mobile

nio Bluetooth security system prevents your phone from ‘walking away’

5 Comments / Gizmo of the Day, Phones, Portable / By /

UK company, TenBu, has a solution for alerting you if your prized possessions go ‘wandering’ off – the nio Bluetooth security system.

nio is a small fob (or tag) that you tie via Bluetooth to your phone. So if your phone and nio end up being apart at some predetermined distance, a loud audible alarm will go off on the nio tag.

The distance threshold depends on the security setting – low, medium or high. The higher the security, the lower the distance. 25m is the maximum range.

nio currently operates on most Blackberry, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and other popular mobile handsets, including Windows Mobile devices. A full list of compatible devices can be found at http://bluenio.com/compatibility. Android and Palm support should show up later this year.

The accompanying software that runs on your phone can manage up to 5 nio tags, so you can buy additional tags and place them in spots like your briefcase, handbag, etc. Here’s a video explaining how the nio system works:

The nio tags are a bit pricey, but hopefully, other competitors will spring up to drive down the cost on such a necessary service.

Buy now!
More info from the manufacturer
Price: $77.95
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

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As suggested in the article the device will work with most mobile phone suppliers like blackberry pearl available from www.phones4u.co.uk.

Mobile Entertainment company mspot now offers movies on demand for your cell phone

Books, Music and Movies, Phones, Portable / By /

mspotOne of the up and coming services that gets you even more entertainment on your cell phone is mspot. mspot started out as a music, ringtone and streaming radio company but has recently branched out into movies too.

So if you’re interested in watching movies on your phone, then you can get an mspot movie club subscription starting at $10/month for 20 credits which works out to up to 4 movies.

mspot works on a variety of cell phones that run on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon.

CES 2010: ZOMM Announces Bluetooth Leash/Alarm for Your Cell Phone

Gizmo of the Day, Phones, Portable / By /

zomm bluetooth leash alarm for cell phoneIn what is probably a growing field (example: take a look at nio), ZOMM, just announced their forthcoming Bluetooth leash with alarm for your mobile/cell phone. This personal security device that you keep in your pocket or attach to your keychain that will sound an alarm if you walk away from your phone.

ZOMM also functions as a speakerphone so you don’t even need to get to your phone. It has LED lights for visual notifications, a microphone for two-way communications and a speaker for audible alerts including full speakerphone functionality.

Update: A variety of ZOMM devices are now available starting around $50.

Mobile Desktop Workstation is a Chair on a Tricycle with an Attached Desk

Gizmo of the Day, Miscellaneous / By /

This is probably not for everyone, not even close. This mobile desk pretty much only holds a laptop or a notebook or some papers. I can’t imagine sitting in for very long; after a while, I’d want to lean back.

Also not sure why a site called “Opulent Items” is selling it, although I suppose it is with its price tag.

via Craziest Gadgets

Buy now!
Price: $500.00
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

Review: iTech SolarCharger 906 – portable solar charger

3 Comments / Audio/Video, Home Theater, Cameras and Photo, Phones, Portable, Reviews / By /

There are numerous portable battery backup solutions out there that come in various sizes, shapes and function. iTech makes one that falls into the ‘green’ category. How? By being rechargeable via solar energy. The SolarCharger 906 is a compact iPhone-sized (approx 4″ x 2.5″ x 0.6″) solar panel that holds 1,260mAh of power.

You can either charge up the 906 via a USB cable but of course, its star power (pardon the pun) is to be recharged via the sun’s rays. The 906 comes with a clear plastic cradle that is very securely connected and suction cups that you can use to attach it to your car’s windscreen. There’s also a car-kit.

The SolarCharger 906 has 4 blue LED lights on it that shows the degree to which it is charged up. Unfortunately, it takes over 20 hours to get fully charged up via sunlight, but iTech claims that it can keep a full charge for up to a year. So far, we’ve found that it does keep a charge for a week.

It also comes with 10 different power adapter tips including ones for LG, Nokia, Nintendo, Samsung, and Sony phones, Sony PSP and a few different USB tips (supports iPhone, iPods, Motorola and Blackberrys).

You can simultaneously charge a device while the 906 is charging via sunlight. Theoretically, you can keep the 906 running indefinitely if it gets enough sunshine.

We really liked iTech’s SolarCharger 906, but have to say that it is ideal for those folks that have their cars outside for a significant amount of time daily and use their portable devices enough to warrant an emergency backup. People that don’t fit this description may not get their money’s worth from the SolarCharger, although the 1 time you absolutely need your phone recharged, you may think just that!

Novatel MiFi 2200 – Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot modem (for Sprint or Verizon)

Gizmo of the Day, Portable / By /

I really like the idea of the Novatel Mi-Fi devices – a mobile Wi-Fi modem that lets you create your very own Wi-Fi hotspot anywhere there is Verizon or Sprint cell coverage. Sure, you have to have one of their broadband service plans, but the device is free (well, $0.01) when you purchase a subscription. It’s useless anyway without one.

The MiFi 2200 is compact (3.5″ at its widest) and thin (0.4″) so it’s easy to slip into your laptop bag. This EVDO Rev A modem has transfer rates in the 600Kbps to 1.4Mbps range, and can support up to 5 Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g devices. It runs on a lithium-ion battery that is rechargeable via a USB connection and gives up to 4 hours of active time and 40 hours of standby time.

As an example of what you might pay for broadband service, Sprint costs about $60/mo and Verizon has a few plans, one of which is $40/mo. Check with them for up to date numbers.

The Novatel MiFi 2200 seems perfect for small businesses that want to provide service to customers coming into their store or even their own employees; or perhaps if your job requires a fair amount of travel with other colleagues; or you’re a student that likes sharing. There are a lot of potential uses for this gadget.

Buy now! (Sprint)
Buy now! (Verizon)
Price: $0.01 (with service plan)
(Please note prices are subject to change and the listed price is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of posting)

SlingPlayer Mobile for Blackberry is officially out

Audio/Video, Home Theater, Phones / By /

Sling just announced that SlingPlayer Mobile (SPM) for Blackberry is no longer in beta and is now an official product. SPM for Blackberries is $29.99 and you can trial it for 30 days.

For US customers, SPM is currently supported on the following devices:
    * BlackBerry Bold from AT&T
    * BlackBerry Curve 8900 from T-Mobile*
    * BlackBerry 8820 from AT&T*
    * BlackBerry Curve 8320 from AT&T*
    * BlackBerry Curve 8320 from T-Mobile*
    * BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 from T-Mobile*
    * BlackBerry Pearl 8120 from AT&T*
    * BlackBerry Curve 8350i from Sprint Nextel*

The ones that are starred are supported by SPM when used with their Wi-Fi connection.

SPM is available as an over-the-air download from http://mobile.slingmedia.com/

Vopium launches their mobile VoIP service in the US

Phones, Portable / By /

Vopium launched their mobile VoIP service in the US recently, offering a lower cost option for international calls from cell phones. Vopium consists of a free software app for your mobile handset that routes your int’l calls over their network.

Vopium is available for over 500 GSM handsets from over 20 hardware vendors and they impressively have very detailed howto guides with screenshots on their website.

As far as costs go, they claim an up to 90% discount on typical international calls from cell phones. And if your phone has WiFi, you can make the call for free. As an incentive to new users, they offer 30 free minutes of talk time. You can even send text messages overseas as well.

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