Nokia introduces Wibree

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Nokia has come out with a new wireless connectivity standard called Wibree. Nokia claims that Wibree maintains a data rate of 1Mbps (not as good as Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, which tops out at 2.1Mbps) at a range of up to 30 feet (yes, Class 1 Bluetooth can go up to 100 meters), operates in the 2.4 GHz band, but says that it’s “10 times more energy efficient than Bluetooth,” according to Bob Iannucci, head of Nokia Research Center. Nokia also said that it’s working with Broadcom, CSR, Epson, Nordic Semicondutor and other companies to further develop the standard so that Wibree products can be released by the second quarter of 2007.

Nokia Press Release

Nokia introduces Wibree technology as open industry initiative

A unique radio technology extending local connectivity to small devices

Helsinki, Finland – Nokia today introduced Wibree technology as an open industry initiative extending local connectivity to small devices. This new radio technology developed by Nokia Research Center complements other local connectivity technologies, consuming only a fraction of the power compared to other such radio technologies, enabling smaller and less costly implementations and being easy to integrate with Bluetooth solutions. Wibree is the first open technology offering connectivity between mobile devices or Personal Computers, and small, button cell battery power devices such as watches, wireless keyboards, toys and sports sensors. By extending the role mobile devices can play in consumers’ lives, this technology increases the growth potential in these market segments.
The goal being to have the new technology available to the market as fast as possible, Nokia is defining the Wibree interoperability specification together with a group of leading companies representing semiconductor manufacturers, device vendors and qualification service providers. The technology will be made broadly available to the industry through an open and preferably existing forum enabling wide adoption of the technology. The forum solution is under evaluation and will be defined by the time the specification is finalized. According to the current estimate the first commercial version of the interoperability specification will be available during second quarter of 2007.
The current members of the group defining the specification are: Broadcom Corporation, CSR, Epson and Nordic Semiconductor having licensed the Wibree technology for commercial chip implementation and Suunto and Taiyo Yuden, contributing to the interoperability specification in their respective areas of expertise.
“Wibree technology is an important development that opens up new market opportunities and a whole new range of possibilities for mobile users,” says Dr. Bob Iannucci, head of Nokia Research Center. “Our aim is to establish an industry standard faster than ever before by offering an interoperable solution that can be commercialized and incorporated into products quickly.”

Technical details: Wibree technology complements close range communication with Bluetooth like performance within 0-10 m range and data rate of 1 Mbps. Wibree is optimized for applications requiring extremely low power consumption, small size and low cost. Wibree is implemented either as stand-alone chip or as Bluetooth-Wibree dual-mode chip. The small devices like watches and sports sensors will be based on stand-alone chip whereas Bluetooth devices will take benefit of the dual-mode solution, extending Bluetooth device connectivity to new range of smallest devices. For more information on Wibree see the website http://www.wibree.comRead – Nokia press release
Read – Reuters

via engadget mobile

Nokia Music phones announced

3 new Nokia Music phones announced .The new digital wonders are the Nokia 5300 XpressMusic, Nokia 5200 and Nokia 3250 XpressMusic. The XpressMusic series lineup would be the Nokia’s answer to the Sony Ericsson Walkman series mobiles. This new range of Nokia phones would offer dedicated music keys for fast and easy access to the music features, 3.5 mm in-box adapters to put to good use your favorite standard headphones and a memory card slots for storing those precious music tracks. All phones will be sold with the Nokia Music Manager software which should allow easier transfer of tracks between the device and the personal computer.
Continue reading “Nokia Music phones announced”

UniverCell to open 300 outlets by 2009

City-based mobile phone retailer UniverCell today said it would open 300 outlets across the country by 2009.

“By 2007, we want to be present all over Tamil Nadu, by 2008 all over South India and by 2009 we want to open 300 outlets across the country,” UniverCell Managing Director D Sathish Babu told reporters here while launching an exclusive website based on “search, compare and buy format.” UniverCell, presently, has seven outlets in the city and proposes to open two more next month. hough the website has been formally launched only now, it was undergoing trial for the last two months, he said.Tamil film actor Simbu launched the website.

