How to play Transformers with your phone

It's kind of surprising that one of the big handset makers didn't come up with a Transformers phone at the height of the movie's hype last year. After all, just about every other form of gadget tried to cash in on it, from laptops and stereos to earphones and MP3 players.

Perhaps Softbank and Toshiba knew that that true Optimus Prime loyalists would appreciate such a phone regardless of the movie. But it's unclear whether hardcore fans would look past the fact that the new 815T PB handset on the Japanese market doesn't really turn into an actual Transformer, though the untrained eye might be hard-pressed to make the distinction.

Instead, the 3G handset, which has a 3.2-megapixel camera and a QVGA screen, was made for a new teen TV show called Ketai Sousakan 7, according to Akihabara News. You also have to glue a kit onto the back of the phone to get the robotic transformation. All of which, frankly, sounds like way too much work for something that would probably break pretty easily if it's treated like most other mobile phones.

Via Crave CNET

MWg VP reveals plans for UMPCs and smart phones

It looks like a new UMPC brand will soon be coming to Asia. When CNET Asia spoke to Singapore-headquartered MWg (formerly O2 Asia) during the Atom V launch in the island state yesterday, VP for Brand and Marketing Sanjay Sabnani revealed in an aside to us that the company plans to bring in more "IT connected devices" before the end of this year. Three to six products are expected to be unveiled, among them PDA-phones, smart phones and, yes, Ultra-Mobile PCs.

It's been a while since we saw a new smart phone coming out of O2, so it'll be interesting to see how MWg plans to position its upcoming smart phone(s).

What caught our attention, however, was news that MWg may be bringing its new UMPCs to Asia, competing with the likes of GigaByte, Everun and Fujitsu in the UMPC space. MWg currently sells its UBiQUiO 711 UMPC (as shown on the left) in the US and Europe exclusively with online vendor eXpansys.

Sanjay also added that the company will be aiming to incorporate inductive charging into its devices launched in the second half of this year. MWg had earlier in January 2008 signed an agreement with UK-based Splashpower to incorporate inductive charging technology into the former's upcoming products. Inductive charging involves wirelessly charging a handset's electrical batteries using electromagnetic induction.

Bluetooth headset for the ladies

Bluetooth headsets targeted at ladies are not new. These are usually current models given a new shade of color or overlaid with new materials like gold or crystals. It's heartening then to see Plantronics actually making an extra effort with the new Discovery 925 headset. According to girl gadget site geeksugar, the 925 will come in 12 different colors, and from the picture, actually have a design that's attractive and not just a rehashed version of its older Discovery models. The 925 will be available in the US from April at US$149. We don't have confirmation of its availability in Asia yet, but the company has distributors all over our region, so we are pretty hopeful it'll land on our shores in time.

Via notcot

Separated at birth: Onyx, Haier phones

We thought there was something familiar about this phone from a new UK company called Onyx, and our eagle-eyed colleague Kent German spotted the reason why: It looks remarkably similar to the "Elegance" handset introduced several months ago by Haier, the Chinese company of household appliances fame.

Haier, interestingly enough, described its version as a "lipstick-case-sized luxury phone" while Onyx is marketing its "Liscio" for the compact convenience of its 3.5-inch-long handset--perhaps accurately reflecting the difference in high-end standards between the two markets. It would be difficult to label this as a luxury phone in the West, for example, when it lacks a camera and other features that have become pretty much standard these days.


The phone does have an MP3 player, FM radio, Bluetooth, and a microSD slot, but Newlaunches says its display is only 1.10 inches wide with an eyesight-straining 96 x 96 resolution. The thing we'd worry about most, however, is texting--it's hard enough to do on a tiny handset, and that weird keypad would definitely slow us down even more.

Via CNET Crave | Picture credit: Onyx and Haier

Spy gadget recovers deleted text messages

Thought you could get rid of those incriminating text messages with a simple Delete? Not so fast, Tex. Gadget blogs are all abuzz over a little device that purports to enable users to recover and view deleted data stored on almost any cell phone SIM card.

"Have you ever wished you can spy on your wife, husband, teens, or colleague's phone to see what they are up to? Are they being suspicious when on their cell phone?" asks New York-based BrickHouse Security, which also sells marijuana identification kits and all manner of spy cameras. It says it has the answer to your worst fears in the form of the US$149 Cell Phone Sim Card Spy.

Simply place a SIM card into the tiny USB reader, and instantly save the data, including last numbers dialed and deleted SMS messages, to your PC. Sure, the device is also good for more benign applications like backing up cell phone contacts. But really, why use it for such boring pursuits when you can hack into your unsuspecting loved ones' secrets?

Via CNET Crave | Picture credit: BrickHouse Security

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