EV-DO 3G network V CAST VPak: Video, Music, Get It Now, Mobile Web, $15/mo V CAST Video: Streaming playback of a library of clips News, sports, and entertainment  300 daily updated videos WMV 9 & WMA 9, 176 x 132, 15 fps V CAST Music: Download music tracks on the go 99 cents, dual phone/PC $1.99 getitnow.vzwshop.com V CAST - NBC Mobile

   

---

Verizon Wireless V CAST Music  (1/06)

Synch PC music collection to phone over USB to listen on the go     Sync over USB with Windows Media Player     Copy to memory card (microSD) Instant search and download new music directly to phone www.verizonwireless.com/music

---

MobiTV- Live TV & Radio

Watch live television on a variety of mobile phones and Palm / Windows Mobile PDAs MobiTV - Over 30 video channels     MSNBC, ABC News Now, CNN, FOX News, Fox Sports, ESPN 3GTV     NBC Mobile, CNBC, CSPAN, The Discovery Channel, TLC, The Weather Channel      cartoons, music videos and comedy MobiTV en Español - More than 15 channels MobiRadio - Over 50 channels of digital radio 2/07 - Interactive: Advertising, M-Commerce, Content rating, voting, sharing & community 06 - $9.99 per month TV www.mobitv.com

Sprint TV - PowerVision

• Messaging, Email, Music, TV, Navigation
• Access Pack – $15/mo - Email, Web, Music & TV channels, Navigation pay per use
• Music Pack – $20/mo - Access + 150 radio channels, 95 local radio stations,99¢ music downloads
• TV Pack – $20/mo - Access + 20 TV channels - ABC, CBS episodes, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, VH1, Spike
• Navigation Pack – $20/mo - Access + unlimited navigation
• Ultimate Pack – $25/m - TV, Music and Navigation packs
• http://datapack.sprint.com/PowerVisionLanding.htm

• 9/06 - Live TV subscription service for broadband
• 20 channels of live and made-for-broadband television content 
      national news, sports, entertainment , full-length music videos
• monthly subscription $19.99
• att.mobitv.com

    See Wireless Media Resources: Mobile Wireless TV Services - Open Mobile Video, MediaFLO, DVB-H

QUALCOMM MediaFLO - Verizon & AT&T

• Up to 20 live streaming video channels 

DVB-H - Global Mobile TV  (Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld)

• Based on DVB-T specification for digital terrestrial television

Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC)

• Mobile TV and on-demand video services - ATSC
• MPH -- Mobile-Pedestrian-Handheld Mobile DTV system
      Jointly developed by LG Electronics / Zenith and Harris Corporation
• A-VSB -- Advanced-VSB Mobile DTV system
      Co-developed by Samsung Electronics and Rohde & Schwarz
      Backers include Nokia Siemens Networks, MobiTV, SES Americom

• Launch in many major U.S. markets (20 - 30)

• 2/08 - Coverage in New York City, City of Philadelphia and contiguous stretching out to Reading, Pa. 
      Washington DC and Baltimore area, Norfolk and Richmond Va., Rochester and Syracuse, NY

• Scheduled live content and other programming 
      CBS, Comedy Central, Fox, MTV, NBC News, NBC Entertainment, Nickelodeon

• QUALCOMM MediaFLO service

• www.verizonwireless.com

• www.verizonwireless.com/mobiletv

• products.vzw.com/index.aspx?id=mobileTV

• Launch May 2008 on LG Vu and Samsung Access handsets, two exclusive channels
• www.wireless.att.com/entertainment
• Press announcement 2/07 - www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=4800&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=23388
• Service announcement 3/08 - www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=4800&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=25386

Verizon Wireless / Decoy by LG (VX8610) - Detachable Bluetooth headset (6/08)

Verizon Wireless / LG Chocolate 3 LG Chocolate 3 (VX8560) -- Music phone (7/08)   

Next: Apple iPhone / Google Android

Verizon Wireless / LG Chocolate (VX8500) -- VCAST Music, Video + Navigation (06)

