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T-Mobile's CAMEO frame shows holiday snaps while you're still taking them

T-Mobile's CAMEO frame shows holiday snaps while you're still taking them
It's been nearly a year since Parrot announced its DF7700 GPRS-endowed picture frame, said to possess the mystical ability to pull photographs straight out of the ether. Now T-Mobile has pledged to bring Parrot's magic frame to the US as the CAMEO, a $100 device that, when coupled with a $10/month service fee, can be the recipient of picture-bearing messages. When you get bored with that feature (or that fee), there's a mini-USB port plus slots for SD/MMC cards that will enable it to accept pics in a more traditional manner. Its 7-inch screen has a 720 x 480 resolution and is surrounded by an interchangeable leather border guaranteed to look cheap in any decor -- not just those with golden mirrors astride a marble mantelpieces.

[Thanks, Mark]

Connectland's USB multi-cellphone charger is quite small, fragile

Compared to other cellphone charging pads out there, Connectland's USB Multi-Cellular Phone Charger is mighty minuscule. The box gets power via a USB plug and then pipes it to eight different connectors that fit into mobiles from Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Nokia, etc. We dig that Brando throws in a "foam rubber" to keep this in while traveling, but honestly, would it really take more than two unanticipated jaunts to break every last prong from this thing? She's $18 if you're shaking your head from left to right.

[Via Gadgets-Weblog]

Motorola shows off femtocell-in-a-digiframe concept


After personally trying out Sprint's AIRAVE, we're confident that femtocells have a place in this world. Thankfully, Motorola's already trying to make them less of an eyesore by integrating a CDMA femtocell into something we wouldn't mind showing off in the den: an inconspicuous digital photo frame. The "3-in-1" concept also includes a VoIP soft phone that would theoretically enable calls to be made right from the frame. Of course, Moto's not handing out any sort of release time frame, but let us be the first to say that this thing needs to hit store shelves on the double -- just make sure it's not carrier specific, and toss in a GSM version while you're at it, okay Moto? Check out the demonstration vid after the break.

[Thanks, Dave]

Sony Ericsson's MBW-200 Bluetooth watches for sporty she-geeks


When a press release is laced with words like "handbag," "sophisticated," and "vibrates," it's clearly targeting the fairer sex. Sony Ericsson's new MBW-200 watches display caller ID and rumble on the wrist when a call comes in to your Bluetooth connected cellphone. You can then reject or mute the call directly from the watch. The Fossil designed, glare- and scratch-resistant time keepers come in three versions -- Sparkling Allure, Contemporary Elegance and Evening Classic. Each is modeled above by three tennis players for not so obvious reasons. Available in Q4 for an undisclosed price. A few more pics after the break.

[Via SEMC Blog]

SRS Labs, CSR team up for better Bluetooth audio quality with PureSpeech

Getting Bluetooth headset voice quality good enough to prevent the occasional "come again?" is a never-ending challenge, giving rise to devices like the Jawbone and the perpetually-delayed Nextlink / Motorola Invisio Q7. Most headsets these days bundle some form of noise reduction and echo cancellation, but SRS Labs and chipset manufacturer CSR want to make it easier for companies to bundle the technologies out of the box (or out of the chip, as the case may be) with a minimum of fuss. The partnership has produced PureSpeech, which bundles SRS' VIP+ software for local voice quality with CSR's CVC technology for improving what your callee hears. The one-two combo will be available starting in the first quarter of next year as an option on CSR's BlueCore silicon.

[Via Slashphone]

Griffin unveils AirCurve acoustic amplifier, Clarifi case for iPhone


We're not saying a transparent box designed to "acoustically amplify" your iPhone speakers is an unmistakable ripoff or anything, but we do believe your $19.99 would be better spent on materials and beverages of choice as you exercise that DIY muscle. At any rate, Griffin Technology has today introduced the AirCurve (that's the thing we just described) alongside the Clarifi ($34.99; pictured after the jump), a polycarbonate protective case for your iPhone 3G. Unlike alternatives, though, this one has a "close-up lens," which supposedly gives your iPhone 3G the ability to take remarkably detailed macro shots with even "more accurate colors." Call us jaded, but both of these things have marketing hoopla written all over 'em.

[Via iLounge]
Read - AirCurve
Read - Clarifi

Zivio Boom given the once-over on Engadget


We're always game for a fresh, curious new Bluetooth headset design, but does Zivio's Boom go just a little too far with its wacky telescoping mic, magnetic ear clip, and high-end sticker price? Only one way to find out -- and that's by clicking on over to our quick look on Engadget!

Sony Ericsson's HCB-108 speakerphone claims 700 hours of endurance


Yes, true, it's just a handsfree for your car equipped with noise and echo reduction, but Sony Ericsson's HCB-108 has one rather astounding claim in its resume: 25 hours of talk time and "up to one month" of standby. Battery life is a good thing to concentrate on when you want your device clipped to a visor ad infinitum, we figure -- and the best part about it is that the 108 is lined up to become the cheapest car kit in the company's range. Look for it to launch in the fourth quarter in your choice of black or silver.

How's that Sprint AIRAVE working out for you?


