pda | ipod | mobile phone | GPS Info

O2 is bringing its ‘home zone’ tariff to the UK, offering users free mobile calls from a particular location - a move that may help see off the nascent threat from FMC technologies.

Under the Favourite Place scheme, pre-pay users can get eight hours of free calls to landlines and other O2 mobiles from a particular location once they have texted a postcode to the operator.

Among the customer segments O2 hopes to hook with the service are students, who could register their halls of residence, or workers who could choose their office as their favourite place.

For operators, home zone pricing is one carrot to tempt consumers to ditch landlines once and for all in favour of their mobiles.
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The alleged June 11th iPhone release date is likely the result of confusion, research has revealed. Telephone calls placed to 25 of the company’s stores spread across the country presented contradictory information, with many asserting only that the Apple device would be ready sometime in June. Some pointed to delays to July or September triggered by popular demand, while one store pointed to a release as soon as “next month” and another pointed to late May.

Such checks point to the reportedly fixed date as largely speculative. Neither Apple nor AT&T have responded to the earlier claim and have maintained only the general June timeframe. Taiwan’s DigiTimes put a stop to rumors of an early release by claiming that iPhone components would only be shipped to Apple’s Far East factories in April. [via]

Griffin Technology has unveiled two power & charge travel solutions for iPod. The PowerBlock Travel is a kit that includes Griffin’s PowerBlock AC power adapter with numerous types of AC wall plugs, and features “twist and lock” adapters along with a new sleek black look. The PowerBlock converts AC voltage from 100-volts to 240-volts without spikes or surges, according to the company, while a built-in Type A USB socket enables the PowerBlock to work with any USB-rechargeable device. iPod owners can use a detachable dock connector to charge the portable player, while first-generation iPod shuffles are chargeable via the USB port. Griffin’s PowerBlock Travel is shipping for $35, and the PowerDuo Travel is available for $40.

The PowerDuo Travel bundles PowerBlock and all of the travel adapters mentioned above, as well as Griffin’s PowerJolt vehicle charger. PowerJolt plugs into the 12-volt cigarette lighter or accessory port, and includes a replaceable fuse to protect equipment from spikes or surges while charging. The 7-piece PowerDuo set includes PowerBlock, PowerJolt, a dock connector cable, and four AC travel adapters. [via]

Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo to offer that it will market a phone that’s been available for quite some time to users from other parts of the world. The handset, Motorola’s Dolce & Gabbana special edition, M702iS, developed jointly by Motorola, Dolce & Gabbana and NTT DoCoMo will be marketed for a limited time through the mobile operator’s online sales channels.

The MOTORAZR that was launched in Japan at the beginning of the year, instantly became the hottest mobile device available and recorded massive sales, so it’s very unlikely that NTT DoCoMO customers won’t head on to the closest store to get themselves a shiny golden Dolce & Gabbana special edition Moto. The M702iS comes with pre-loaded Dolce & Gabbana content including an original standby screen and screensaver.

It also features the fashion designer’s logo on the sub display, that glows during calls and four original ringtones that were selected by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. While on the outside it may be flashy and golden, on the inside it’s just a regular M702iS. Thus its spec sheet includes a 1.3 megapixel camera as well as a secondary camera for video calling, 3G capabilities, a 2.2 inch 262k color screen with a QVGA resolution, media player and a MicroSD card slot to provide extra memory for storing files.

On a full battery, the handset will last for up to 120 minutes of talk time or 345 hours on standby. The limited edition Dolce & Gabbana Motorola M702iS will come with a cleaning cloth and carrying case that also bear the D&G logo. Dolce & Gabbana shops in Japan have already begun accepting orders for the Motorola phone since the beginning of March. There is no information on its price. [via]

BBC has announced that it has started a trial to syndicate a range of its TV channels and radio networks in the UK, with mobile operators Orange, Vodafone and 3. The service will last up to 12 month and allow the mobile operators’ subscribers to watch BBC One, BBC News 24 and BBC Three (except for some of the sport and acquired programs) streamed on their mobiles.

The radio stations they’ll be able to listen to will include Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, 6 Music, BBC 7 and Asian Network. BBC’s trial with the three mobile operators is scheduled to start within the month.

Ashley Highfield, Director of Future Media and Technology, said: “By making a range of television channels and radio networks available to 3G mobile phone subscribers, we hope to test not only the effectiveness of 3G as a means of distribution, but also how audiences respond to the BBC’s linear services on their mobiles.
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The E5000 is quite a stylish phone sporting a clamshell form factor that’s a little bit out of the ordinary. It includes a patent-pending ‘S’ hinge design, made out of stainless steel and quite a few music dedicated features.

Equipped with 1.3 megapixel camera with video recording and 1x Ev-Do for high-speed connectivity, its manufacturer describes it as being the ‘must have device for pop culture junkies and fashionistas alike’. This goes to show that the aforementioned types of users have become the target of most mobile phone manufacturers.

While not exactly easy to please as customers, they are the type of user that always goes after the trends, thus changing mobile phones rather often. So it’s clear why manufacturers would be interested in providing fashionable, music dedicated phones for them. Kyocera’s E5000 comes with all those features that provide a better mobile music experience, including touch-sensitive external controls, music player, Bluetooth with stereo headset support, MicroSD card slot for memory expansion that can provide up to 2GB of extra space for files and support for audio and video on demand services.

“When I tell people what I do, I constantly get asked what the next revolutionary design element is going to be for mobile phones,” said Tyneski. “With E5000, I truly believe that we have conceived an iconic, revolutionary look that will be immediately recognizable and instantly equated with high fashion and style.” [via]