Slider design, red glowing touch-sensitive navigation keys  White Chocolate, Mint (green), Cherry (red) Touch navigation, Flash interface Camera/Camcorder: 1.3 MPix  Photo: 1280x960 to 160x120 Video: 176x144, 3G2     Play MPEG4, 3GP, 3G2, H.264 Audio: Voice recognition, Voice recording, MP3 ringtones     Play: WMA, MP3 Get It Now: Mobile Web, E-mail, ringtones, photo sharing, applications V CAST Music,  Video streaming VZ Navigator w/ GPS Bluetooth (1.1), MicroSD port 3.8 x 1.88 x 0.69 inches, 3.53 oz. 06 Verizon - $149 www.verizonwireless.com/chocolate          Find the LG Chocolate on Amazon.com

Verizon Wireless / LG VX9400 - V CAST Mobile TV Phone (07)

Swing bar design with large color LCD screen for landscape TV viewing     Keypad hidden when closed, keyguard TFT LCD display, 320 x 240 pixels, 13 lines, 262K Color V CAST Mobile TV – Real-time television channels, broadcast (MediaFLO) V CAST Music – download songs over air, sych from PC to microSD card V CAST Video – download or stream video clips Get It Now – download games, ring tones, wallpapers Mobile Web 2.0 – news, sports, weather Standalone Mode (RF Off), Music Only Mode (RF Off except Bluetooth) Camera: 1.3 megapixel with flash, 4x digital zoom, self-portrait with mirror      Resolution: 1280 x 960, 640 x 480 (default), 320 x 240, 176 x 144, 160 x 120     Video Resolution: 320 x 240, 176 x 144 (default) Video Player: MP4, 3GP, 3G2 formats Bluetooth (v1.2), Bluetooth stereo headset for music One-touch speakerphone, speaker-independent voice recognition Voice memo recording Personal organizer, address book with 500 contacts microSD external memory card slot Standard battery: 950 mAh Li-Polymer, up to 3:35 usage, 12:12 standby  Frequency: 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS, 800 MHz CDMA (Digital Dual-Band) Simultaneous GPS for Enhanced Location Accuracy 4.04 x 1.93 x 0.73", 4.06 oz 11/07 - $499 / $79 w/ discount www.verizonwireless.com - Press Release www.lgusa.com          Find the Verizon Wireless / LG VX9400 on Amazon.com

Top

PDA Phones / Smartphones

Mobile phones are limited by the small screen and numeric keypad. 
PDA phones add larger screens, QWERTY keypads (with tiny keys), synch office documents, run sophisticated applications.

    [see more details on the iPhone and iPod Touch in the Media Player Gallery]

• 6/08 - iPhone 3G - 16 GB $299; 8 GB $199
      3G networking 2X faster, built-in GPS, iPhone 2.0 software - App Store
      MobileMe Internet service pushes email, contacts, calendars
• 2/08 - New 16 GB $499; 8 GB $399
• 9/07 - 8 GB $399
• 6/07 - 4 GB $499, 8 GB $599
• 3.5 inch (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch display
      480 x 320 resolution, 160 dpi (3G 163 ppi)
• 3G: 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.48 inch (115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm), 4.7 ounces (133 grams)
• Original: 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46 inch (115 x 61 x 11.6 mm), 4.8 ounces (135 grams)
• Touch-screen Mobile phone
      Quad-band GSM phone, (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)
      Wireless data networking: Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
• Widescreen iPod with touch controls
      Cover Flow interface, browse music library by album cover artwork
      Automatically switched into Cover Flow by rotating into landscape position
      Watch TV shows and movies, touch controls for playback control
• Internet communications device
      POP3 or IMAP email, web browsing, searching, maps
      Safari web browser: surf over Wi-Fi or EDGE, view full page, zoom in with finger
      Built-in Google Search and Yahoo! Search
      Google Maps - view maps, satellite images, traffic information; get directions
• New user interface based on large multi-touch display, control with finger tips
      Predictive touch keyboard to prevent and correct mistakes
• 2 megapixel camera
• Built-in sensors
      Accelerometer detects when rotated from portrait to landscape
          automatically displays entire width of web page, photo in landscape aspect ratio
      Proximity sensor detects when close to ear
          turns off display to save power and prevent inadvertent touches
      Ambient light sensor automatically adjusts display brightness
• OS X Operating system
• AT&T (Cingular) is exclusive iPhone carrier partner in the U.S.
      Most popular carrier in the US with over 58 million subscribers
      Edge network offers average data speeds between 75 - 135 kbps
• Talk time: Up to 5 hours on 3G, 10 hours 2G, Standby 300 hours
      Internet use: Up to 5 hours on 3G, 6 hours on Wi-Fi
      Video playback: Up to 7 hours, Audio 24 hours
• www.apple.com/iphone

