July 17, 2006, 4:54 PM PDT
LG CU500 is available now
Posted by: Nicole Lee

We mentioned not too long ago that the LG CU500, the latest HSDPA marvel from Cingular, was set to launch today. And, well, it did. The slim clamshell that promises blazing-fast network speeds also features a 1.3-megapixel camera, a digital music player, a Micro SD card slot, stereo speakers, and more. It'll also support the Cingular Music download service whenever that launches. The LG CU500 is currently available for $99.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Source: Cingular

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July 17, 2006, 4:07 PM PDT
Dell offers internal pre-802.11n cards
Posted by: Andrew Gruen

Often-superconservative PC manufacturer Dell showed its nimble side today; the company now offers an optional draft 802.11n wireless card in all its XPS notebooks and some of its Inspiron notebook line. The Dell Wireless 802.11n card is based on the Broadcom Intensi-fi chip that works with other Broadcom-based routers, including the Netgear WNR834B RangeMax router we tested back in May.

Although the new Dell card is backward-compatible with 802.11a/b/g wireless networks, getting it to work with some current draft 802.11n networks and future ones may not be possible. Like all other 802.11n products, its Intensi-fi guts are based on a specification that has not been ratified by the IEEE. The spec should be solidified by the end of this year or early next, however there have been quite a few bumps in the ratification road. If you're already buying a Dell laptop and want maximum wireless performance now at the risk of incompatibility later, the Dell Wireless 1500 should be more convenient and, at $59, less expensive than most PC Card-based adapters.

Based heavily on multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology, 802.11n will be the next generation of Wi-Fi once ratified. MIMO increases throughput by using multiple antennas that can dynamically hand off traffic to one another whenever interference is present. Though the not-yet-ratified standard promises to increase bandwidth from 802.11a/g's 54Mbps to a whopping 270Mbps, CNET's tests on actual routers have shown far slower performance.

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July 17, 2006, 1:27 PM PDT
Get push e-mail for your UTStarcom XV6700
Posted by: Bonnie Cha

Verizon Wireless has quietly released a software upgrade for the UTStarcom XV6700, bringing with it all the goodness of Microsoft's Messaging & Security Feature Pack. The improvements include:

• Direct push technology for up-to-date e-mail, calendar appointments, tasks, and contacts
• Support for voice dialing
• Enhanced protection of data and device management
• The ability to use Wi-Fi and CDMA simultaneously

You can download the update from Verizon's support site (at the bottom of the page). Be aware, however, that installing this upgrade will wipe all the data on your device, so be sure to sync your device before you do anything else.

Sources: Gizmodo, MobileTechReview

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• See product information for UTStarcom XV6700 (Verizon Wireless)
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July 17, 2006, 10:09 AM PDT
SpotScout brings Web 2.0 to the parking lot
Posted by: Kevin Massy

A new e-commerce company called SpotScout is enabling urban drivers to use the Web to find the nearest, cheapest, and (curiously) highest-rated parking spots near their destinations. The service enables drivers to reserve private parking spots from their computers before setting out or to use Web-enabled mobile devices to search for parking "departure times" at public spots on the fly.

Using a database of available parking inventory supplied by parking-spot owners and operators, SpotScout provides users with Web-based accounts through which they can personalize settings and search available spots according to a number of criteria, including price, proximity, disabled access, on-street or garage parking. Drivers are also given the option to rate parking spots--presumably those situated beneath trees containing particularly productive pigeons are scored down.

SpotScout is also touted as a service to participating private and commercial parking-spot owners (dubbed SpotCasters), who are given a software package enabling them to set the price of their available driveway or garage space in real time according to demand. SpotCasters sign up as searchable destinations to become part of the SpotScout network, and while SpotCasting is limited to owners or operators of private parking spaces to begin with, SpotScout's Web site suggests that details on public SpotCasting will be made available soon.

According to All Headline News, SpotScout is due for launch in September, with Boston, Manhattan, and San Francisco showing the most interest in the service. Being based in San Francisco, I can attest to the need for this kind of service because...sorry, my parking meter has expired--I have to go move my car.

Source: All Headline News

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July 17, 2006, 7:27 AM PDT
Yahoo adds bling to Finance
Posted by: Elsa Wenzel

Since its launch a decade ago, Yahoo Finance has been the Web's favorite free tool for serving the latest stats on stocks. Today the service is getting a Web 2.0 makeover. The new Yahoo Finance is making it easier to build customized charts, embracing videos from Forbes.com and other business news outlets, and letting you add its content to your Web site. By cutting and pasting some code, you can add a Yahoo Finance badge to your blog or other Web site, but it will serve ads alongside your customized stock charts. Yahoo Finance will also serve up threaded message boards designed to make it easier to view a history of postings, which users can rate.

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