Univercell

Nokia launches N95 multimedia phone

Nokia N95 is a descendant of Nokia N80 and offers a first of its kind 2-way sliding construction along with many other high-end features. The integrated GPS functionality has been becoming increasingly popular in hand-held devices. Embracing that trend, Nokia N95 comes with an integrated GPS module which working alongside with the preinstalled Maps application can help you navigate through the busy city streets as easy as you would with a in-dash automobile GPS system. Besides that, it’s the first HSDPA (3.5G) mobile of the Finnish manufacturer. HSDPA is not so wide spread right now but undoubtedly it would be the leading standard for fast data transfers to mobile devices in the future. Besides HSDPA, Nokia N95 features all other current connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, 3G and EDGE, quad-band GSM, stereo Bluetooth, Infrared and USB 2.0 plus a TV-out port.
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The all-around musical experience is enhanced by the presence of the built-in stereo speakers, a 3.5 mm audio jack for using regular headphones, FM radio and microSD memory card slot which currently means that the mobile can accommodate up to 2GB of additional memory besides the 160MB internal one. In an attempt to turn it into an all-time reigning multimedia champion, Nokia engineers have integrated into N95 an impressive 5 megapixel camera with Carl-Zeiss optics, autofocus and the capability of recording videos at DVD-like quality.

Having in mind all that, it comes as a pleasant surprise that the mobile has rather reasonable dimensions, being slimmer and even lighter than Nokia N80. The device is equipped with a large 2.6″ TFT display with a QVGA (240×320) resolution.

Nokia N95 would be available in the first quarter of 2007 and is expected to hit the shelves at a price of 550 EUR

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Specifications for the Nokia N95
Band GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, UMTS 2100MHz
Data GPRS/WCDMA/HSDPA/WiFi
Size 99mm x 53mm x 19mm
(4.0″ x 2.0″ x 0.7″)
Weight 120g (4.2oz)
Battery Life 8.75 days standby time
2.5/3.5 hours talk time (GSM/UMTS)
Main Display 2.6″ 16M color TFT, 240×320 resolution
Sub-Display N/A
Camera Yes, 5 megapixel w/ Carl Zeiss optics
Video VGA capture/playback at 30fps
Messaging MMS/EMS/SMS
Email Yes, POP/IMAP4/SMTP
Bluetooth Yes, A2DP
Infrared Yes
Java Yes
Polyphonics Yes
Memory 160MB, microSD memory slot
Availability Q1 2007 (manufacturer’s estimate)
Other MP3/AAC/W4A/WMA music player, FM radio, dedicated music keys, speakerphone

Nokia launches new music phones range

Targeting at the portable music players fans, the Finnish manufacturer has upgraded its highly popular N-series mobiles – Nokia N70, Nokia N73, and Nokia N91.

The flagship in this Music Range trio is the Nokia N91 which would offer a 8GB hard disk for storing all your favorite tracks. Dressed in black and stylish as ever, the new Music Edition or Music Range N-series devices are ready more than ever to be used as music players on-the-go. The added music features include the addition of dedicated music player control keys, new Nokia Music Manager software as a part of the Nokia PC Suite, 3.5 mm jacks for using standard headphones with the mobiles, and more memory for the storing music.
The Nokia N70 Music Edition and Nokia N73 Music Edition are expected to become commercially available in October 2006 and the Nokia N91 8GB by the end 2006, at estimated prices of 350, 450 and 550 euros respectively.
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Nokia Press Release

New Nokia Nseries range shines spotlight on music
September 26, 2006

Special black editions of Nokia N70, Nokia N73 and Nokia N91 8GB offer ultimate mobile music experiences
Nokia Open Studio 2006, New York, US – Today, Nokia unveiled music editions of three Nokia Nseries multimedia computers, the Nokia N70 Music Edition, Nokia N73 Music Edition and Nokia N91 8GB. The Nokia Nseries Music Range combines sleek black design with heightened mobile music experiences appealing to the music enthusiast in everyone. Key benefits include dedicated music access keys, Nokia PC Suite and new software for easy synchronization and music management, and additional storage capacity – with an 8GB hard drive, the Nokia N91 8GB is a fully-loaded music machine!

Continue reading “Nokia launches new music phones range”

Nokia 6288 the upgraded 6280

Nokia has revealed a design update to the popular 6280 slider handset, the new 6288. While no departure has been made from the 6280 in terms of features, the 6288 does include a much cleaner front design.

6288_black_front_low.jpgMirroring the 6280, the 6288 sports a solid all-round feature set. The 3G capable 6288 has imaging covered with a rearward facing 2.0 megapixel camera, plus a forward facing VGA resolution unit for video calling. Shipping with a 512MB memory card, the 6288 is in prime position to utilize its QVGA (240×320 pixel) resolution, 262k color TFT display for video, and Bluetooth wireless technology is available for short range communication. The Nokia 6288 weighs in at 115g (4.06oz), and will be available in both cool white and black color schemes.

Nokia expect the 6288 will be available come this fall, and should retail for around 325 Euro (around US$400) before any applicable operator subsidies.

via [Mobile Burn]

Bluetooth watch MBW-100 from Sony Ericsson

MBW_100_slvr_icons_BBG_106158.jpgThe MBW-100 is quite a stylish wrist-watch supporting Bluetooth 2.0 and some additional functions.
Sony Ericsson had announced the release the Bluetooth Watch MBW-100.