• 10/08 - $179, with 2-year voice and data agreement - Black, white, brown
      Available starting Oct. 22 in the U.S., at select T-Mobile retail stores and online
      Available in U.K. beginning in November, Europe in Q1 2009
      Requires voice + data plan: Unlimited data with 400 messages for $25 a month, unlimited messages $35
• 3.2-inch flat touch-sensitive screen, TFT-LCD , 320 x 480 (HVGA)
      Swipe to scroll, Long press for context menu
      Menu button below screen for common application options (also screen unlock)
      Dedicated buttons across bottom: Phone, Home, Back, Power
      Trackball with Enter button in middle for one-handed navigation
      Dedicated Volume, Camera buttons on side
• Hinged screen slides up to reveal keypad, closes to prevent accidental dialing
• Full QWERTY keyboard (landscape mode)
      5-row QWERTY keyboard, full row of number keys, Dedicated Menu and Search keys
• 3.2 MP camera, fixed focus , dedicated Camera key (activate, shutter)
      ** No built-in video recording, playback (beyond YouTube) -- Android Market
• Customizable home screen
      Drag and drop favorite applications, photos, or folders
      Drag tab to view full list of applications
• Full HTML Web browser (based on WebKit, same core as Chrome)
• Instant Messaging/text/e-mail
      IM: Google Talk, AOL, Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live Messenger
      HTML e-mail client, Gmail, POP3 or IMAP
      Syncs with Google services: Gmail e-mail, calendar, contacts
      ** No built-in desktop sync
• Built-in Google applications
      Google Search, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Talk, YouTube
      Google Maps (with satellite, traffic, and street views), Compass mode - rotate phone to navigate 360 degrees
      Multitasks, read Web page downloading e-mail in background 
• Reads MS Word (and Excel?) and PDF documents  ** No Exchange (enterprise e-mail)
      ** No desktop sync
• Music player  ** No built-in video playback
      Amazon MP3 application - Amazon.com digital music download store, 6+ million DRM-free MP3 tracks
      YouTube video player - search, play
• Ring tone formats: AAC, AAC+, AMR-NB, MIDI, MP3, WMA, WMV
      40 polyphonic and standard MIDI format 0 and 1 (SMF)/SP MIDI
• Built-in microphone and speaker
• GPS navigation: built-in GPS receiver and map software
• Digital Compass, Motion Sensor
• microSD memory card expansion slot (SD 2.0 compatible)
• HTC ExtUSB (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one) ** No standard headphone jack
• Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate for phone headset
• T-Mobile 3G and EDGE network, and Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g
      High-speed 3G network connection, Seamlessly transition to open Wi-Fi networks
      ** SIM locked to T-Mobile
      dual-band UMTS
• Network HSDPA/WCDMA: Europe: 2100 MHz, US:1700/2100 MHz
      Up to 7.2 Mbps down-link (HSDPA) and 2 Mbps up-link (HSUPA) speeds
      Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MH (operator dependent)
• Removable battery - Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery, capacity: 1150 mAh - standard cell phone battery
      Estimated to last entire day under typical loads, Heavy usage requires portable charger, extra battery
      Talk time: Up to 350 min. WCDMA, 406 GSM; Standby : Up to 402 hours WCDMA, 319 GSM
• AC Adapter Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60 Hz, DC output: 5V and 1A
• HTC Corporation: Hardware
• Qualcomm MSM7201A processor, 528 MHz; Memory: 256 MB ROM, 192 MB RAM
• 117.7 x 55.7 x 17.1 mm (4.60 x 2.16 x 0.62 in), 158 grams (5.57 oz) with battery
• T-Mobile G1 - www.t-mobileg1.com
• HTC G1 - www.htc.com/www/product/g1

Android Market

• Software applications like games, social networking, on-the-go shopping
• Download applications wirelessly with a couple clicks
• Free and developer-set price
• User ratings, Disclosure of application capabilities (e.g., network, GPS)
• My Downloads to manage, uninstall to free space, reinstall if needed
• www.android.com/market

Open Handset Alliance (11/07)

