Phonesnews.com

Unicon MBridge, the much-anticipated WiFi device that the company says can eliminate computers from your life, sent out a flyer with new pictures and details, and announced a Q2 ship date. The 3” x 5” x 0.75”, 6.5-ounce handheld device will wirelessly connect to the Internet, letting you download MP3s, exchange pictures, and access chat and e-mail without using a PC. You’re even able to crop and tweak pictures after you receive them from your digital camera and before you upload them to an online service. The MBridge will have two USB 2.0 ports, connect at 11Mbps using 802.11b and will be available in gray, red or black. No price was announced yet. via gizmodo.com

Opera 8.5 Pocket PC beta version is based on the same core as the Opera 8.5 desktop browser and brings the full internet to mobile Pocket PCs. The version is available for both WM 2003 and WM 5.0. Features Open URL with auto-complete Zoom Download Tabs – NEW! Navigation and history Bookmarks Landscape/Portrait Mode Full screen/ Fit to screen Pop-up handler Pad-lock icon on secure sites User preferences Context menu Check it here:

Mobilemag has learned that the .mobi Google website is now live. It will be searching mobile news sources and listing them for online viewing. This is particularly noteworthy because the .mobi domain is not set for commercial launch until later this summer, so Google is way ahead of the curve.The .mobi domain is designed to clearly identify internet sites and applications that have been made for mobile devices. This news makes sense in the wake of news coming from Google this morning that they are providing Google News for phones. For now you can access it by going to http://news.google.mobi/news?output=xhtml on your phone browser according to the announcement, but this is just the first step towards google.mobi being the destination for mobile information. The company also announced that they are working with Sony Ericsson to provide phone-sized versions of Google Web Search and Blogger. Google is obviously positioning themselves to continue to be at the forefront of whatever comes from this new domain. via mobilemag.com

Kevtris 1.1 has been released. New features include WM5 support (including soft menus and square-screen device support), better graphics, and more. Best of all, it’s still free.New Version 1.1! Support for Windows Mobile 5 Support for square screens (240×240) Support for QVGA Smartphones Sound can be toggled Better piece shadows New graphics One installer for both Smartphone and PocketPC Download from PocketGearIf the link does not work, download from this siteAlternatively, download the CAB file

Fifth Media is preparing the release of its EMXI 700 smartphone. It is powered by Windows Mobile OS and meant for GSM networks. There is the support of Wi-Fi wireless networks. The smartphone is equipped with a digital keyboard like in an ordinary phone. The details on the specs are not clear yet.

The EMXI 700 is likely to be exhibited at CeBIT show in March starting next week. Fifth Media hasn’t provided any details on the release date, however the website of VIPN (Voice Internet Phone Network), the company to release the device, suggests it will be available in 2Q 2006.

We’re not sure how reliable the source is, but in an interview this week, a Motorola design manager told one of your faithful Gizmodo newshounds that the Q could be released as soon as next week. What makes us think it might be legit? He was holding a working model in his hands, and it was up and running on Verizon’s network.Our first impressions from holding it in our hot little hands for a few minutes: this sucker’s extremely thin, although a bit wider than our Treo 650. The screen is a bit squat for our liking, though, even if it’s crisp; with the soft-key icons running along the bottom and an info bar across the top, we weren’t able to display a ton of information on it all at once. On the flip side, though, the buttons have a nice tactile feel; and the side jog-dial is pretty handy indeed. Maybe the GSM version will be even more sexy? Only time will tell. via us.gizmodo.com

Vodafone K.K. subscribers in Japan will get to have their faces for passwords, the software can be credited to Oki Electric Industry’s face sensing technology.Oki’s Face Sensing Engine (FSE) will replace the current password system or feature in Vodafone K.K. units. Instead of keying in a password, the user will instead have to submit to a facial scan in order to use the unit. The sensor will be integrated in the Vodafone 904SH mobile phone which is slated to be released in April. Succeeding 3G mobile phones of Vodafone K.K. will also have the FSE as a standard feature.The new password system is more convenient as the user does not need to memorize and key in alphanumeric characters to activate the phone anymore. Password recognition and processing is also faster since Oki boasts that its FSE has the fastest verification rate compared to other similar devices or technology. Oki also guarantees that the sensors would be able to conduct reliable scans regardless of the lighting condition. It also assures accurate readings despite changes in facial features that are brought about by different facial expression.The integration of the FSE into the mobile units will not result to a significant increase in handset price as Oki said that the technology costs little. It would also not entail any inconvenience or require extra equipment as it is embedded in the mobile phone. And besides, how can you lose your face? via mobilemag.com

The biggest mobile phone vendor, the Finnish company Nokia is back at 35% global market share after a dramatic fall in 2004, according to the survey. It took the cell phones from Finland almost two years to resume its position lost in 2004 after the company failed to introduce popular folding phones, and it can take its 40% market share again, market research group Gartner said. “I think it is still a hard target to get, but it looks definitively more possible now than when they were talking about it a year ago,” said analyst Carolina Milanesi after Gartner published 4Q shipments of cell phones to consumers. The market share of Nokia with sales to consumers is higher than the 34.2% market share based on already published shipments to distributors, i.e. more Nokia phones found their way to end users than phones from other manufacturers. According to this survey, almost all big vendors increased their shares on the global market. * Motorola from 16.3% to 17.8% * Samsung lost slightly to 12.1% against 12.2% * LG from 6.8% to 7.2% * Sony Ericsson from 6.3% to 6.9% * BenQMobile which took over Siemens handset business slipped to 4.7% from 6.5%.Gartner expects the total handset market to grow by 10-15% in 2006 from the 817 million handsets sold to consumers in 2005. via Reuters.com

Fifth Media Sdn. Bhd. announced today that the new AXIA A308 PDA Phone will be unveiled to the international market at the CeBIT exhibition in Hannover next month. Described as being a quad-band device offering GSM, GPRS and EDGE connectivity, the AXIA 308 also features Wifi connectivity. It is also the world’s smallest PDA Phone on the Microsoft Windows Mobile 5 operating system. “The AXIA A308 represents an obvious next step in mobile device consolidation. The device user gets full access to traditional cellular services from just about anywhere in the world, with its quad-band capabilities. Its compact size and built-in Wifi will set this device apart as a business tool,” said Mr. Bernard Bowiz, Chief Technical Adviser of Fifth Media Sdn. Bhd. “With the increasing proliferation of Wifi hotspots, the AXIA A308 will also offer a more cost effective way for users to access the Web,” adds Mr. Bowiz. Check more about this new PDA phone here:

Haeir N60 linux smartphone is one of the linux smartphone available in the market. Recently Haier has used it on demonstrating the Access Linux Platform. The Haier N60 got a SDIO expansion card, means you can add a WiFi connection to it. It also has a swiveling, 320×240 touch screen, a Linux-based OS, a 400-Mhz processor, built-in MP3 and MPEG4 players. No bluetooth for this phone, could be a problem for a smartphone. See its specifications and photos here.SpecificationsMode GSM Triband 900 / 1800 / 1900OS LinuxDimensions 48 x 25 x 94 mmBattery Type Lithium-Ion 900 mAhBattery Life Up to 180 mins talk time Up to 200 hours standby timeWeight 131 gramsDisplay 2,62,000 colors, (240 x 320)Expansion Slot SDIO card slotBuilt-in Memory 59MBCamera 1.3 MegapixelConnectivityGPRS, Infrared, Java, MMS, SMS, USB, WAPOthers64 polyphonic, MP3/MPEG player, MPEG video recorder