Its OLED LCD displays the info on the incoming call. You can decline the call by pressing a button. Besides you can operate the music playback on the phone (play, pause, next track), get the info on the incoming SMS and MMS and see the battery level. The watch will alarm the user when the watch is out of the Bluetooth-connection, so you’ll hardly lost your phone.

The MBW-100 is waterproof (up to 30 m deep, however there is no info on the dive time). The watch weighs 187.5 g. It can last for 7 days in the Bluetooth mode and 14 days in the analog watch mode on a single charge.

The sales are scheduled for 4Q 2006. the recommended price makes up €300, i.e. about $380.

via [Mobile-review]

ChennaiMobiles.com plans to target the metro consumer

ChennaiMobiles.com aims to cater to the mobile community in the metropolis.

Its an initiative brought forward by FoneArena.com – a global mobile information portal.

The site will be a store house of information for mobile buyers and enthusiasts in the city.

FoneArena Mobile Consumer Voice 2006

Consumer preferences are of prime importance in the Mobile Industry.

FoneArena.com Mobile Consumer Voice 2006 aims to capture the thoughts of the mobile user ranging from the Teenager to the Corporate Consumer and the Senior citizens.

More Information about the event will be made available shortly here

Nokia Microsoft join hands for Mobile Search

Nokia has reached an agreement with Microsoft to integrate Live Search capabilities into its Mobile Search platform, thus enabling consumers access to Live Search directly from their Nokia Nseries smartphones and other compatible Nokia S60 devices.

Live Search will provide advanced web search results in 14 languages. Microsoft will provide advanced search results for web search, as well as information such as stock quotes, movie times, and common facts via Encarta Instant Answers.

The Mobile Search application is expected to be available in select markets in the standard sales packs of the Nokia N80 Internet Edition, Nokia N73 (pictured), Nokia N93, Nokia N70, Nokia N71, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6680, and Nokia 6681, it is also offered as a free download for select Nokia S60 devices.
Nokia Press Release

Nokia collaborates with Microsoft on Mobile Search

Nokia embeds Live Search services into its Mobile Search Platform

Espoo, Finland – Nokia (NYSE: NOK) today announced that it has reached an agreement with Microsoft to integrate Live Search capabilities into its Mobile Search platform, thus enabling consumers access to Live Search directly from their Nokia Nseries multimedia computers and other compatible Nokia S60 devices. Live Search will provide advanced web search results in 14 languages to enable on-the-go access to the information and content consumers want most.

Microsoft will provide advanced search results for web search, as well as quick and easy access to information such as stock quotes, movie times, and common facts via Encarta Instant Answers*. The Mobile Search experience from Nokia allows users to find search results more quickly than by using the browser and finding the web page of an internet search provider, since in many cases search will be accessible directly from the menu screen.

“Adding the advanced searching capabilities of Microsoft’s Live Search to our Mobile Search platform provides our customers with unique and powerful new ways to search the internet on their multimedia computers and many other compatible Nokia mobile devices,” commented Ralph Eric Kunz, vice president, Multimedia Experiences. “The Mobile Search platform is dedicated towards creating a user experience that is easy to access and optimally integrated into other functions of the device. “

“We are pleased to provide advanced Live Search services to enhance the search experience on Nokia’s S60 handsets,” said John DeVitis, product unit manager of Live Search for mobile at Microsoft Corp. “Live Search offers consumers unprecedented control and personalization giving them easy access to searching the web plus targeted instant information from their mobile devices.”

The Mobile Search application is expected to be available in select markets in the standard sales packs of the Nokia N80 Internet Edition, Nokia N73, Nokia N93, Nokia N70, Nokia N71, Nokia 6630, Nokia 6680, and Nokia 6681, it is also offered as a free download for select Nokia S60 devices from www.nokia.com/mobilesearch.

via [geekzone]

Sulekha Yellow Pages Available in WAP Enabled Mobile Phones

Sulekha.com, the biggest and most popular online community portal has launched its Yellow Pages service on the WAP platform. This will enable users to access over 400,000 business listings through mobile phones anywhere in the world. This service is the first of its kind in India and is available to users having WAP enabled mobile instruments.

Sharing his thoughts on this new initiative by Sulekha.com, Mr. Vineet Pabreja, Director – Interactive Services said, “Mobile is an exciting space to be in. Presently, India has about 100 million mobile subscribers and we happen to be the first company in India delivering Yellow Pages in the WAP format. With the launch of Yellow Pages on WAP, mobile users can now access information easily and faster”.

The users can avail this facility from mobile operators who provide GSM/GPRS service. This new feature would help users to reduce time, as information such as the business’s address and phone number will be displayed in a few seconds on their mobile.

