needed makeovers, boy were you wrong. According to industry insiders, Sony is all set to give its business-phone, the M600 a makeover! For the uninitiated the M600 by Sony is a Symbian OS 9.1 and UIQ 3.0 enabled phone and has a comprehensive feature set including Media Player, StreamingAudio, VideoPowerPoint, Word and Excel editors and Adobe PDF viewer IrDA, USB support, QVGA 2.6-inch 262k color touch screen display with handwriting recognition.The new and improved handset will now be called the M600i ( how innovative) and has been code named Lizzy, according to some sources. The M600i will have a more ergonomic design and will have more silver.Many thought that the M600 Achilles Heel was its lack of camera, however Sony disagrees, as the M600i will also have no camera like its predecessor. But according to me SE makes up for the no camera show by adding WLAN to the mix. This one too will run on the Symbian UIQ3. Keep watching this space for more updates.” via mobilewhack.com

“Compared to the previous models the new smartphone is somewhat wider and taller, but slimmer (112.4x49x49.8 mm against 109x47x19 mm for HTC Tornado). However the device doesn’t look or feel slim in contemporary meaning. The weigh built up some weight to 120 g because of the partially metallic shell (battery cover, screen edging and buttons). We can’t call the device the smallest on the market. Its design is pretentiously strict, it lacks outstanding features, we can trace designer’s efforts not to jump out of the limits for the business phone. This is a classical candy bar phone, there is hardly a more precise definition. The device is targeted at men’s audience. As for the assembly quality, there can’t be any complaints, this is a typical HTC product. Shell metal feels the very metal, there aren’t any backlashes.” Read more here: