Summit Archive

  • Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text

    Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text

    Posted on May 27, 2010 | No Comments
    Would you believe us if we told you that that rubber bracelet-looking thing is actually going to have a built-in SIM card and bring voice / text capabilities to Android tablets, e-readers and netbooks via Bluetooth? Yeah, it sounds super crazy, but that's exactly what it'll eventually do. Convinced that 2G capabilities like talking and texting should be easier to add to MIDs, tablets and netbooks, Seattle-based startup Iota has come up with the Flex. It's definitely in the early stages of development, but in essence they see people clipping the bendable device to a bag, pairing it to an Android tablet, e-reader or MID, and then making calls from said devices.

    We caught some time with Iota and the prototype at the Netbook Summit this week and were told that they plan to sell the Flex through retailers for under $100 -- and that would actually include unlimited calling and texting thanks to a partnership with Simple Mobile. Here's where we say we wouldn't hold your breath for this thing to hit the market -- though if they can pull it off, it'll certainty be an interesting solution for adding voice and text to those hoards of incoming Android tablets. After you're done wrapping your brain around this wearable voice and text accessory, check out the hands-on pics and hit the break for a hacked together demo of the dev kit they've been selling.

    Continue reading Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text

    Iota Flex wants to be a MiFi for voice and text originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 20:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • DECAF, the anti-Microsoft COFEE, pulled. It was a stunt designed to rally y’all.

    DECAF, the anti-Microsoft COFEE, pulled. It was a stunt designed to rally y’all.

    Posted on December 18, 2009 | No Comments
    Ladies and gentlemen: we were worked. The other I mentioned DECAF, which was promoted as the anti Microsoft-COFEE. While I still don't understand people's fascination with the forensics tool, DECAF promised to protect users against whatever the hell COFEE does. Only it doesn't: DECAF is a scam. Well, "scam" is a harsh word, more like "and let this be a lesson to you." I believe those are called "teachable moments" in politics circles these days. (See: that beer summit from a few months back.)

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  • Do video game publishers misrepresent their games in order to get lower ratings?

    Do video game publishers misrepresent their games in order to get lower ratings?

    Posted on November 18, 2009 | No Comments
    There's some sort of video game developer conference going on in Motreal this week (titled, to use its full name, the Montreal International Game Summit), and an interesting charge was just levied there. The CEO of A2M (the company that developed Wet), Rémi Racine, said that some game publishers will go out of their way to deceive the ESRB in order to get a lower rating for their games. You know how Hollywood tries hard to make sure the summer blockbusters are rated no higher than PG-13 in order to ensure a large audience? Same thing with video games, apparently. Why release an M-rated game, and know that your limiting your potential audience, when you can eek out with a T rating?

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  • Creative to show off ‘Zii Android mobile phone’ next month at Chinese summit

    Creative to show off ‘Zii Android mobile phone’ next month at Chinese summit

    Posted on November 15, 2009 | No Comments

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    We've been saying all along that we'd love nothing more than to see someone throw a 3G chip into Creative's Zii Egg and sell it as a pretty strong smartphone, but so far we've been hit with little to no indication of interested parties making that happen. So when we spot phrases like "Zii Optimized Android Phone platform" and "the line-up of devices on display includes a Mobile Phone platform" on an informational site for the ZiiLABS Showcase happening early December in China, our interested are definitely piqued. The event is geared towards companies who'd like to use the Plaszma platform for their products, and with any luck, some debonair decision-maker will give Zii phone a chance.

    [Via myCreative Fansite; thanks, Kyle]

    Creative to show off 'Zii Android mobile phone' next month at Chinese summit originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Nokia N900 unboxed at Maemo Summit ‘09

    Nokia N900 unboxed at Maemo Summit ‘09

    Posted on October 9, 2009 | No Comments
    300+ developers attending the Maemo Summit were given a (pre-production) Nokia N900 for a 6 month “trial” period. One of the lucky attendees was kind enough to share his unboxing video (above) with the world. See, kids. Dreams can come true. [via UMPCPortal] Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors

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  • Maemo 6 UI concept revealed to include portrait mode, capacitive multitouch

    Maemo 6 UI concept revealed to include portrait mode, capacitive multitouch

    Posted on October 9, 2009 | No Comments

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    Today at the Maemo Summit -- which we like to imagine happens in a lavish, remote mountain fortress somewhere in Finland -- Nokia dropped some interesting hints about what we can expect from Maemo 6. Look for both portrait and landscape support, multitouch, capacitive touchscreens, an "iconic user experience and integrated internet services in one aesthetic package" (as opposed to a user experience that lacks icons, integrated internet services, or aesthetics, we suppose), and a desktop significantly larger than the display, which can be navigated either vertically or horizontally: Nokia is calling this "the canvas principle," although we'd call it "possibly quite confusing" unless the design is particularly well implemented. But the designers have plenty of time for that: Maemo 6 probably won't see the light of day until late 2010. Hit the read link for plenty more mind-blowing slides.

    [Via SlashGear]

    Maemo 6 UI concept revealed to include portrait mode, capacitive multitouch originally appeared on Engadget Mobile on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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