• Open Handset Alliance, more than 30 members
      Leading makers of mobile phone chips, Broadcom, Intel, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments
      SiRF Technology Holdings, Marvell Technology Group, Nvidia, Synaptics
      EBay (Internet calling service Skype)
      Nuance Communications, NMS Communications, Wind River Systems
      Not: Apple (OS X/iPhone), Microsoft (Win Mobile), Palm,
          Nokia (Symbian), RIM (BlackBerry), Verizon, AT&T
• Smartphone technology
      Features and design similar to Apple iPhone, demonstrated hand-held touch-screen device
• Offered freely under “open source” licensing terms
• Products available second half 2008
      Manufactured by handset companies, including HTC, LG, Motorola, Samsung
• Available in U.S. through T-Mobile and Sprint
      China Telecom, world’s largest mobile operator, 332 million subscribers
      Leading carriers in Japan, NTT DoCoMo, KDDI
      T-Mobile in Germany, Telecom Italia in Italy, Telefónica in Spain
• Google will not brand phone
• www.openhandsetalliance.com
• Press Release - www.openhandsetalliance.com/press_110507.html

Android software platform for mobile devices

• Software stack for mobile devices, includes operating system, middleware, key applications
• Application framework enabling reuse and replacement of components
• Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices
• Integrated browser based on the open source WebKit engine
• Optimized graphics, custom 2D graphics; 3D graphics based on OpenGL ES 1.0
• SQLite for structured data storage
• Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats
      (MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF)
• GSM Telephony (hardware dependent)
• Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent)
• Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent)
• Rich development environment
• Built on open Linux Kernel
• Utilizes custom virtual machine to optimize memory and hardware resources in mobile environment
• Phone's core applications and third-party applications have equal access to phone's capabilities
• Entire platform is open, companies can add / remove functionality
• No copyleft clause in Apache license, can add proprietary functionality without needing to contribute back
• Google - Android Project - Development information - http://code.google.com/android
• www.android.com

Verizon Wireless / BlackBerry Storm Smartphone (11/08)   

• 3.25" color display, 480 x 360 (HVGA) TFT LCD, Touch screen with touch and click, light sensing
• 11/08 - $199 w/ $50 rebate, 2 year activation
• 528-MHz processor
• 3.2 MP camera, photo and video capture
• Memory: 1 GB onboard, 128 MB Flash, expandable microSD slot (8 GB included, up to 16 GB)
• BlackBerry navigation keys (phone, menu, escape)
• SurePress ‘clickable’ touch-screen
      Feel screen being pressed and released with a gentle 'click' (like physical keyboard)
      With multi-touches, taps, slides and other touch-screen gestures
          highlight, slide to scroll and pan, tap to zoom
• Accelerometer: Automatically switch landscape and portrait when rotated
      RIM SureType keyboard in portrait, full QWERTY in landscape
• Multi-task - While on the phone
      Use email, browse the Web, update GPS directions or maps, take and send photo, edit  MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint files
• Organizer: Calendar, Address Book, Task List, MemoPad, Calculator
      Sync with BlackBerry Desktop Software
• Blackberry Device Software 4.7 - View and edit Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Personal and corporate e-mail with attachments (MS office, PDF, images, ZIP archives)
      Text  and picture messaging (SMS and MMS)
      Instant messaging: AOL, Google Talk, ICQ, Windows Live, Yahoo! Messager
      Social networking: Flickr Photo Uploader, Facebook, MySpace
• GPS: BlackBerry Maps, www.blackberry.com/maps
      VZ Navigator with turn-by-turn directions
• Web browser: Full HTML or mobile - mobile.backberry.com
      Icons at bottom of display for quick access to web sites, Page / Column view, Pan / Cursor mode
      Supports file downloading, streaming audio and video
      YouTube: 3GPP RTSP mobile streaming websites
• Sync desktop iTunes music files with BlackBerry Media Sync (Windows), www.blackberry.com/mediasync
      Sync music and videos with Roxio Media Manager
• Audio formats: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, WMA ProPlus
      Video formats: MPEG-4 H.263, MPEG-4 Part 2 Simple Profile, H.264, WMV
      Image formats: JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG and TIFF ??
• Integrated earpiece/ microphone, noise cancellation
      Low-noise speakerphone, 3.5 mm stereo headset jack
      USB 2.0
      Bluetooth v2.0; mono/stereo headset, handsfree, phone book access, serial port profile
• Removable battery (1400 mAh): Up to 15 days standby, 5.5 hours talk time
• 3G modem: tethered via USB, untethered via Bluetooth (DUN)
• Exclusive to Verizon Wireless in the U.S. and Vodafone in Europe, India, Australia, New Zealand
• Global connectivity: Global phone and e-mail
      BlackBerry Storm 9530 from Verizon Wireless for U.S. - 3G EV-DO Rev. A/CDMA (800/1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA (2100 MHz), 
          quad-band GPRS / GSM / EDGE networks for global use (850/1900 MHz U.S., 900/1800 MHz Europe/Asia Pacific)
      BlackBerry Storm 9500 from Vodafone - UMTS/HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM
• Includes: International travel charger, SIM card, 8 GB microSD card, USB cable, battery
• 4.43 x  2.45 x 0.55",  5.5 oz (112.5 x 62.2 x 13.95, 155g)
• www.blackberry.com/storm
• www.verizonwireless.com/storm

