Wristphone Answers Your Calling (Back to News Reports)

Long ago, "calling" someone meant cupping your hands around your mouth and shouting loudly. Then along came telephones, and the word became confused with pushing a dial or punching keys. Now, Siemens has come up with a prototype wrist phone that brings the old meaning home. That's right. All you have to do is call out a name and the phone dials the associated number. If you haven't stored a party's name yet, just call out the numbers. Even SMS messages -- if spelled out -- can be entered by voice.

The phone, which weighs a mere 36 grams, uses Siemens voice recognition technology to recognize speech regardless of who is doing the talking. This is accomplished by using an innovative Hidden Markov Model (HMM) algorithm that allows the device to be extremely tolerant of ambient noise. The prototype Wristphone is a triband device that can be operated by scrolling through menu functions. It has an integrated antenna, speaker and microphone. The battery is located in the wrist strap.

SOURCE Siemens Press Release Back to News Reports

Virtual Keyboards - Relief is at Hand (Back to News Reports)

Tired of pecking at tiny keyboards? Well now, relief is at hand. A virtual keyboard -- a representation of the real thing that can be projected on any flat surface -- will be available from Siemens worldwide this Fall. The projection even responds with a reassuring "click" every time you "press" a key. Just hook up a device about the size of a mobile phone to your PDA, computer, or other exasperatingly small device and go to work. A laser diode transmits an image of a standard-sized keyboard, which appears in front of the user as a red image. An infrared system transmits users' finger movements to a chip, which, in turn, determines the sequence of typed letters and reports this to the connected device.

The system, which is expected to sell for around $100, responds to a maximum of 120 keystrokes per minute even in very bright surroundings. Developed by VKB Inc. of Jerusalem, Israel, the device offers an attractive solution for physicians who need both sterile and mobile computers in operating theaters. "Now mobile phones and PDAs can at last have a decent-sized keyboard," explains Boaz Arnon, CEO of VKB Inc. "This will allow many users to leave their laptops at home

SOURCE Siemens Press Release Back to News Reports

Latest in Bluetooth headsets at CommunicAsia 2002 (Back to News Reports)

GN Netcom targets mass market with JABRA Bluetooth headset range to be launched in Asia Pacific at CommunicAsia 2002.

International frontrunners in hands-free communication technology, JABRA and GN Netcom, will be showing the Bluetooth portfolio first announced at Cebit 2003 earlier this year.

The three new JABRA products are based on the latest in wireless technology and will be released throughout 2002.

The new Bluetooth headsets are designed to suit individual needs and choices. You can choose between a barely visible headset, one with a practical foldable boom arm and one that has state-of-the-art design encompassing signal processing. All three support voice-control, making it possible to leave your mobile in the trunk and still carry a conversation in the front seat.

SOURCE GN Netcom Press Release Back to News Reports

Legend Announces 6 Mobile Handsets (Back to News Reports)

Hong Kong, 26 June 2002 - China's Legend Group Limited today announced 6 mobile handsets with multi-functions in Beijing. Since the announcement of the joint venture in February this year for the development of mobile handset business, Legend is launching mobile handsets under its own brand name for the first time. Legend announced 5 GSM mobile handsets - Legend G808, Legend G601, Legend G608, Legend G007 and Xoceco G678 together with 1 CDMA mobile handset - Xoceco C8000, 6 in total. They are either manufactured through OEM or self-developed models. Among these models, Legend G808 is the main focus for this initial promotion, with a retail price of RMB 3,580.

Yang Yuanqing, CEO and President of Legend said, "Exploring the mobile handset business is entirely fitting into the Group's 3 criteria for new business development - with strong users' demand, tremendous earnings potential and synergetic with existing businesses. The mobile handset business will be a new growth driver for the Group."

With its advanced technology, Legend launched the first dual band mobile handset Legend G808, with 40 chord ring tones. Legend G808 applies GPRS Class 10 standard, which is able to support 53.6K downloading speed. It is equipped with a 128 x 128 pixels super-large screen and vibrating game function. The introduction of PC technology to mobile handsets make games more interesting. Additionally, Legend G808 only weighs 85g with a size of 84mm (length) x 44.5mm (width) x 21mm (thickness). It is the smallest and lightest dual LCD mobile handset available in the market.

SOURCE Legend Group Limited Press Release Back to News Reports

The Nokia 3610 Exudes Fun the Asian Way (Back to News Reports)

Nokia today unveiled a phone with a refreshingly new look and design and enhanced local language features. The Nokia 3610 is another product developed at Nokia's Product Creation Centre in Beijing for primarily consumers in the China market. Launched on the opening day of the ELE/Expo Comm Shanghai 2002 event, the cool and trendy Nokia 3610 will be commercially available in Asia Pacific markets during the third quarter of 2002.

A key attraction for Asian consumers, particularly the Chinese speaking markets, is the Nokia 3610's enhanced Chinese features, including the Lunar calendar which features Chinese festival days, improved Chinese phonebook sorting and PinYin predictive input. The Nokia 3610 is also the first mobile phone in the world to have Hindi input, making it an ideal choice for consumers in India. Other enhanced local language support include Thai, Bahasa Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia input.

Nokia has introduced a new style and design to the Xpress-on(TM) colour covers for the Nokia 3610. The unique use of light translucent materials and vibrant colours with pop art patterns give the Nokia 3610 a trendy and youthful outlook. The introduction of a new three-dimensional animated screen saver feature will enhance user experience in a fun way. With WAP Push support, the Nokia 3610 allows users to download latest news or sports results as well the latest gamepacks.

In addition, the Nokia 3610 has a host of fun, enhanced personalisation and messaging features which include a picture editor which allows users to create and personalise picture messages for all occasions, personalised SMS alerts, SMS chat, rhythmic backlight alert, 6 exciting games with rhythmic vibration, downloadable (OTA) graphics, icons, ringing tones, screen savers and picture messaging. More downloadable ringing tones, picture messages and graphics are available from Club Nokia.

The stylishly cool Nokia 3610 offers a range of vibrant and exciting changeable Xpress-on(TM) covers and has a talktime of 2 hrs 20 mins to 3 hrs 50 mins and a standby time of 60 to 170 hrs using a standard lithium-ion battery.

SOURCE Nokia Press Release Back to News Reports