Tech Nukem

Not long after the release of Google’s famous Nexus One Android 2.1 based smartphone, some consumers have started to initiate complaints with related to its poor reception of 3G network coverage under T-Mobile subscription, If you recall, when iPhone 3G was launched initially under AT&T, similar complaints were received but instead of finger pointing to service provider, it is believed that current situation is different from previous and likelihood that it could be due to firmware issue on the device itself.



The complaints started when Nexus One’s users were unable to get a similar signal strength at the same location which triggered more questions if the symptom is due to overloaded 3G network with increasing subscribers’ usages. Both Google and T-Mobile have acknowledged the complaints and have started preliminary investigation by probing consumers’ on actual symptom if they have seen the 3G line drop, totally no line or can it be fixed by firmware upgrade and etc. Meanwhile, T-Mobile is seeking feedback from its subscribers to try with other 3G mobile phone for side by side coverage result comparison. Apparently, initial results were gathered and some even claimed that an older generation HTC smartphone has managed to sustain full bar coverage while Nexus One only able to get half of them, indicating the high possibility that it could be firmware issue instead of network
coverage.

However, nothing is firm now and hopefully Google and T-Mobile will able to disclose further investigation results with appropriate firmware fix without the need of major repair or system upgrade.

Garmin and AT&T have announced the launch of the new Garmin Nuvifone G60 navigation phone, which claims as the only 3G phone to fully integrate the world’s best selling GPS navigator with voice, data and mobile web, offering users the same core great features and user experience as a high-end Garmin nuvi aimed to deliver the easy-to-use, advanced and intuitive navigation experience.



“Personal navigation devices are already all about mobility and taking the Garmin experience everywhere as your mobile phone is truly compelling for customers who travel often,” commented Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We expect the nuvifone to be the guide for local restaurants, the least-expensive gas and the nearest coffee shop for many customers.”

Features Of Garmin Nuvifone G60:

* 3 megapixel camera with auto-focus and geo-tagging capability
* 3.55-inch anti-glare resistive WQVGA (272 x 480 pixels) touchscreen with 65K colors
* Large screen with portrait and landscape view of each screen and virtual QWERTY keyboard on touchscreen
* Comes preloaded with maps and millions of points of interest (POIs) for North America
* Voice prompted turn-by-turn directions that speaks street names to millions of destinations
* “Where am I?” safety feature displays users’ current address and nearest police, hospital and fuel services in one click
* Real GPS receiver with Garmin’s HotFix technology and assisted GPS provide reliable location information in the most challenging conditions
* Ciao! Location-based Social Networking platform that integrates compatible social networks into 1 easy-to-use interface
* Garmin Locate helps users remember where they parked by automatically marking their position while they remove it from the car
* Free access to AT&T’s Yellow Pages, flight status and converter
* Desktop web experience with full HTML browser
* Mobile e-mail like Hotmail, Gmail, AOL mail, POP3 and IMAP
* 4GB internal memory plus MicroSD memory slot expandable up to 16GB
* Talk time: Up to 4 hours ; Standby time: Up to 250 hours

“The nuvifone weaves location into nearly every facet of its functionality making it ideal for people who depend on location to navigate everyday life,” said Cliff Pemble, president and COO of Garmin. “The nuvifone has Garmin’s easy-to-use interface, so navigating to a meeting directly from its calendar or contacts pages, or geotagging an email or photograph with a location stamp, is intuitive, useful and fun.”

Garmin Nuvifone G60 navigation phone which measures 4.4 x 2.3 x 0.57 inches and weighs just 4.8 ounces (battery included) is scheduled to hit AT&T stores starting October 4, 2009 for $299, after $100 mail-in-rebate and 2-year service contract. Furthermore, Nuvifone Premium Connected Services that includes traffic updates, white pages, weather, movie, local events and fuel prices are available for $5.99 per month after a 30-day trial.

One of the major challenges in designing mobile processor is how can they squeeze the core performance out without significantly impact its power consumption. Although Intel Atom, a X86 based processor is great in performance with maximum clocking at 1.6GHz, but it suffers excessive current drawn that affect the portable devices’ battery life. Just recently, Samsung, one of the ARM licensees is collaborating with Intrinsity to come out a new series of ARM Cortex-A8 based processor targeted for mobile market. Codenamed as Hummingbird, it is planned to be clocking at maximum of 1GHz, scaling up the performance up to 2000MIPS while still maintaining its low thermal envelope.

Hummingbird core will be supported by 32kB data and instruction on-die cache besides ARM neon multimedia extension. If you recall, Apple Inc’s latest 3G S iPhone is based on Samsung S5PC100 running at 600MHz and has been rated as one of the most powerful mobile devices in consumer market. And now with the Hummingbird in development cycle ready for next generation iPhone, consumers can expected a much smoother and faster mobile devices suitable for high end market with much more CPU cycles available for other processing tasks.