         Find the Verizon / BlackBerry Storm on Amazon.com

    Next: Portable Media Player Gallery  [  Mobile Phone GPS ] 

Verizon Wireless / LG Voyager Multimedia Smartphone (holiday 07)

Windows-Mobile-Smartphones

Verizon Wireless XV6900 / HTC Touch -- Windows Mobile Touch Smartphone (08)

2.8" touchscreen display: 240 x 320 pixel; 64K color TFT Touch navigation: TouchFLO finger and stylus input, 3-D Touch Cube interface 5–way ENTER/NAVIGATION button Virtual, all–touch QWERTY keyboard with additional input options 2.0 megapixel camera with auto–focus, zoom, video capture microSD memory slot, up to 8GB Windows Mobile 6 Professional View, edit, create Word and Excel files: Microsoft Office Word Mobile, Excel Mobile View PowerPoint and PDF files: PowerPoint Mobile, Adobe Reader LE PDF viewer View, extract, create ZIP files Play music, pictures, videos with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile Internet Explorer Mobile Wireless Sync capable; ActiveSync (v4.5) and Windows Mobile Device Center Text, Picture and Video messaging (MMS) Bluetooth 2.0 Wireless Technology Voice command capable, Speakerphone; Security locking features EV–DO, 1X RTT Capable; Use as tethered modem through BroadbandAccess Connect Processor: MSM7500; Memory: 128MB RAM / 256MB ROM Standard Battery 1100 mAh Li–Ion: Usage up to 210 minutes OR Standby up to 250 hours Extended Battery 1880 mAh: Usage up to 360 minutes OR Standby up to 427 hours TTY enabled; Hearing Aid Compatibility =M3 SAR Information: 1.250 W/kg at ear; 0.457 W/kg on body 3.98" (H) x 2.35" (W) x 0.56" (D), 3.95 ounces www.xv6900.com www.htc.com - www.htctouch.com www.verizonwireless.com 4/08 - $399 (2-yr Contract), -100 Online Discount = $299 - $50 mail–in rebate!.

Verizon Wireless - Motorola Q -- Windows Mobile (06)

Slim and light, QWERTY keypad Windows Mobile 5.0 for Smartphone     mini-Office applications Windows Media Player 320 x 240 display, 65K color Camera: 1.3 MP Audio: MIDI, MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA, QCELP … Image: GIF, JPEG, BMP, PNG Video: H.263, MPEG-4, AAC, WMV , GSM … miniSD expansion memory slot 2.5 x 4.6 x 0.45”, 4.1 oz 06 – Verizon $199 www.motorola.com/mdirect/q estore.vzwshop.com/q          Find the Motorola Q on Amazon.com

Palm - Centro / Treo Smartphones

Palm Centro Smartphone (10/07)