So, you took the plunge and forked over a Benjamin (or just kvetched loudly enough to a CSR) and ended up with a Sprint AIRAVE, huh? Now that you've had a few weeks to test it out in your abode, we're interested to know if it has met and / or exceeded expectations. Head on over to this week's episode of How Would You Change to speak your mind.

Sony calls in Ericsson to launch 7-inch IDP-100 digiframe


Look Sony, we were there in person to confirm that your digiframe building skills are world-class. Did you really need to phone up your lagging half (give or take a few dozen percent) for its help here? Whatever the case, the Q4-bound Sony Ericsson IDP-100 frame isn't too different from its fiercest rivals; we've got a 7-inch WVGA screen, built-in Bluetooth, a M2 Memory Stick slot (with support for SD, microSD and MS Duo), USB port, enough internal storage for 500 snaps, an active touch control on the frame itself and a world clock for good measure. Somehow, Sony SE spins the omission of a remote as a good thing, but if it was smart, it would enable cellphone control and have a real winner on its hands. Just sayin', is all.

[Via Gearlog]

Cellphone charger blamed for blaze in Delaware


Details on this one are remarkably skimpy, but here are the facts as we know them. A fire caused around $30,000 worth of damage to a mobile home in Delaware this past week, but thankfully, the Millsboro and Indian River firefighters found no one home at the time of the incident. The culprit? A "malfunctioning cellphone charger that ignited the wall covering in a bedroom." That's it, folks -- no manufacturer, no brand name, nothing. In other words, unplug your chargers when you leave the house... or store your home in a fireproof safe, either one.

[Thanks, Carl]

Shure introduces $99 SE102MPA stereo headset


Shure slipped under the $100 mark with its regular earphones some time ago, and it's now brought its stereo headsets into the more budget-friendly territory as well, with its new SE102MPA sound isolating headset boasting the magic price tag of $99.99. This set is actually a bundle of Shure's new SE102 earphones and its standard Music Phone Adapter (or MPA), which used to cost a hefty $40 on its own, making the set quite the bargain as far as Shure products go. As you'd expect, the phones also come with three interchangeable sleeves to ensure a proper fit, and a handy carrying pouch to keep everything neat and tidy. If the low-end's not your thing, you'll also be glad to know that Shure has a slew of other earphone / MPA bundles available as well, with them ranging in price from $130 to $470 for the top-end SE530MPA set.

Novatel Ovation MC950D set to burn up the aisles at Fido's shop


Seeing as Fido now has data plans worth mentioning, it only makes sense that we start to see some new products appear that'll let its Canadian customers use -- and abuse -- those plans. For speedy data download, the cross platform -- Windows XP / Vista / 2000, MAC OS X, and Linux -- USB Ovation MC950D will fit the bill handily at outrageous 7.2 Mbps down and up to 2.1 Mbps upload speeds. Connectivity is handled via a tri-band HSPA, quad-band EDGE, radios and the driver install, manuals and such for the supported OSes are in the stick itself. We didn't get any word on pricing or availability, but the parent company Rogers will let you take one home for as little as $49, so we're betting that's not too far off what you'll pay at Fido.

Sprint leaks XOHM WiMax service details and devices


A little URL hacking by Engadget fan Leo, has revealed Sprint's new My Xohm site and loads of service information. The site is clearly in a preparatory state with plenty of dead links and Latin dummy-text holding the pre-launch site format together. Nevertheless, there is quite a bit of detail here, some of which is certainly more than just idle filler. For example, based on the current text, we can expect the following at service launch in September:
  • Nokia's N810 WiMAX Edition -- looks like a lock based on the liberal use of its image (above) across the pages.
  • XOHM USB (ZTE's TU25) modem.
  • XOHM Express Card (Samsung's SWC-E100) modem with optional PCMCIA adapter.
  • XOHM Modem (ZyXel's MAX-206M2) Ethernet hub / router with optional 4-hour battery -- unfortunately, XOHM will not offer static IP addresses at this time.
  • The XOHM portal (whatever that is) supports both Windows and OS X. However, the modems listed above and Sprint's XOHM Connection Manager software are PC-only, sorry Mac owners.
Unfortunately, we can't find any specific pricing information but the site does tell us that access will be sold by the day or by the month without binding contracts or cancellation fees. It also promises speeds between 2-4Mbps for downloads and 1-3Mbps for uploads. Not sure that's worth the move to Baltimore but it's certainly given us cause to pause at the thought. See the modems pictured after the break.

[Thanks, Leo S.]

Read -- General Support FAQ
Read -- Pricing and Speed
Read -- My Xohm
Read -- Devices

Belkin JoyPod render surfaces: your App Store gaming controller


For better or worse, it looks like the so-called iControlPad is edging closer to reality -- or at least something really similar. According to a new image (and our limited Spanish translation skills), Belkin is actually looking to produce an App Store gaming controller, though we're still not entirely convinced that what we're seeing is legitimate. Whatever the case, the JoyPod would somehow, someway provide users who purchased Super Monkey Ball to play it using a bona fide game pad, though we can't figure out if the iPod touch / iPhone slips in behind the controller or if it just morphs to fit the JoyPod's space constraints. Guess we'll see (or not) soon enough.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: Belkin pinged us to say this is 100% fake. Ah well, at least you know the truth now.




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