phone

It's an all new Kyocera at CTIA, as the company commonly known (at least in the United States) for simple, reliable phones does everything it can to show it's not resting on its laurels. Of the company's five new phones, only the S1000 rests on the simple, functional end of the product scale. The other phones, however, feature sleek profiles, stylized keypads and fashion-friendly design. Take the E5000, for example. It's not only thin but it also supports a stainless steel body and an S-shaped hinge.

Kyocera isn't shy about admitting its new direction. Its … Read more

I've never been one for cell phone dangles. If you're over the age of 15, I just don't see the point of putting some useless accoutrement on your phone. But after seeing this doughnut dangle on Samsung's Simpsons phone, I have to admit that dangles aren't all bad. Pictured here on the Samsung Sync Simpsons phone that we first saw at CES, this doughnut dangle (complete with a Homer-size bite) is one of the most unique cell phone accessories I've ever seen. It definitely completes the desired effect on a handset that is as … Read more

Last night at Pepcom in Orlando, Nokia demoed Real's recently-released version of Rhapsody for the N800 Internet Tablet. Or at least that was the plan: as I'm not actually at CTIA, I can't confirm that the demo ever really happened. What is certain, however, is that N800 owners who also subscribe to Rhapsody will now have direct access to the music service on their tablets (as long as there is a Wi-Fi connection available at the time). Users can search the entire Rhapsody catalog, browse their libraries, listen to playlists and Channels, and read editorial commentary--pretty much … Read more

Even though the LG VX8700 isn't "officially" launched at CTIA, it was still out and proud at the LG booth. The LG rep we talked to even referred to it as the U.S. version of the LG Shine. We've mentioned the LG VX8700 before, but we haven't received any information about its specs until now: features include a 2-megapixel camera, a 262,000-color TFT internal display, a music player, a microSD card slot, a video recorder, a video player, stereo Bluetooth, text and multimedia messaging, a speakerphone, voice recording, a 1,000-contact address book, … Read more

Here at CTIA, there's one cell phone that everybody is talking about but is nowhere to be seen in the Orange County Convention Center. That phone, of course, is Apple's iPhone, which is set to be available in just two months. While we're not surprised in the least that Apple didn't come to Orlando, we are surprised Cingular is taking such a low-key approach as well. As the exclusive carrier of the iPhone, you'd think Cingular could own this show simply by putting one of the phones behind glass. And if they had a few … Read more

Sony Ericsson has always been good about accessorizing their admirable Walkman phone line. And while the company hasn't announced any such new products at CTIA, it is showing its latest options in music phone speakers. These tiny portable speakers are perfect for a weekend trip or a day at the park, as they do a decent job of making your music public. Of course, they lack the wattage of your home stereo, but they still can turn any event into a small party. The MPS-70 portable speaker system feature two cube-shaped speakers that attach easily to any Walkman phone. … Read more

In addition to its new Z750 HSDPA phone, Sony Ericsson yesterday announced a new addition to its powerful Walkman phone lineup. The W580 brings some smart styling to the company's Walkman phone line. Available in white or gray with orange accents, the W580 features a slider design, which is still a somewhat rare design for the company (the last slider Walkman phone we reviewed was the previous W850). And at 0.6 inches, it also marks a further move by the company to compete in the thin phone craze. Inside you'll find stereo Bluetooth, a memory stick micro … Read more

At CTIA, Inrix announced its new traffic service, downloadable to Windows Mobile devices, which can even tell you what the traffic will be like in the future. We, having recently been stuck in a traffic jam and unable to find any information about it on the radio, will be quite happy with the service's reporting on current conditions. The app, called Inrix Traffic, shows real-time traffic flow and traffic incidents, such as accidents or construction, so you can get a good idea why you're going 5mph in a 65mph zone.

But Inrix has developed a substantial database of … Read more

Mercora has beefed up its streaming music service for smart phones, called M, and has snagged a deal with Microsoft to promote the service on its Windows Mobile site.

The service still offers more than 100,000 channels of music for streaming directly to any Windows Mobile 5 or 6 phone, but has added more than 7,000 podcast channels, CEO Srivats Sampath said.

Mercora will also be getting a temporary plug from Microsoft: Starting Tuesday, Microsoft will offer M as a free six-month subscription to all Windows Mobile users. The application can be downloaded from the Windows Mobile site … Read more