Tag: Handhelds

The rumored WiFi capabilities of the upcoming Microsoft 'Zune' MP3 player may doom the product from the beginning. Battery life may become a huge issue as WiFi is a very large draw on batteries in portable devices. Details are thin at this time, however it seems that unless Microsoft can included extra features and similar...

WiFi phones and security are somewhat at odds with each other. Using WPA/WPA2 enterprise on a WiFi phone introduces latency issues when users roam from one AP to another. Some Phones support WPA/WPA2-PSK, but even that introduces problem since the phone is authenticated but not the user. Via [techworld.com]

Socket Communications unveiled its new SDIO (Secure Digital Input/Output) card that allows for 802.11g wireless LAN connectivity in Windows-supported mobile devices. The Go Wi-Fi! P300 card, which comes with Wi-Fi Companion connectivity and management software, is sold for $99. The Socket's website provides a list of devices that are compatible with this new card. Via...

Nokia has began a trial of unlicensed mobile access or UMA in Oulu near the polar circle in northern Finland. Subscribers with UMA-enabled handsets can make Internet calls when they are within the coverage of an unlicensed wireless network such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. When they leave such range, the calls will automatically shift to...

Skype users who want more mobility may opt for the new Wi-Fi phones that are due to hit the market in the third quarter of this year. The handsets will be pre-loaded with Skype software and will allow subscribers to use open Wi-Fi access points that do not need browser authentication to make calls. For...

Analysts expect the global Wi-Fi phone market to enjoy a robust growth in 2006. Figures from Infonetics Research indicate that the Wi-Fi telephony industry earned $125.5 million in 2005, twice the volume in 2004. The analyst firm's forecast shows that the numbers will more than double this year and may nearly triple by 2009, when...

Italians who want an unlicensed mobile access (UMA) handset can now get one from Samsung. The company has launched SGH-P200 -- a phone unit that supports Wi-Fi, GSM and GPRS, thus enabling it to make calls through a public hotspot or a home or office wireless network. "Handsets with UMA technology allow free voice and...

Symbian has launched version 9.3 of its operating system for smartphones. The new version includes native support for USB 2.0 connections as well as for Wi-Fi radio. It also provides Unlicensed Mobile Access, which enables phones to go from cellular to Wi-Fi networks through VoIP technology. Symbian is the operating system that powers mobile phones...

An Indiana hospital will soon have their nurses equiped with voice-over-Wi-Fi phones in an effort to boost their mobility. Hancock Regional Hospital in Greenfield, Indiana is currently assessing phones from Cisco Systems, Vocera Communications, and SpectraLink. The hospital's infrastructure is ready to support the new service. Last year, Hancock installed several Extreme's Altitude 350-2 access...

Blackberry addicts rejoice! WiFi/cellular dual mode is coming. The dual mode will mean that WiFi enabled business and campuses can reduce the cellular data usage, but still allow travel and roaming. Also planned is blackberry software for other devices such as palm handhelds. Via [techworld.com]

WiFi capable cell phones were once considered a threat to cellular telco revenue streams, but that perception appears to be changing. With about 20 WiFi capable phones on the market already, the telco's and particularly VOIP providers are looking at the convergance of technology to solve some problems and boost other revenue streams. 132 Million...

Samsung is getting ready in a big way to jump on WiMax. They are preparing a GSM/WiMax phone as well as PCMCIA cards and base stations for fixed and mobile WiMax. The first products should be seen in the first half of 2007. Via [techworld.com]

MusicGremlin is one of the latest Wi-Fi enabled music players in the market. The $299 device comes with an 802.11 wireless connection and carries 8 GB of storage or about 2,000 MP3, WMA, or WMA DRM worth of tracks. At $14.99 per month, subscribers get access to MusicGremlin Direct's 2-million-track music library directory, which is...

Nokia's 6136 and Samsung's T709 are a new kind of cell phone; they're Wi-Fi enabled and ready to provide uninterrupted connections no matter where you are. Wi-Fi enabled phones are intended to travel seamlessly from Wi-Fi to cellular without a loss in data. But users be warned: if dropped calls will wreak havoc on your...

Bundling reaches new heights with plans to add WiFi and VoIP to items such as Apple's iPod digital media players. A new study suggests that the combination, called "real-time Internet," will become the preferred way for consumers to access the Internet in the future. 100 million consumer mobile VoIP users are expected by the year...