On the strategy to promote this new service Mr. Pabreja mentioned,” We will promote the service to our Internet users and are also looking at tie-ups with mobile operators. We look forward to a combination of these promotional activities to help us succeed.”

Sulekha Yellow Pages was launched six months ago in Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The Yellow Pages menu contains 15 main categories listing more than 300 business categories.

Sulekha Yellow Pages provides information on businesses in India, USA and Canada. The cities covered in India include Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. Users accessing US and Canadian Yellow Pages can get details about Indian businesses present in Atlanta, Austin, Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington DC and Toronto.
About Sulekha.com

Sulekha.com, the largest and most popular online Indian community, is a global, interactive platform for connecting more than one-fifth of humanity. Millions of Indians worldwide learn, interact, network and transact through Sulekha’s popular portfolio of interactive services such as Classifieds, Professional Networking, Ticketing, Blogs, Forums and more. Sulekha, global in its scope and multimedia in its range, is built on a foundation of over 60 city portals in five continents and features over five million pages of content, contributed by tens of thousands of its members. Headquartered in Austin, Sulekha has offices in Seattle, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

BSNL to launch sub 1000 rupee handsets under BSNL phones banner

BSNL aims to capture the low price market by launching handsets priced at Rs.1000 and below.

It is in talks with Taiwanese and Chinese handset manufacturers for rolling out the sub-Rs 1,000 handset, which will be offered on the GSM platform. 

The telco will sell the mobiles under the ‘BSNL phones’ banner.Sources say that the mobiles will be based on single-chip technology. The SIM card will be non-removable and the mobile will remain on the BSNL network only. BSNL is not targeting the top-end market very aggressively. BSNL sees a low-cost handset a key to increase the market share.

It even expects a reasonable return of 12-14%.

Currently, the cheapest handset in India is monophonic and monochromic (black and white). It is on the GSM platform and is priced at Rs 1700. It offers only basic features. The cheapest CDMA handset is available for Rs 1,999.

via [ET]

Reliance Communications ties up for Nokia 1255 priced at Rs.2000

Finnish mobile handset manufacturer Nokia and Reliance Communications Ltd have joined hands to market the Nokia 1255 mobile handset in India at a price of Rs 1,999.

thehindubusinessline reports

This is Nokia’s maiden offer of a CDMA handset in the sub Rs 2,000 range and is aimed at first time mobile users. There are, however, cheaper CDMA handsets from other manufacturers being offered by operators in the country.

Nokia 1255 is an entry level black and white handset and has features such as a two-way hands-free speakerphone, voice recorder and a calendar with an alarm clock among others.

Nokia 1255 phone: A classic value
nokia_1255_cell_phone.jpgThe value-priced Nokia 1255 phone packs an extra-large feature set into an extra-small package. The 80-gram phone offers productivity tools such as a two-way handsfree speakerphone, voice recorder and a calendar with an alarm clock. Other fun features include two built-in games, 20 ringtones and a selection of user-selectable screen savers. In recognition of the need to stay in touch while minimizing downtime, the Nokia 1225 phone delivers up to four hours of talk time and up to 10 days of standby time. A partial list of additional features includes:
– 250 contact phonebook
– Text messaging
– Stopwatch and countdown timer
– Internal vibrating alert
– Easy-to-use Nokia user interface

3G might soon be rolled out in India

The Government has alloted low power 3G spectrum to MTNL, BSNL, Hutch and Bharti for testing.TRAI will finalize pricing and allocation details by end of this month.Sources say that 3G spectrum allocation will be made available for less than a month. Strength of spectrum allocation will be 1,000 times less than the actual 3G spectrum.

TATA Teleservices had sought 3G trial spectrum but was not considered.Reliance had sought the 1900 MHz Band which did not conform to the International CDMA 3G trial norms.

But if Reliance sought the 800 Mhz band for Testing EVDO , it might be considered

The government’s spectrum allocation to telcos is mainly for equipment testing and
interference measurement.
via [ibn-live]

Orkut coming soon to your mobile phone

Online Social Networking is the latest buzz create by sites such as Orkut, MySpace etc.

The buzz which is now restricted to the PC may soon be seen on your mobile phone.

It can be called Mobile Communites as ET points out .

There are nearly 3 million users of GPRS in India. Operators and Service Providers see this

new buzz as a Money game to tap this elite crowd.

Mobile2win, Indiagames and Onmobile are in talks with Airtel and Reliance to launch theme

based communities across operators. Mumbai-based Indiagames is launching tadkalive , a

gaming-based community across mobile and internet.

Airtel and Reliance accept that there is a huge potential in these mobile communities are

about to unveil big plans around it.