Power of broadband smartphone (Treo) at price of standard 12-key phone Full-color 320 x 320 touch screen, 16-bit color (65K colors) and full keyboard Palm OS 5.4.9  Full applications: Communicate - Voice, text, IM, email, Web             Sprint Picture Mail, eMail, IM Organize - Contact, calendar, tasks, memos Browse - YouTube videos; Google Maps PocketTunes Deluxe - Manage music Sprint TV - Live TV or video-on-demand On Demand - Customized news, sports, movies, weather updates 1.3 megapixel camera, photo and video, 2x digital zoom 64 MB memory, expansion microSD card (up to 4GB) Removable battery 1150mAh, lithium-ion     3.5 hours talk time, up to 300 hours standby time  Radio Dual-band CDMA2000 EvDO backward compatible with 1XRTT and IS95 Bluetooth 1.2 4.22 x 2.11 x 0.73", 4.2 oz   10/07 - Sprint exclusive in United States for 90 days, Onyx black or ruby red     $99.99 with two-year service agreement, $50 savings, and $100 rebate www.sprint.com/Centro www.palm.com/centro -- Press release          Find the Palm Centro on Amazon.com

Palm Treo 700p Smartphone -- Palm OS (06)

Touch screen, backlit QWERTY keypad and 5-way navigator control  320 x 320 touchscreen, 65K color Palm OS 5.4     Documents to Go Office sync, e-mail,.Browser w/ WMV Photos and videos Pocket Tunes MP3 player: Sync to Windows Media Player  Camera: 1.3 MP, 1280 x 1024, 352 x 288 video 4.4 x 2.3 x 0.9 in., 6.3 oz. 06 - Verizon $299 Intel XScale 312 MHz, 128 MB (60 avail) 128 MB (60 MB avail), SD/SDIO/MMC expansion slot EV-DO, 1xRTT / Bluetooth www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones          Find the Palm Treo 700p on Amazon.com

Palm Treo 700w Smartphone -- Windows Mobile  (06)

Top

Mobile Phone GPS

Verizon Wireless - VZ Navigator   

Real-time route calculation, mapping, turn-by-turn directions, voice with name of street General location by triangulating from cell towers Plus GPS chip (Global Positioning System) for precise positioning. 1/07 - $9.99 per month www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/splash/turnbyturn.jsp

Google Maps for Mobile  (10/06) / My Location (12/07)

View interactive maps, dynamic zoom and scroll Switch to satellite imagery view Overlay live traffic conditions (highlighting busy roads) Step through point-to-point driving directions Search for local businesses (Not linked to a live GPS signal to track your actual location) 10/06 - Available on Palm OS-based Treos 1/07 - Available on Palm Treo 750, 700wx and 700w smartphones 12/07 - Google Mobile Maps with My Location service, beta     location approximated based on nearby cell towers, within 1000 meters on average  www.google.com/gmm Google Maps on Treo 700p

Next: Cellular Signal Boosters

ALK CoPilot Live

Add GPS navigation to smartphone or PDA with products Communicate via Bluetooth to a wireless GPS antenna  Optionally to phone for real-time tracing and messaging  06 - $199 to $399, with map data on miniSD card and GPS receiver www.alk.com/copilot          Find the ALK CoPilot Live on Amazon.com

Top

Mobile Navigation Systems

Car navigation systems go portable (breaking away from the dashboard like satellite radio)
Adding media playback on the color screen, and Bluetooth integration to act as display for mobile phone.

Navigation is typically quick and accurate

• Quick to lock GPS signal, accurate position tracking , even rolling slowly up to an intersection.

• Quick to re-compute routes when take a different path, update within the next block.

User interfaces vary significantly: live map display and entering and managing destinations

• Main display for the driver should be simple and clear
      Easy to understand at a glance
      Good prompts for upcoming turns (in addition to voice prompts)
      Plus more detailed option for passenger to monitor along the route
      Zoom in and out to review step-by-step directions along the entire route

• Route planning should be very flexible in entering destinations
      By street address, closest intersection, nearby point of interest

ARCHOS 605 GPS - In-Car Holder for Portable Media Player (4/08)  

• In-car windshield holder with GPS antenna
• For ARCHOS 605 WiFi portable media player
• Full-fledged navigation system
• Tele Atlas maps: European 22 countries, North America U.S. and Canada, Chinese version
• $129, or $399 bundled with 30 GB player
• Press release (PDF)

• Gen 5 - www.archos.com/store_us/family_b.html?country=us&lang=en&fam_id=0000000013&gen=5

LG Portable Digital Navigators

• LN 735 - MSRP $349
     3.5 inch display (see below)

