Cool Tools archive

Verizon, Samsung launch video on-demand phone
On February 1 consumers will be able to buy the Samsung SCH-a890, the first handset that will be able to access Verizon Wireless' VCAST multimedia 3G wireless service, the companies said today. The a890 will be able access VCAST applications, including Video On Demand; it also has a 1.3 megapixel... January 21, 2005

Tiny joystick for handheld devices
Varatouch this week launched "the world's smallest joystick" (I know there's a joke in there somewhere, but we'll take the high road) for handheld devices such as cell phones, PDAs, gaming devices and GPS receivers. The Nanopoint measures 3.3 mm high and has a diameter of 12.7 mm. The company... December 22, 2004

SimpleTech offers tiny memory cards
SimpleTech this week announced its miniSD and RS-MMC Flash memory cards, aimed to address the mobile phone and handheld device storage market. The new cards are available in capacities ranging from 128M-bytes to 512M-bytes. The miniSD and RS-MMC media have the same features as a standard-sized memory card, but just... December 17, 2004

Sprint, Samsung launch new cell phones
Sprint and Samsung this week launched two new cell phones, just in time for holiday shopping. The PM-A740 is a lightweight phone that includes voice, data and imaging services, aimed at the trend-setters out there who want to use their phone as a fashion accessory. Features include a VGA camera... December 10, 2004

LG, Sprint launch sliding cell phone
The latest cell phone from LG Mobile Phones and Sprint is the new PM-325 (official name: Sprint PCS Vision Picture Phone PM-325 by LG), which includes a sliding format in which the keypad slides down at the touch of a finger to reveal a larger, 65,536-color LCD screen. The phone... December 08, 2004

T-Mobile launches ringback tone service
If you have too much time on your hands and want to use your cell phone in a new way, check out the new ringback tone service -- CallerTunes -- from T-Mobile. A ringback tone is something you would never hear unless you call your cell phone from a different...

Cingular launches EDGE phone
Cingular Wireless and Motorola today launched the exclusive Motorola V551 phone, which uses EDGE technology to provide a multimedia experience for users. The phone is now available for $99.99 (after $50 rebate and a two-year contract) at Cingular's retail locations. The Enhanced Data for Global Evolution network provides higher data... November 23, 2004

Xingtone adds Verizon Wireless support
Xingtone today launched version 4.0 of its mobile phone ring tone creation software, which now includes support for Verizon Wireless as well as all other major U.S. carriers, the company said. The new version includes audio editing features that aim to make it easier for users to make personal ring... November 10, 2004

Verizon launches Bluetooth phone
OK, folks, all of those people who love Verizon Wireless as a carrier, but were jealous of other users who had their Bluetooth phones, the wait is over. Verizon Wireless this week launched the Motorola V710, a camera phone (1.2 megapixels) that also has integrated wireless Bluetooth. Compatible accessories for... August 13, 2004

New cell phones launched
Nothing seems to stop cell phone makers and carriers from launching new phones during the year; here are the latest three devices that you might want to pick up if your current wireless contract has expired… As part of a promotion for the Summer Olympics, AT&T Wireless and Samsung launched... August 11, 2004

Sprint ships 1.3MP camera phone
Sprint today said it was shipping its Picture Phone PM-8920, a 1.3 megapixel camera phone that uses Sprint's Picture Mail service. The PM-8920 is made by Audiovox, and is now available for $149.99 (after rebates, otherwise $299.99) at Sprint Stores nationwide. The PM-8920 also includes a built-in flash, self-timer and... July 08, 2004

LG: Say goodbye to grayscale
LG Mobile Phones this week announced that all its future LG handsets will feature color displays, regardless of the model (entry-level, mid-tier, high-end, etc.) The announcement was tucked away in the announcement of the VX3200 (click to view photo), a color-screen, clamshell style handset that includes features like a speaker... May 14, 2004

Verizon Wireless adds Yahoo! Messenger
Verizon Wireless this week said that the Yahoo! Messenger instant messaging application is now available through Verizon's Mobile IM service. Verizon Wireless customers can now use their phone to connect to the top three IM applications (AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger). The Mobile IM is initially available... April 29, 2004

Garfield on your cell phone
Far be it from us to suggest that people use their cell phones to make phone calls, but for users who want to do more with their devices, they can now read their favorite comic strips (known as 'the funnies' to those of us old coots). GoComics LLC (a joint... March 18, 2004

Hoops and cell phones
For college basketball fans that will treat Thursday and Friday like a national holiday (opening round of the NCAA basketball tournament), Sprint has some news for you. The company said its PCS Vision customers will be able to access tons of information about the tournament through its new College Hoops... March 16, 2004