No price and actual available date yet,this will definitely post some threats to Intel next generation Atom Moorestown processor as well as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon series in mobile market.

Although some mobile phones have been equipped with GPS navigator maps, but some users still prefer standalone navigation devices. Targeting the standalone GPS device market, Mio has announced its two new GPS navigation devices which known as Moov M300 and Noov M400. The M300 and M400 have been enhanced with “local” Mio which allow users to search for address from PC with Yellow Pages and load directly into the GPS, the addresses that including shops, restaurants, hotels and etc.






The M300 is featured with a 3.5-inch display with 320 x 240 resolutions while M400 is featured with a 4.3-inch with 480 x 272 resolutions. The M400 is also supports NavPix photo navigation that allow users navigate to location by preloaded photos of tourist sites which including beaches, hotels and restaurants. In addition, it also allows users to download geotagged photos from NavPix or Flickr sites.

The M300 is available for the price of $139 with a France map and M400 will be available for the price of $210 with maps from 23 countries of Western Europe.

Nowadays GPS (Global Positioning System) is already becomes one of the most demanding features especially in mid and high end smart mobile phone products in consumer market. Obviously, the usage is quite beneficial since it is able to pinpoint your current location and help you navigate to your destination accurately without any miss. Just recently, Silverphone, a UK based mobile distributor tries a slightly different approach by offering its latest GPS mobile devices to consumers with advanced security and emergency features.


SQ

Named as SmartlinQ, it is an easy-to-operate GPS mobile device that is ideal for those non-tech savvy users but still would like to enjoy the benefits of GPS tracking capability. Unlike normal GPS smartphones, SmartlinQ is enhanced with an emergency service plan, known as Careline Support package that assists the subscribers whenever they encounter any emergency condition. By a simple SOS button press on the mobile device, it will be connected for operator assistance immediately. Besides ability to locate your current location, the careline operator will able to access your medical history and other emergency contact information with a SMS sending to the designated recipients automatically to inform them on the exact location for further rescue effort. Some of the specifications include 4 safety zones, speed alerts, quad band GSM support, covert hearing, mobile route as well as Man down feature that detects if the person is down with its built in fall/motion sensor.

The SmartlinQ device is already available now and consumers can get it at £149.99 with a monthly Careline support subscription charge of £21.99 per month.

One of the leading provide of GPS devices, Magellan has announced its new ultra-slim Magellan Maestro 4700, which combines large, wide 4.7-inch touchscreen display, larger fonts, integrated voice command capabilities and Highway Lane Assist feature in a single GPS device, aiming to provide users a robust navigation experience.


magellan_maestro_4700


“The Magellan Maestro 4700 lets you keep your eyes on the road and hands on the wheel,” said Mike Wagner, senior director of product marketing, Magellan. “We have incorporated voice command, Bluetooth, and highway lane assist to help you reach your destination with confidence. The large 4.7-inch screen is easily viewable in all lighting conditions. Thanks to our unique OneTouch favorites menu and our AAA partnership, the Magellan Maestro 4700 makes trip planning and traveling easier and less stressful.”

Impressive features of Magellan Maestro 4700:

* Exclusive OneTouch Favorites Menu – Access your favorite destinations and searches with personalized bookmarks. Reach your favorite cafe or restaurant in any city with a single touch, offering an additional 12 bookmarks to save favorites.
* Bluetooth Compatible Hands-Free Calling – Make or receive calls using compatible mobile phone. Access your phone’s address book to access up to 1000 numbers right from Magellan Maestro 4700. Keeping road noise down thanks to noise-cancelling microphone.
* Predictive Traffic – Analyzes past traffic patterns while creating a route to help users avoid known delays. Options to stay on your current route or go with suggested less congested routes.
* Instant Access to All Points Of Interest (POI) – Perform one search and get results from both the standard POI database and Magellan-exclusive AAA TourBook guide.
* “Find Your Car” with Pedestrian Mode – As its name implied, “Find Your Car” can remember the location of your car in parking lots, airports, malls, universities, amusement parks or stadiums.
* QuickSpell with Smart City Search – Enables quick, single-address entry or convenient multi-destination trip planning, including route optimization.
* New Address Book – Allows users to save complete itineraries by adding an address a snap with smart address summary.
* Intuitive, Context-Driven Touch Zones – Provides drivers a completely interactive map screen.
* 3D Landmarks – Displays visual cues to help users perform maneuvers and find destinations.

The new Magellan Maestro 4700 GPS navigator that bundled with a windshield mount and cradle, 12-volt vehicle power adapter, USB cable, protective pouch and adhesive disk for alternative, on-dash mounting is available for MSRP of $299.99.