• LN730 - MSRP $299
      3.5 inch display, 1 GB memory, 1.7 million POIs, US/Canada
• LN740 - MSRP $449
      4-inch display, battery up to 6 hours, 0.44 pounds
      Live traffic information: 90-day free trial
• us.lge.com

LG LN735 Portable Digital Navigator (summer 2007)

          Night map     Music player

• 3.5 inch touchscreen display, 320 x 240, 260K colors
• SiRFstarIII GPS: fast and accurate mapping with strong signal reception; GPS status display
• Turn-by-turn voice guidance with street name and/or number
      16 Language Options; English/Spanish/French text-to-speech
• Built-in Guided Tour tutorial
• North America maps built in: US, Canada, Puerto Rico
• Map views: 2D and 3D with street names, Day and Night modes
• Controls: Menu, Volume Up/Down; Backlight brightness control
• Millions of points of interest:
      Restaurants, hotels, gas stations, ATMs, dozens of other categories
• Address retrieval from History, Favorites, Points of Interest (POI) or Microsoft Outlook contacts.
• Planning and optimizing of multi-stop trips, detours
• Navigation with fastest or shortest route, avoid highways / tolls
• Displays remaining travel distance and time
• Vehicle and Pedestrian modes
• Zoom / pan to explore map, Step though turn-by-turn directions
• 2 GB internal memory, SD card slot
• Mini-USB port, Optional external GPS antenna port
• Photo viewer: JPEG, BMP; Music player: MP3, WMA
• Interface with Microsoft ActiveSync, drag and drop media files
• PC Portal software to install new / updated maps, back up settings
      Import custom favorites from Excel .CSV files
• Internal Li-Ion Battery, Up to 4 Hours
• 4.3" x 3.2" x 0.7" inches, 0.35 pounds
• Includes Windshield suction cup mount, dashboard mount disc 
      Home AC and car cigarette lighter power adapters, Carrying case
• MSRP $349, street $249

Pharos Drive GPS 140 -- Portable navigation + Media

• 4 inch color touch screen display 

• Preloaded maps of the U.S. and Canada on a 2 GB SD card 

• Bluetooth dial and receive calls hands-free

• Photo viewing and slide shows: JPEG and BMP 

• Music playback: MP3, WMA, WAV

• Video: MPEG, WMA, MID video.

• Synchronizes to host PC using Microsoft ActiveSync
      Drag and drop media files into folders in the SD card memory

• 5.8 x 3.5 x 1 inches

• 10/07 - $321; 06 - $486

• www.pharosgps.com

Mio DigiWalker H610 -- Handheld navigation + Media

• Handheld -- Size of a deck of cards

• 2.7 inch screen

• 2.32 x 3.35 x 0.74 inches, 3.88 oz.

• GPS navigation  -- car and bike and walking

• Media playback
      MPEG and BMP photos, MP3 music, MPEG-4 video

• Toolbox software convert formats, download using Mio Transfer tool or SD card

• Three-year WorldMate subscription to check weather, convert currencies, get flight info and more.

• 10/07 - $299; 06 - $499

• www.miogps.com

Mio DigiWalker C710

• 3.5 inch touchscreen

• Full maps, Bluetooth, media player

• TMC (Traffic Message Channel) receiver
      Real-time traffic information broadcast on FM channels 
      (operational in most European countries, coming to North America
      www.tmcforum.com

• 4.33 x 3.03 x 0.78 inches, 6 oz

• 06 - $599

• www.miogps.com

Harman Kardon - Guide+Play GPS-500 (3/07)

• Full-featured portable GPS navigation system and multimedia device

• Incorporates high-fidelity audio, full-motion video

• Small enough to fit in the palm of the hand. Functioning as a GPS navigation

• Digital music player with full music-browsing capability

• Tightly integrated navigation and multimedia applications for simultaneous use

• Touchscreen interface 

• 4-inch WQVGA LCD display, widescreen 480 x 272

• MP3, MP4, WMA / PlaysForSure, ASF, WAV, OGG

• Pocket-sized, virtually invisible portable automotive mount, internal FM modulator 

• 2 GB internal flash memory, up to 4 GB external miniSD card

•  slim (19.6mm in depth) 

• Up to five hours of battery life,

• Charge via a wallmount AC adapter, USB port, or in-car cigarette-lighter cable

• 10/07 - $399; 3/07 $499

• www.harmankardon.com

Cellular Signal Boosters

Wi-Ex- zBoost - Cell phone signal boosters (07)   