NASCAR cell phones launched
Nextel wasted no time in leveraging its sponsorship of NASCAR (now called Nextel Cup instead of Winston Cup). The carrier today launched a series of NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Driver Phones, modeled after 10 different drivers. The covers of the phone display a driver's number and have a unique design... February 10, 2004

RIM teams up with Samsung
Research in Motion (RIM) today announced plans to have BlackBerry connectivity on Samsung wireless handheld devices. Through a licensing program, Samsung will enable its devices to be able to connect to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. In addition, the companies will work on enabling the handhelds to connect to the BlackBerry... January 29, 2004

LG and Verizon launch VX4500
The new LG VX4500 mobile phone will be available to Verizon Wireless customers on Jan. 29 (tomorrow), the companies said today. The new phone, which costs $89.99 (after $30 rebate and two-year agreement), includes a two-way speaker phone and advanced voice recognition features. LG says the two-way speaker phone lets... January 28, 2004

New cell phones for the holidays
Both Sprint and Verizon Wireless this week launched some new phones just in the nick of time for the holidays. Sprint launched the Samsung VI660, which includes voice-activated commands (from Voice Signal) that let users dial the phone and perform other operations (such as signal strength and battery life). The... December 12, 2003

'Funky Town' on my cell phone
Polyphonic ring tones are so 2002. If you want to be hip these days, you need to upload MP3s onto your cell phone. Xingtone this week announced Version 2.0 of its cell phone software, which lets users turn any MP3 or WAV file into a 30-second ring tone. Xingtone said... December 10, 2003

AT&T ships Treo 600
AT&T Wireless this week became the third carrier to ship the PalmOne Treo 600, a converged device (cell phone plus PDA). The AT&T version runts on its GSM/GPRS network and includes features such as e-mail, Web browsing and text messaging. The Treo 600 from AT&T Wireless costs $499.99 (after $50... November 25, 2003

Live TV on your cell phone
MobiTV launched its live streaming television service to mobile phones today, as part of the PCS Vision offerings from Sprint. The service is now available as a J2ME download to certain PCS Vision phones, the company said. MobiTV streams TV content and includes features such as on/off, volume and channel... November 13, 2003

Cingular launches LG phones
Cingular Wireless said today it would begin selling LG Mobile Phones’ new line of GSM phones – the G4010 and G4050. Both models are clamshell-style phones (flip open), and include games, multimedia messaging and polyphonic ring tone features, the company said. The G4050 also includes the external Organic Electro-Luminescent (OEL)... November 07, 2003

LG launches new ‘leather’ phone
LG Mobile Phones and Verizon Wireless announced this week shipping of the LG VX3100L, a clamshell style mobile phone with a black leather-like covering finish. The phone costs $99 with a two-year contract from Verizon Wireless. The phone is also available with its original silver cover finish (VX3100). The VX3100L... September 10, 2003

EnGenius upgrades cordless telephone system
EnGenius Technologies recently announced a new version of its cordless phone system, which now includes an auto-attendant that can direct callers to specific handsets, and on-hold music. EnGenius says its EP-490 model offers more than three times the power of 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz phone systems, and includes features... August 27, 2003

Connect to 4 IMs at once via your cell phone
For the mobile user who needs to be connected to four different instant messaging programs at the same, AgileMobile.Com has an answer. The company today launched its Agile Messenger instant messenger service, which maintains a continuous online connection for instant messaging via mobile phones with ICQ, AOL, Yahoo! and MSN... August 26, 2003

E-mail over the phone
Sprint today launched a new Internet program with two services that help users send and receive their e-mail or voice messages more efficiently. The Sprint Messenger service offers two applications – Email on the Go, which lets users receive e-mail messages on any phone; and One to Many Messaging, which... August 20, 2003

Sprint/Samsung launch camera phone with rotating screen
Sprint this week announced availability of the Samsung A600 phone, which it announced at this year’s CTIA Wireless show (also here). The phone features a display that swivels 180 degrees, which morphs the phone into a shape more familiar to digital camera users. With the phone in this position, a... August 01, 2003

NEC launches mobile phone in U.S.
NEC announced this week that its 515 High Definition Mobile+ (HDM) handset would be available in AT&T Wireless retail locations. The clamshell-style phone includes a 2.2-inch color display with 65,000 plus colors, 40-note polyphonic ring tones, and a version of Java (called DoJA), which was created for a mobile environment... July 25, 2003

Sprint ships business-class Pocket PC phone (with camera)
Sprint today said it is now shipping the Hitachi G1000 (full name – Windows Mobile-based PCS Phone by Hitachi Model SH-G1000). The G1000 is a Pocket PC with a wireless phone, rotating camera and built-in keyboard all combined into a single device. The device comes with Windows Mobile software for... July 24, 2003