• Wireless Extenders (Wi-Ex): Extend the cell zone for the home, office, car
• Improves signal strength for better voice and data
• Improves battery life of wireless phones
• Increases in-building coverage by up to 2500 sq ft
•     (10,000 sq ft with optional upgrade antennas)
• Consumer / SOHO signal boosters under $100, dual-band for multiple carriers
• www.wi-ex.com

zBoost zPersonal (zP) - $169 / $159 - YX300

• Dual 800 MHz or 1900 MHz (except Nextel, iDEN)
• Creates a cell zone of 4 - 6 ft. radius, for single user (one call at a time)
• 20 ft. cord, separate base unit and antenna at least 10 feet

zBoost Home / Office - $299 - YX500

• YX500-CEL - 800 MHz Cellular - some Verizon and Cingular
      Cellular frequency range (824 – 896 MHz)
• YX500-PCS - 1900 MHz PCS - Sprint, T-Mobile
      PCS frequency range (1850 – 1990 MHz)
• Coverage up to 2500 sq ft, Multiple phones simultaneously

zBoost Dual Band - $399 / $306 - YX510-PCS-CEL

• Both 800 MHz and 1900 MHz  
• Coverage up to 3,000 sq ft

zBoost for the Car - $299 / $215 - YX200

• Works with all phones simultaneously - both 800 MHz and 1900 MHz  - not Nextel

zBoost for the Professional Installer - YX600 series - single frequencies or dual-band

• Bi-Directional Amplifier (BDA), Coverage up to 10,000 sq ft
• YX600-PCS model improves all 6 PCS sub-bands
• YX600-CEL model improves both Cellular sub-bands

Satellite Phones

Iridium Satellite Phones

• Only mobile satellite service with full coverage around the globe, pole to pole
      Constellation of 66 low-earth orbiting (LEO) satellites
      Best if broad view of sky to connect to passing satellites
• Incoming calls dialed as an international call (Iridium prefix +88) 
• Dial long distance though Iridium number in North America, or dedicated +1 number
• www.iridium.com

Thuraya Satellite Phones

• Regional service in Middle East, Africa and Europe, most of Asia and Australia 
• Geostationary satellites
• Consumer-friendly (but less rugged) handsets, small and light,
• GSM service for calls roaming on cellular networks
• Notebook Internet access device, 144 kbps, DSL-like
• www.thuraya.com

Immarsat BGAN Data Terminals

• 10 geostationary satellites, coverage around globe, around 85 per cent of world's landmass
• BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network)
      Broadband-like data rates up to 492 Kbps, simultaneous voice calls
      Terminals available from several manufacturers
• www.inmarsat.com

Satellite Rescue Beacons

• See article: Satellite Rescue Beacons: Calling for Help
      (ACR TerraFix and MicroFix PLBs, SPOT Satellite Messenger)

SPOT Satellite Messenger

• Request emergency help, or send update messages with GPS location
      911: call out emergency search and rescue like a PLB
      OK and Help: Send notifications text message and/or e-mail to list of contacts
• Drop-resistant, waterproof, floats. LED lights indicate active and sending message
• SPOT is subsidiary of Globalstar, transmit-only
• www.findmespot.com

4.38 x 2.75 x 1.5 in., 7.37 oz. SPOT $149, annual service plan $99 a year to forward messages     Tracking option $49 per year, updates on shared Google Maps website     GEOS Search and Rescue option $7.95 per year,         manage rescue process, use private resources if needed          Find the SPOT Satellite Messenger on Amazon.com

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Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) - ACR Electronics

• Broadcast distress signal in life-threatening emergency
• Activates international Search and Rescue (SAR) system
      Cospas-Sarsat international satellite system 
          used for marine and aircraft distress, www.cospas-sarsat.org
      U.S. operated by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• SAR satellites triangulate within 2 to 3 miles, add GPS to pinpoint to 100 meters
      Include low-power homing beacon to guide rescue forces
• Rugged and waterproof, down to -40 C, transmit 20 to 40 hours, restricted visibility to sky
• Available from outdoor and sporting supply retailers, or rent $60 a week
• Register the device with your emergency contact information
• No additional costs or annual subscription fees
• Batteries 5 year replacement (11 years in storage)