Learn sign language on your cell phone
Verizon Wireless and Mobile-Mind today launched a new application that lets people learn American Sign Language (ASL) on their cell phone. The ASL Fingerspelling application is available through Verizon’s Get It Now service and works on those BREW-enabled phones. The application lets users study and quiz themselves on the 26... June 12, 2003

T-Mobile colorizes Sidekick device
The new color version of the T-Mobile Sidekick e-mail device is now available, T-Mobile said today. The Sidekick is based on Danger Inc.’s hiptop device, which includes wireless e-mail and Web surfing capabilities. The color version of the sidekick costs $299.99 and will be sold at CompUSA or by calling... June 06, 2003

Nextel walkie-talkie feature goes nationwide
Nextel this week announced its new Nationwide Direct Connect service, a wireless “walkie-talkie” service that lets users talk to each other across the country. Nextel said about half of the markets supported by Nextel and Nextel Partners will be able to use this service by June 16. The first markets... June 04, 2003

BlackBerry goes color
Research in Motion (RIM) this week launched two new BlackBerry handheld devices that include a color screen and tri-band wireless features. Unfortunately for U.S. BlackBerry fans, the new devices were launched in Germany and Austria, from T-Mobile International. The Java-based BlackBerry 7230 and 6230 devices support worldwide international roaming on... June 03, 2003

Weather radar on your cell phone
AccuWeather.com today launched a BREW-enabled weather application that lets users zoom into animated radar imagery on their cell phones. The application also provides multimedia weather forecasts for users. The weather application is currently available to Verizon Wireless’ Get it Now service customers, AccuWeather.com said. Click here to view the application.... May 29, 2003

Danger launches hiptop device in Southeast U.S.
Danger Inc. and Triton PCS (part of the AT&T Wireless Network) announced today its SunCom hiptop device, the second kind of hiptop device available in the U.S. (T-Mobile services a hiptop device for its customers). Triton PCS provides wireless service in 37 Southeastern cities under the brand name SunCom. The...

Terror alerts to your cell phone
XSVoice Inc. and AlertsUSA LLC this week announced a service that will send text alerts and wireless audio streaming messages to U.S. cell phone users. The AlertsUSA service sends instant text message (via SMS) of domestic terror alerts, warnings and other information provided by the Department of Homeland Security, Department... May 22, 2003

Own a phone like Neo
Samsung today announced availability of its n270 cell phone (also known as the “Matrix phone”) in conjunction with the upcoming release of “The Matrix Reloaded” movie. The n270 is an exact replica of the phone used in the movie, and will include numerical markings that help prove its exclusivity, Samsung... May 14, 2003

Write notes on the P800 smart phone
Electric Pocket this week said it has a new version of its BugMe! application for the new Sony Ericsson P800 smart phone. The application will let users of the smart phone to enter notes using digital ink and voice, the company said. The application can also set reminder alarms on... March 26, 2003

New phones from LG at CTIA
Here are the LG phones that were launched at this year's CTIA show. Links open a new browser window. LG 4010, an entry-level GSM (dual-band, 850/1900) that includes a monochrome display and blue backlight. LG 4050, a mid-tier GSM dual-band (850/1900) phone that includes a 65,000-color screen. On the outside... March 21, 2003

Wanna see some phones?
We've seen a lot of phones at the CTIA 2003 show in New Orleans. Click on the links below to see what we saw from Nokia, RIM and Sony Ericsson. WARNING: Clicking the link opens new window in your browser. Nokia Nokia 3300, a portable music player and phone. Nokia...

Image of Samsung Palm OS 5 smart phone
We received an image of the new Palm OS 5 smart phone by Samsung. Click here to take a look. From our friends at Gate2Info.... March 14, 2003

Watch the news on your phone
Sprint this week launched an on-demand multimedia application that lets users of its PCS Vision network to watch up-to-date breaking news, finance, weather, sports and entertainment information from their phones. The downloadable J2ME application (1KTV) costs $3.95 for 30 days, Sprint said. Sprint says that categories will be added based... February 14, 2003

Verizon ships LG VX2000 phone
Verizon Wireless announced its new tri-mode VX2000 (LG Mobile Phones). The new model runs on Verizon's Express Network (CDMA 1xRTT), offering data speeds up to 144K bit/sec (burst rate). To access the Express Network, the phone needs to be connected to a laptop via a mobile connectivity kit. Verizon Wireless... February 11, 2003

Verizon ships LG color phone
Verizon Wireless has announced availability of the LG VX4400 handset, which adds a color screen and works on Verizon's Get it Now service. The VX4400 has a color internal LCD display that can show more than 65,000 colors, and includes a blue backlit keypad. It also has an 'event-personalized' caller... January 23, 2003